Saskatoon (Rural Roots Canada) – The Canadian Cattle Youth Council (CCYC) is undergoing a changing of the guard as outgoing president Scott Gerbrandt passes the torch to incoming president Emily Bromley.
Gerbrandt, who served as CCYC president for the past year, leaves a legacy of strategic advancements, particularly in youth succession planning and governance.
“When I took on the role, we started by finishing up a working group looking at succession issues and how it affects youth in the industry,” said Gerbrandt. “Most of our ideas focused on information sharing and we were able to share those ideas among our members.”
Under his leadership, the CCYC also conducted a governance review and developed a youth strategy. “We developed five key pillars, just released, which we’re moving forward with at the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). From that, the national beef advisors will use those pillars and develop a strategy for the next five years, so we’re pleased to have helped with that.”
Looking forward, Bromley steps in as the new president, bringing her enthusiasm and her vision for the council.
“We’re going to take the work Scott and the council did on the governance review and dive deeper into it, particularly around term lengths since there have been some changes on that front,” Bromley said. One of her primary goals is to refine the succession plan. “We’ll continue to look at the succession plan for the youth council and how to make it flow better with the new changes,” she said. “I’m excited to dive deep into it. We have a lot of great council members and new ones coming on and I’m excited to get their input.”
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Both Gerbrandt and Bromley agree that one of the more pressing challenges faced by young producers is remaining optimistic about the industry. “Right now, times are good,” explained Gerbrandt. “Calf prices are strong. When I started on this council two years ago, grain enterprises on our mixed farms were strong but our cattle prices were suffering. Now, it’s the reverse. Beef enterprises are optimistic, but maintaining that optimism as commodities come and go is a big issue.”
Bromley also highlights the challenges of urban sprawl. Hailing from Ontario, she has a unique perspective. “We really see the urban sprawl from Ottawa and Toronto,” said Bromley. “Because of that, land prices are almost unattainable. Yes, some young producers are helped by family members or institutions, but hopefully, we can help come up with a solution to help young producers thrive, particularly in Ontario.”
With the urban and rural divide a pressing issue for the industry, Bromley believes young producers need to harness the power of social media to get their stories out and shrink that gap.
“We’re fortunate to have social media, which allows us to reach so many people. We need to be able to share our stories, from highlighting our day-to-day operations, how nutritious beef is, and all the other good things we do.” With the amount of mixed messaging and misinformation, the hope is to have young producers advocate for the industry.
“We’re fortunate to have social media, which allows us to reach a large audience and share what we do in our day-to-day operations. There are so many good stories in our industry—how nutritious beef is, the sustainable practices we use—and it’s up to us, the younger generation, to share them,” she says. Combatting misinformation and mixed messaging is one of the key ways Bromley hopes young producers can advocate for the industry.
Both presidents encourage youth to get involved with the CCYC locally, provincially, and nationally. The council operates through the CCA and there are provincial associations across Canada. Gerbrandt strongly suggests youth in agriculture start making their voices heard.
“From the local to the national level, there’s lots of spots on boards, lots of opportunity for input. I don’t think young people realize how open and willing board members are to get input from young people. If you’re interested in getting involved, pick up the phone, send an email, or attend those meetings. If you put your hand up, someone will listen to what you have to say.”
