Peace Region Forage Association president Brian Gilbert hopes to give back to the organization and people who have helped him so far throughout his farming career.
Gilbert was elected president at PRFA’s annual general meeting December 1, succeeding Neil Ward of Fort St. John.
“The forage association is a great resource for learning. I’m constantly trying to learn to be a better operator of our business,” says Gilbert, a hay and beef producer at Baldonnel.
The field demonstrations and webinars the association offers help local growers improve operation management throughout the year, something Gilbert and his wife have experienced first-hand.
“The farming and ranching community is made up of a bunch of wonderful people. They’ve been very good to my wife and I over the years,” Gilbert says.
As a young farmer inspired by more experienced producers, Gilbert hopes to draw a younger crowd to the association and continue to grow its membership.
“For me, it’s just a way to give back and try to share the knowledge that I’ve learned,” he says. “As with all these industries, not just farming and ranching, the older generations are retiring and I, being the younger face in it, I’m hoping that I’ll get more younger members involved.”
In addition to PRFA’s business meeting, guest speaker Barry Yaremcio, a beef nutrition specialist from Yaremcio Ag Consulting in Stettler, Alberta, spoke to feeding through the winter on limited feed supplies.
The audience was engaged and asked questions to learn more about applying alternative feed strategies within the context of their operations depending on the feedstock available in their particular area.
“The drought is as the forefront,” Gilbert says. “Most producers there have had to make different choices this year with their herds because of the lack of feed. It’s just such a challenging time in the Peace right now and it’s just a matter of getting through it and hoping for some rain and snowpack this winter.”
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A dry season continues