Saskatchewan Stock Growers Riding For The Brand Fundraiser

Feb 25, 2021

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has been busy preparing for its Semi-Annual Meeting on Thursday.

President Kelcy Elford says this year's event is going virtual.

The event, which gets underway at 1:30, would normally be held as part of the Beef Industry Conference.

Elford says the meeting provides a great opportunity to update producers on what's happening in the industry and what the organization has been working on.

He notes it's also a time for the membership to bring resolutions forward, there's a lot of challenges out there, and we need to keep moving our message forward.

"Beef is, is one of the best ways to take care of one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world, and it's one of the best products for, for raising our families. You know, it's not a detriment to the environment, it's not a detriment to the economy. It is a benefit. We as producers are doing our jobs to get that product to the world."

Elford says one of the highlights for the organization this week has been their online fundraising auction " Riding for the Brand" which will wrap up Thursday, February 25th at 7 pm.

"We're really excited about the support that we've had for the fundraising auction. Even though it hasn't come to completion, I'm going to call it a success. Just based on the amount of support that we've had, for the generous contribution. There's something in this auction for absolutely everybody, from a pair of pliers to an African Safari."

Elford notes the funds that are raised through this auction, go to their day-to-day operations and the lobbying efforts of its members.

"This would normally be held at our AGM in June and of course, that wasn't possible, so we came up with this idea."

The auction platform is DLMS or farm gate auction which are familiar sites for anyone in the ag sector.

"You can come and bid on coolers, fridges, you know, steak dinners."

He notes you don't have to be a farmer or rancher to take part there's some great items that would be of interest to anyone.

A complete list of the auction items is available here.

Click here to see more...

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.