WGRF Elects New Executive

Jul 27, 2020

The new executive for the Western Grains Research Foundation Board of Directors has been selected.

Dr. Keith Degenhardt was elected as the Chair and has a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Saskatchewan.

He and his family also operate a mixed cattle and seed farm at Hughenden, Alberta.

Stewart Wells was elected as the Vice-Chair.

He operates a third-generation family farm near Swift Current, Saskatchewan and has a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan.

The following Directors were also elected to positions on WGRF Committees:

Executive Committee: Keith Degenhardt, Stewart Wells, Greg Sundquist, Jill Verwey, Terry Young,

Research Committee: Terry James (Chair), Bruce Dalgarno, Greg Sundquist, Kenton Possberg, Malcom Odermatt, Terry Young

Governance Committee: Jason Skotheim (Chair), Jill Verwey, Stewart Wells, Terry James, Wade Hainstock

Investment Committee: Bob Rugg (Chair), Bill Gehl, Jason Skotheim, Mark Akins

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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.