New NFU youth president
National Farmers Union members elected a new youth president at their 34th annual convention.
Dave Lewington, 26, a farmer from Brussels, Ont., said in a News release
news that he is looking forward to working on the many issues confronting younger farmers. He said his special focus will be on working to make it easier for young farmers to begin producing supply managed commodities: milk, poultry and eggs. He also wants to work to maintain the strength of the supply managed system.
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Nigel Weber was elected youth vice-president at the convention. Weber is from a mixed farm near Castor, Alta., and is in his fourth year at the University of Saskatchewan studying agricultural and bioresource engineering.
NFU president Stewart Wells, vice-president Terry Boehm, women’s president Karen Pedersen and women’s vice-president Colleen Ross were all acclaimed to serve another term.
Ag-West president
Ag-West Biotech Inc. has announced that Ashley O’Sullivan is its new president and chief executive officer.
O’Sullivan began his career in agriculture as a research associate at the University of Alberta before joining Monsanto Canada, where he was responsible for research and development in Western Canada.
O’Sullivan joined Agriculture Canada in 1978, eventually becoming head of the Saskatoon Research Centre. During his time at Agriculture Canada, he worked as Canadian principal adviser for the India Dryland Project, managed a research project in Brazil, and was a research adviser to a dryland project in China.
He also spent a year working as managing director of a bioscience company in the United Kingdom.
Rodeo college
Olds College in Olds, Alta., has created the first credit rodeo class in Canada.
First and second year rodeo classes earn three credits toward any program on campus. The first class, already under way, has attracted mainly students enrolled in the college’s agriculture, equine and apprenticeship programs.
Topics include herd health and rodeo protocol and promotion in the first year, and monitoring and supervising in the second year.
