Carol Reynolds says her new job at the Canadian Cattle Association feels like returning home to her farm roots
The Canadian Cattle Association has a new teammate. Carol Reynolds is the group’s new communications manager, who started the job Jan. 4.
“Agriculture is literally in my blood,” said Reynolds, who grew up on a mixed family farm near Nipawin, Sask.
“I’ve got a lot of fond memories of the farm, pitching bales and picking rocks and all of that. I’ve always had a soft spot for the industry, and I’ve worked in not-for-profits for most of my career.”
Reynolds has a multi-faceted work background that includes stints in agriculture and health research, and said a position with the CCA “feels like home, honestly.”
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She lives on an acreage near Airdrie and became a self-described “semi-carnivore” about two months ago.
“It was very serendipitous that I got this role in the beef industry, because I eat so much beef myself. I’m bodybuilding. I’m a little bit older, so I’m a strong proponent of getting enough iron in your diet, and the nutritional qualities of beef and meat in general.
“Obviously, when it comes to ensuring that we have a consistent, healthy supply of beef, that’s near and dear to my heart.”
She said she is impressed by the way provincial beef organizations pull together and the way they communicate.
“We’re an advocacy group, of course, so we have a very loud voice in Ottawa and I’m proud to say I hope to amplify that on behalf of the team, and on behalf of producers across the country,” she said.
The beef industry faces numerous challenges, with a shrinking domestic herd and a failed trade deal with the United Kingdom.
“Our team in Ottawa is dealing with many different regulatory issues, including transportation. These are roadblocks for the industry. We have such a dedicated group working, that we’re making a difference,” she said.
“The consumption is up there; we just need to keep the demand up there. We need to keep the borders open and have seamless trade, especially between the United States and Canada. We’ve got great trade relations there.”
Reynolds said keeping everybody abreast of the latest trends and communicating about any impediments is important.
“We deal with producers across the country, so what one area of the country is facing, another might not be. For example, weather conditions. The drought has had an impact on a lot of Canada for the past year, which is impacting production and production costs, which are being trickled down to the consumer as well.”
She is now in the process of familiarizing herself with CCA and Canada’s beef industry.
“I’m just learning about the organizational structure — who’s who on our teams, and all the different players in the beef industry. We have so many allies and I would like to amplify the messaging of each one. They work together very seamlessly, they’re all on the same page with their messaging. I would love to step that up a little bit on a national scale for the provincial organizations.”
Beef organizations must reach producers where they live, she added.
“They’re so busy doing the hard work of the day-to-day raising of the beef. We need to go to them and not have them have to find us. We still rely a lot on print copy and digital copy. Social media is important, but it’s changing. We will utilize that vehicle to get our messages out there too.”
Reynolds is also prepared to look for redundancies.
“I’m always looking at a strategic level and finding out how to make things more efficient. I think that was the reason that I was brought on board. I’m asking a lot of questions,” she said.
Her political background and a previous run for office has provided a strong knowledge of advocacy. She has also done some policy work, including some from Genome Prairie’s Saskatoon office.
“We were part of a larger conglomerate called Genome Canada, so I did a lot of facilitating, roundtables with ag ministers and a memorandum of understanding signing in Washington regarding research collaborations.”
She has worked on white papers, collaborated with researchers and government officials and also has a background in radio, “so I know a bit about the media end of it.”
For now, Reynolds is focused on making her mark in the industry.
“It’s an exciting time to be in the Canadian beef industry, and I look forward to helping Canadian beef producers amplify their voices.”
