BC Chicken picks Siemens

The new year will see a new executive director in place at the BC Chicken Marketing Board.

BC Chicken announced this week that Woody Siemens, currently supply chain and business development director with the BC Milk Marketing Board, would succeed Bill Vanderspek as executive director on January 4. Vanderspek retired from the chicken board August 31 but was appointed a director six weeks later.

The new role will come with significant responsibilities for Siemens, who takes the reins as BC’s poultry growers reel from a year of devastating weather events in addition to market shifts prompted by the ongoing pandemic. Government relations will also be key as the sector advocates for the AgriRecovery funds needed to address the impacts of November’s rain events.

There are also changes taking place within the sector.

“We are looking forward to working with Woody and initiating work on the key priorities identified in the chicken board’s strategic plan,” says board chair Harvey Sasaki.

Siemens brings strong credentials to the role, however.

The board selected Siemens after a three-month search process, noting in particular his recent graduation from the MBA program at the University of Guelph’s Lang School of Business in May 2021. Prior to this, he had worked as a feed sales representative with Clearbrook Grain & Milling in Abbotsford and the supply chain division of PepsiCo. The combination of agricultural and supply chain experience made him a leading candidate for a sector facing issues on both fronts.

Siemens also holds an undergraduate degree in food market analysis from UBC.

The announcement of Siemens’ appointment noted that BC Chicken’s executive assistant, Christine Rickson, had fulfilled the role of executive director following Vanderspek’s retirement.

BC Chicken lays claim to being the country’s first poultry marketing board, having been formed 60 years ago this week on December 12, 1961. It manages the production of 308 registered chicken growers, an output valued at more than $500 million annually.

12 hours ago

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7 days ago

A BC Forest Practices Board investigation has found overgrazing has damaged grasslands in the Coutlee Range Unit near Merritt — and the range-use plan meant to prevent it was unenforceable. With complaints about overgrazing on the rise and grasslands covering just 1% of BC's land mass, the findings raise fresh questions about how the province manages one of its most vulnerable — and valuable — food-producing ecosyste#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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MERRITT – A BC Forest Practices Board investigation has found instances of non-compliance related to overgrazing have damaged open grasslands in the Mine pasture, part of the Coutlee Range Unit near...

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Several ranchers in recent years have gone into temporary non use on that range , so that means the grass should grow. But drought conditions/lack of rain and snow don’t allow that to happen . Dried up springs , creeks waterholes in various pastures add to over grazing where there is water , as livestock and everything else stay close to the water source . So even though less cattle are on it , over grazing appears. There is a large volume of horses on it 365 days/year which is wrong ! They pull grass right out of the ground when it’s just trying to grow ,, opens the door for weeds to grow in. That don’t help it. Aging infrastructure ( fences) laying on the ground, pipe line building , ( lack of commitment to fence maintenance) amongst all users contributes also to over grazing. Recreational atv users leaving gates open between pastures allows livestock to go back or ahead in pastures also expidites over grazing. Logging ( bcts) has no problem laying out cut locks on both sides of a fence , then it gets smashed down during logging and they don’t take responsibility to stand it back up or clean the cattle gaurds out when they are done , that happened 4 years ago on pasture 5 up there . I bet it is still not fixed . There are lots of contributing factors to the problem.

Tragedy of the commons.

I looked through the report. I saw nothing about the effects of noxious weeds on productive grasslands. This particular area is vulnerable because of the Ministry’a efforts to diversify the use of the Grasslands.

This pasture is under tremendous pressure not only from cattle but from irresponsible local residents who treat it as a landfill dumping all manner of household debris here. And don't even get me started on the mud bogging and camping in sensitive riparian areas. The feral horses are in this pasture 365 days a year just hammering it. Would sure be nice to see some enforcement action on people who are intentionally ripping up the grasslands and riparian areas. Cattle could be a valuable resource for rebuilding soils and native grasses in this area with the help of electric fencing and/or e-collars. The humans will be harder to manage.

The Forest and Range Practices Act was written by lawyers for global forest licencee shareholders. Results-based = unenforceable.

Also, can we talk about the impact of a pipeline being built through the middle of this field for multiple years?

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1 week ago

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Jaffrey is in the east Kootenays not kooteney boundary

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