Profile - Ryder Lee

PROFILE – RYDER LEE From Rancher to Cow Politics, Part 1 Candace By

Although this is a Saskatchewan based article, Deobald and Richard Carlson were people I remember it provides insight for provincial and national Dad dealing with at the time.” organizations representing the beef industry. Ryder’s I was lucky I came along after Dad had tried a lot of path from a southern Saskatchewan rancher, to a breeds. If I wanted to ask him about ust about anything hockey playing university student, to the Canadian from Blonde d’A uitaine to Chianina to Piedmontese to Cattlemen’s Association and now ust about everything, he had either CE of Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Then the C-C program tried them or talked to people who Association is an interesting ourney showing the diversity of came along, and we got had. Simmental and Red Angus females stuck and Charolais made opportunities the beef industry involved in it. We had a good terminal cross, sometimes provides. been doing detailed record Limousin. ow they A.I. less, but Ryder Lee was raised on a commercial cow-calf operation south keeping since before my brother is still ranching, I try to keep my nose out of it, I don’t show of Fir Mountain, Saskatchewan. His individual animal I.D. up to do the work, so I keep my parents, orman and Mary-Rose was a thing, so the opinions to myself except to relay were artificially inseminating more commercial cows than were being program was beneficial information I learn at work I think they may find useful.” bred by bulls, but they did use some to us and the Canadian Ryder convocated from the good bulls. Dad seemed to be able Charolais Association. niversity of Saskatchewan to know enough people, to find Agriculture College with an semen to use. Then the C-C program Animal Science degree and a came along, and we got involved in it. e had been doing Business minor. It was the first year for the program detailed record keeping since before individual animal and Commerce students could participate in it and I.D. was a thing, so the program was beneficial to us and earn an Ag-Business minor. e did a pro ect with an the Canadian Charolais Association. eil illies, arner independent business that was deciding whether it

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A young Ryder Lee (top le ) at the commercial cattle show under the grandstands at Agribition c1980 would be viable to expand. I also did a Co-op term. The laughs. of S was dabbling with the idea of whether they should At the end of third year I got a ob with Dow Agro and implement the program permanently. It turned out to to hear guys talk about it later, I ust barely got that ob. I be a way to add an extra four months to my degree. I started full-time in Humboldt with them for two years. ended up with an eight-month summer ob instead of They offered me a ob in Brandon when the range and four and who knows if it helped me get employment after pasture business was ust beginning, so I took that for two convocation. I did get full time years. My girlfriend was living employment with the same in Regina and I told them I company, so it didn’t hurt. The It was a two-way street. It helped had to move to someplace that co-op program did not sustain itself and no longer exists.” me see a lot of Canada and learn would offer an opportunity for her or I needed to move I didn’t really have a plan about the cattle industry from to Regina. They offered me as all I wanted to do growing Halifax to Williams Lake. two spots and we decided to up was play hockey. I went accept the London, ntario, to university thinking I could position. I was selling corn learn something useful to take home. ntil I finished and bean seed to farmers and dairy producers for a playing unior B hockey, I didn’t put a lot of extra time couple of years. It was amazing country, but it was so far into the university program. I was in third year when it from the farming style I was raised. It was interesting for suddenly occurred to me that I may not go home after us to live there. It seemed culturally different to us and completion and I had better think about finding work. moving from London to ttawa was another big change. I decided I had better get a ob somewhere other than Everybody in ttawa is from somewhere else, it seemed building fence and doing whatever my brother and I everyone in London, was from London.” did the first couple of summers. e built fence, played niversity classmate, Marty Seymour, told me about ball and got hired by whatever neighbours would hire the ob in the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) a couple of young guys to do obs like build fence,” he and suggested I apply. I thought politics was a cool idea

and mixing programs it with the like BRM cattle business (Business Risk was very Management) intriguing, so and I applied. I coordinating never heard the lobbying. anything and I was focusing put it out of on Canadian my mind until things inside one day on our walls. e the golf course coordinated my phone bringing rang, and ohn provinces to Masswohl, meet with Director of the ministers overnment Ryder and cattlemen meeting with an MP, in Ottawa, 2006 and MPs, to and coordinate International Relations, then asked if I was still interested. our lobby efforts. The CCA went from having one ex-MP He said he remembered getting my resume a couple of in the association to having two people with different months earlier but read it and felt it did not fit the profile backgrounds and strengths. ohn Masswohl knew how he wanted so it went in the pile. He looked for a couple of to open government doors and knew how processes months and started to go back worked in the layers of through the pile and decided to give me a call. hat I was Ranching isn’t the same in government, but maybe wasn’t uite as used to talking thinking about the ob and Nova Scotia, as it is in Ontario, to ranchers. ohn was working what he was thinking didn’t or southern Saskatchewan, or BC. in the Canadian Embassy uite ive, but we worked in ashington DC and that through it and came up with is how Dennis Laycraft and something we agreed upon.” the successive CCA Presidents got to know him. He was I started with the catch-all ob description of Policy there during BSE and the presidents talked about what Analyst. Masswohl was busy a lot of the time going to a go-getter he was and how he did things you wouldn’t state meetings and keeping an eye on C L (Country expect a bureaucrat to do. Dennis tried to hire him of rigin Labeling). Ryder and John Masswohl, 2007 when he came back It needed to be dealt but ohn turned them with as it had gotten down. After a time in a away from us by not position he didn’t really attending the right en oy, he entertained meetings in the .S. He the idea and made the would go to national move to the CCA about meetings, but by the a year before I did.” time things rolled The ob evolved around to them, the over time as I showed work was already done a bit of competence at and decided. He had not putting my foot all to be involved before the way in. At first, I things were on the stayed in ttawa and national meeting table. eventually I started He brought me in to attending the provincial tend the home fires. I association meetings. was looking at federal- They needed to hear provincial policies, and what we were doing

