Twenty-six producers have been nominated for a spot on the first-ever elected board of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.
Nominations closed Sept. 15 for the 11 positions based on the nine provincial crop districts. Districts 3 and 9 were split in two because of their large cattle populations.
Three of the nominees are automatically on the board as the only ones nominated. All three also served as SCA interim directors.
Rick Toney of Gull Lake, Leon Stang of Cactus Lake and David Stuart of Edam will represent districts 4, 7 and 9B.
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The largest race is in District 3B, where five people are running:
- Jason Dean of Morse is a past-president of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association who has 200 cow-calf pairs and a backgrounding operation and has been serving as an interim SCA director.
- Larry Grant of Val Marie has 300 cows in a mixed operation, is a rural municipal councillor and worked on the province’s water infrastructure program.
- James Klassen of Herbert runs a commercial cow-calf Angus operation, finishes some cattle and has operated a dairy for more than 30 years.
- Reg Schellenberg of Beechy ranches with his father-in-law Ted Perrin and has been involved with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association since 1983.
- Darren Steinley of Rush Lake runs both commercial and purebred cattle and has worked with the provincial council of agriculture development and diversification boards and the environmental farm plan.
The candidates in District 1 are:
- Ryan Beierbach of Whitewood, the current chair of the SSGA policy and trade committee, has a supply and tack store on the ranch.
- Jack Hextall of Grenfell, current interim chair of the SCA, runs 250 head of commercial and purebred cattle and has extensive volunteer experience in the industry.
- Steve Turuk of Kipling is a cow-calf producer who has feedlot experience and 33 years in livestock enforcement.
In District 2, Ken Demyen of Qu’Appelle has grain, horse and cattle operations and experience on several volunteer boards, while Bill Jameson from Moose Jaw is a past SCFA president, interim SCA director and long-time cattle buyer.
District 3A has four candidates:
- Gerry Duckworth runs a 650-head Black Angus herd near Courval.
- Norm Nordgulen of Assiniboia is a director of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and an SSGA member with experience in the bison industry.
- Marc Spagrud of Rockglen runs a cow-calf operation and also taught high school.
- Ryan Thompson of Ceylon operates Border Line Feeders, is vice-president of the SCFA and is on the interim SCA executive.
The two candidates seeking the District 5 position are Roy Miller of Preeceville, who grew up in British Columbia and relocated to Saskatchewan in 2003, and Duane Thompson of Kelliher, who operates Tee Two Land and Cattle.
District 6 candidates are Bob Blacklock of Saskatoon, Brian Longwirth of Harris and Howard Toews of Watrous.
Blacklock is the former owner of the Saskatoon Auction Mart and runs 200 commercial cattle east of the city.
Longwirth is a former SSGA board member with experience on several other boards and a family cow-calf operation.
Toews runs 750 head on a cow-calf and backgrounding operation. He also has served as a rural municipal councillor and is president of a breeder-feeder co-operative.
Bruce Holmquist of Kinistino and Richard Wilson of Porcupine Plain are vying for the job in District 8.
Holmquist is an interim SCA director who operates a seedstock and cow-calf ranch and is the industry liaison for the Canadian Simmental Association, while Wilson is a former manager of Cor Van Raay Farms at Lethbridge who moved to Saskatchewan a year ago to manage the new Plains Livestock feedlot.
The candidates in District 9A are Terry Cunningham of White Fox, who raises commercial cattle and has worked in the artificial insemination industry for 25 years, and Lyal Fox of Shellbrook, who has a mixed ranch and is a livestock dealer.
Each director will serve a two-year term and is eligible for re-election. However, the directors in districts 2, 3B, 5, 7 and 9A will be elected for just one year in order to implement an election process that allows for continuity on the board.
The board will also include the immediate past president, two appointed directors from the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and two from Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association.
Elections will begin Oct. 20. Votes must be cast in person.
