Veal Farmers of Ontario announces leadership for 2021

Guelph, Ontario - Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO) is pleased to announce the re-election of Pascal Bouilly as Chair and the election of Cameron Knip as Vice Chair, at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

Bouilly, the Dairy Calf Supply Chain Manager with Delft Blue Veal in Cambridge, was appointed to the VFO Board of Directors in 2015 and served as Vice Chair for two years prior to being elected Chair in 2020. Bouilly is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the farm and the started dairy calves program.

 

“Driving value for Ontario veal is a top priority for the VFO Board of Directors,” says Bouilly. “One thing that has not changed during this pandemic is Ontario farmers and their commitment to continuing to do what they do best—producing safe, high-quality food for our customers. As Chair, I look forward to the year ahead as we focus our attention on the issues, initiatives, and projects that will best support our members and our industry.”

 

Knip, who joined the Board in 2019, raises veal cattle south of Exeter where he also cash crops with his family.

 

“As Vice Chair, I look forward to working with my fellow directors to strategically address issues directly impacting male dairy calf and veal producers,” says Knip. “With market volatility, processing capacity, and uncertainty disrupting our livestock markets, the importance of business risk management programs that work for our farmers has never been more critical.”

 

Judy Dirksen, Sid Atkinson, and Phil Kroesbergen were acclaimed to the VFO Board at the 2021 virtual Annual General Meeting on March 3 and will serve three-year terms.

 

Dirksen, a veal producer from Harriston, and Atkinson, a dairy and cash crop producer from Roseneath, bring extensive board experience to their roles. Kroesbergen, who raises veal with his family near Mount Brydges, is past Vice Chair.

 

Returning to the eight member VFO Board of Directors is Brian Keunen (Palmerston). Earlier in the year, the VFO Board appointed Dylan Yantzi (Tavistock) to a two-year term to fill a board vacancy as per the requirements and expectations of our regulations. Stratford-area veal producer Kurtis Moesker was also appointed to a two-year term at the recent meeting of the Board of Directors, filling an additional seat that became vacant mid-term.

 

“Thank you to each one of the members of the Board for your willingness to serve the Ontario veal cattle sector,” says Bouilly. “The VFO Board of Directors is most certainly a diverse group of farmers with a wealth of experience. I am looking forward to the year ahead.”

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.