A new farmer co-operative created and funded by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool has put its first delegate body in place without a single ballot being cast.
Seventy-one of the 80 available delegate positions were filled by acclamation when the election period expired last week.
Linda Pipke, executive director of the Western Farm Leadership Co-operative, said the co-op will continue to accept nominations to fill the nine vacant positions before the inaugural meeting of delegates is held Dec. 14.
Considering that the organization is new and given the harvest problems encountered by many producers, Pipke said she was pleased by the level of response.
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“It would have been really good if we had had elections, but we’re pleased such a large number of delegates expressed interest in participating,” she said.
“I think it speaks positively for a new and emerging organization that didn’t exist before.”
About 45 percent of the delegates have had previous experience as SWP delegates, 55 percent are younger than 45 and only two are women.
The delegates will serve two-year terms.
When SWP announced plans to abandon its co-operative structure last year, it held out an olive branch to its members by promising to establish a new co-op to keep farmers involved in the pool.
Officials of the new organization say the co-op’s main role will be to provide education and training for producers. As well, it’s expected to serve as a pipeline between the pool and farmers in terms of the pool’s commercial programs and services.
The co-op has 16 prairie districts (14 in Saskatchewan and two each in Alberta and Manitoba), with five delegates from each district.
As of last week there were three vacancies in the Lloydminster district, two in Moose Jaw, two in Melfort, one in Prince Alberta and one in Brandon.
