Organizers of the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association Annual General Meeting and Convention being hosted May 23 to 25 in Williams Lake are anticipating 400 attendees with registrations and the trade show.
“I think it will be great,” said Ricky Seelhof, a director with the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association who has been in charge of entertainment and decorations.
“We were expecting lots of people, but not 400.”
It will be the association’s 91st AGM and the theme is “Ranching Strong: Managing for Profitability in the Cow/Calf Operation.”
Things will kick off Thursday, May 23 with registration and a trade show opening at 5 p.m. at the Cariboo Memorial Complex.
A welcome reception will follow at 7 p.m.
On Friday, May 24, the AGM will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In the afternoon there will be a presentation on the new Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
There will also be a companion tour on Friday, which will take delegates to the 153 Mile Historic Store owned by siblings Roger and Rusty Patenaude, the Sunshine Ranch in Horsefly, owned by Silvia and Franz Laffer and Woodjam Ranch in Horsefly, owned by Seelhof and her husband, Chad.
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“It’s the biggest companion tour they’ve ever had at the AGM with 65 people signed up,” Seelhof said.
An evening barbecue on Friday will see the presentation of the Ranch Sustainability Award, the Martin Riedemann Society Silent Auction and Live Bursary Auction, and entertainment by local cowboy poet Bruce Rolph and working cowboy musician Matt Robertson from Alberta.
“We will also have B.C. artisans with works on display related to the cattle industry,” Seelhof said.
Saturday the convention will focus on education with a research forum in the morning and education day in the afternoon.
Presenters for the research forum include Dr. Kris Nichols, founder and principal scientists at KRIS Systems Education and Consultation, Walt Klenner, wildlife habitat ecologist, Kamloops Ministry of Forests, and Karin Schmid, Beef Production Specialist, Alberta Beef Producers.
For the education day portion in the afternoon, the speakers are Katy Lippolis, assistant professor and extension beef cow-calf specialists at Iowa State University, Brian Perillat, manager and senior analyst, Canfax and Cheryl Waldner, professor, Department of Large Animal Clinic Sciences WCVM.
The convention will close with a banquet and dance on Saturday evening featuring local band, One in the Chamber, headed by Kyle Rankin.
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Seelhof said the BC Cattlemen’s Association’s various comittees will be meeting in advance of the convention during the day on Thursday at the Pioneer Complex in Williams Lake.
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