MOOSE JAW, Sask. – With both Neil and Marilyn Jahnke now occupying
leadership positions in the Canadian cattle industry, the question
becomes, who’s minding the ranch?
Marilyn Jahnke was elected president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers
Association last week.
Her husband, Neil, is president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
The Jahnkes run about 1,000 cows on their ranch at Gouldtown, along
with Neil’s brothers.
Marilyn said they will rely more than ever on their two employees.
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“We have two men working here and they’re very competent,” she said.
“And I guess we’ll have to work hard when we’re there.”
The situation is not entirely new for the Jahnkes. Neil has been
involved for years in various associations, including the SSGA,
Saskatchewan Livestock Association, Canadian Beef Export Federation and
the CCA.
Marilyn has served the SSGA as finance chair, second vice-president and
first vice-president.
She said she doesn’t expect Saskatchewan cattle producers will get
special treatment just because she shares a house with the CCA
president. Her husband isn’t home long enough, she laughed.
Nor does she read anything into the fact that she is the first woman
president in the SSGA’s 89-year history.
She said the issues facing all cattle producers are more important than
the president’s gender.
Jahnke intends to focus her efforts on a couple of key areas and
delegate other tasks to her “excellent” fellow board members.
One of those areas is education tax on agricultural land. She said it’s
not fair that producers are hit with the tax on more than one front,
given that the provincial sales tax is supposed to fund education.
Redistributing the education tax would also help producers affected by
drought.
“In some parts of Saskatchewan it’s the third or even the fourth year,”
she said.
“We need to get some money into long-term water development. Some
people are still using dugouts and springs that were developed in the
’30s by PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration).”
Jahnke said they sold their cull cows earlier than usual this year
because of a water shortage on their land.
A major cow sell-off is a concern, she said, adding that Saskatchewan
is the only province that increased its cow herd last year.
Jahnke also noted she begins her term with several new board members
representing a greater area of the province.
Brian Ross of Estevan is first vice-president, while Dennis Fuglerud of
Broderick is second vice-president.
Board members elected to two-year terms were: Fuglerud; Dan Bertsch,
Battleford; Michael Burgess, Big Beaver; Orin Balas, Ponteix; Allen
Patkau, Hanley; Mark Elford, McCord; Jack Hextall, Grenfell; and Cecil
Mantei, Estevan.
