Cattlemen's Young Leaders semi-finalist hopes to win next year
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- Published on Monday, March 16, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
Wilco van Meijl was one of 24 semi-finalists vying for 16 mentorship positions in the 2015 Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program year. The program is a Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) initiative which aims to provide industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities to young producers.Semi-finalists were selected from 67 applicants, a response which CYL program co-ordinator Jolene Noble says reflects the ongoing popularity of the program.
“The youth mentorship program continues to grow, due in no small part to the quality of our graduates and their enthusiasm for the program and our industry. CYL alumni have done an excellent job promoting the program to their peers and encouraging youth to apply. With each year and new set of applicants, I am even more impressed with the calibre of individuals in the Canadian beef industry.”
Semi-finalists represent five provinces: one from Nova Scotia, two from Manitoba, three from Ontario, four from Saskatchewan and the rest from Alberta; winners will be selected at the CYL Spring Forum March 26-28 in Saskatoon. Unfortunately, Wilco withdrew his application, but he has every intention of re-applying next year.
“I regrettably had to pull my name due to a scheduling conflict. I am unable to attend the forum as I have an[other] event that was booked in advance of the announcement of my becoming a semi-finalist. At the spring forum, the selection to become a finalist is all about the candidate’s interaction with peers and industry professionals during roundtable discussions and presentations. With my absence, I cannot be considered for the final group. I am going to be applying next year with hopes of being nominated as a semi-finalist and hopefully move on to be a finalist. It is a very worthwhile program I would like more people to know about.”
CYL was created in 2010 and is open to farmers aged 18-35; Wilco is 31. He grew up on the family farm two miles south of Rapid City off PR 270. Today, he and his family farm with parents Cor and Hannie van Meijl and brother Eric and his wife Jamie.
“We have an operation that has around 320 commercial females, and we also run a small custom forage harvesting business. We have steadily been trying to improve our commercial herd of Red Angus- and Simmental-based cows, and have also been focusing on how to grow our operation without having to dramatically increase our land base. To accomplish this, we decided to start producing silage as our main forage, as we could put up a large volume of feed on a smaller land base when compared to dry hay. We also utilized the pasture program formerly under PFRA as a way to grow our herd without having to make investment in land around home. Our switch to silage a number of years ago has also created an opportunity for ourselves; we have managed to turn our equipment investment into a small, yet growing, custom silage business.”
Wilco is the general manager for Nesbitt/Carberry Cargill; his work with this company exposed the marketing differences in grain farmers and cattle farmers.
“My current involvement and passion within the industry has to do with the primary cow/calf producer, and trying to find ways of this segment of producers to take control of the marketing of their livestock. I have worked with Cargill for the last eight years in a variety of roles throughout the province and through my time working with farm customers, I have come to understand the risk management techniques that cash crop producers can take advantage of when it comes to marketing their grain. When I look at cow/calf producers, we are still very often price-takers in our marketplace, and through this mentorship I was hoping to gain further understanding of what risk management opportunities are available for primary cattle producers. I am looking to increase my knowledge on the effects of feeder futures, currency, feed prices, freight and consumer demand on the price that a primary cattle producer receives. By understanding these effects further, and exploring options that may be available, I felt I could increase the risk management strategies on our farm and ultimately, increase the profitability over the longterm of our operation if or when prices normalize.”
Winning CYL candidates are paired with a mentor for nine months who assists their students in such topics as extended grazing seasons, nutrition and embryo work, marketing and trade, industry policy and advocacy. The program also aims to expose CYL winners to CCA and its provincial members.
“The Cattlemen’s Young Leader mentorship program is a fantastic opportunity for young producers that are passionate about their industry, and get a chance to meet with very influential industry representatives. This influence will allow participants to grow into leaders that will take this industry into the next generation, and much beyond that. We are in very exciting times in the cattle industry and it is great to see the energy of young people looking to take ownership of their operations and influence the direction of the industry on a national scale. This type of influence is what excited me about this program.”
While Wilco voluntarily withdrew his application and will be ineligible for mentorship this year, the fact that he was selected as a semi-finalist is noteworthy in itself. Congratulations Wilco, and best of luck for next year’s CYL process!