and ask uestions and we needed to hear the issues and appreciate what needed to be done to successfully facing each province so we could effectively represent serve the industry. There were also some international them. It was a two-way street. It helped me see a lot of things I was involved with, like the Animal Care file. Canada and learn about the cattle industry from Halifax I am still the chair of the ational Farm Animal Care to illiams Lake.” Council. It was easy for me as all the meetings are in e started to add value to things that weren’t ust ttawa and I was there. It has participants not only from sitting on the table. e the beef industry, but also started making meetings happen on the side with the I have found having humour in from poultry, dairy, pork, fish, furs, etc. It also includes federal-provincial meetings. It meetings can deflect a tense debate orld Animal Protection, is like what we do now in the and relax everyone to a point researchers, vets, so it is a Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association when we go to where work can be accomplished. diverse group offering a different experience. I am the CBA and have meetings finishing my sixth year on the side with six or seven states, instead of making as chairman and will be stepping down at the end of trips to six or seven states’ annual meetings.” my term. I take a bit of flack for my Ryderisms on this I don’t know how much my ranching background committee. Some of my sayings might be a little more helped me land the ob, but I had references with two grounded in my south-central Saskatchewan ranching respected participants on the CCA and the Saskatchewan background than many of the people on the committee Stock rowers. I had what ohn didn’t. He knew how are used to, but they understand what I am saying. I have government worked and how to get things done, but found having humour in meetings can deflect a tense he did not have the day-to-day ranching experience. e debate and relax everyone to a point where work can be complemented each other well. My background also accomplished.” helped with building bridges with provincial associations hen we moved to Regina, the SCA was also moving when they came to ttawa. e could converse and build from Saskatoon to Regina. one of the staff was moving, a comfort zone discussing the industry.” so we have slowly built a team and have managed to e were in ttawa for nine and half years and we build stability in the organization. The groundwork to sure en oyed the city. Then I got a call with a ob offer form the SCA started in and the formation was from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. The official in . hen the Agri-Food Act came in, it time was right, we had kids and thought it would be allowed for checkoff collection organizations to exist, good to be closer Ryder and Vesper, Montreal game 2008 whether they were to grandparents. development boards e would also or marketing boards. be around to help The government passed them more. It came the responsibility of together fast and we collecting checkoff to looked at -some industry organizations. houses on May long There are two Cattle weekend and we Feeder reps and two moved Labour Day Stock rower reps weekend.” appointed to the board My time in as well as one elected ttawa provided director from each of lots of opportunities eleven geographical for growth and districts. The SCA is education. Ranching not a member-based isn’t the same in organization and we ova Scotia, as it is in work for anyone and ntario, or southern everyone involved in Saskatchewan, or BC. the cattle industry in the

I was able to learn province. If you raise about the differences cattle in the province, you

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Ryder at the ranch can call me to discuss issues you are facing. If you really usually a Cattle Feeder representative, a Stock rower rep don’t like what we are doing you can take your checkoff and a Cattlemen’s rep. Then you have a canola rep, barley back, but that doesn’t happen very often. Saskatchewan rep, wheat rep, etc. You may think there are too many has the lowest refunded farmers at the table, but checkoff of any urisdiction We act on what people tell us. It is there are three cattlemen in Canada. I call the larger accounts that re uest important to make your voice heard. at the table and we usually get to speak a little more refunds to see if there are about our stuff. e also things we can do differently. e have won some people work well with APAS (Agriculture Producers Association back some people honestly don’t know their accountant of Saskatchewan) and SARM (Saskatchewan Association is claiming it back. Some people simply don’t know of Rural Municipalities).” how the checkoff money is used. Communication is an e are an out-sourced form of expertise that most important part of our business.” people would rather not do. Most people that raise cattle e act on what people tell us. It is important to aren’t in a hurry to go to the city for meetings. e get a make your voice heard. e must treat everyone e ually lot of comments like thank you, better you than me, I and deliver value for everyone. Right now (early une am glad I don’t have to do this ” e saw that a lot in ) when there is a backlog of fat cattle, we remember ttawa. A lot of people would come to ttawa angry, the set aside program from BSE and how it left the with a plan and we would grab that passion and energy backgrounders out of the mix. e are trying to learn and try to manage it to construct an outcome that was from that lesson and beneficial to the industry. serve all segments of the One thing is certain, people obody left those meeting industry. It isn’t easy, but it can’t be an either or,’ it will make decisions that affect us saying, Holy moly, that was a waste of time.” Some has to be an and’.” whether we show up or not. organizations left saying e have a diverse why aren’t we doing this board with the Cattle Feeders and Stock rowers, but more often and started coming twice each year. ne when we go to the government, we are united in our thing is certain, people will make decisions that affect approach. hen invited to government meetings, there is us whether we show up or not. I am sure people don’t

Driving lessons 2013 realize the number of things we have made not happen. their MPs and MLAs. One example would be keeping COOL at bay. Another They know them and it carries weight. There could one was convincing our always be more people government to take our biggest trading partner I am pleased with the doors and ears open involved but our board has taken it to heart in to international trade to us provincially and federally. Part of that the last few years. We court - that is a big deal. is due to the producers that take the work encourage them to have I don’t know if people realize how big that is. we suggest and call their MPs and MLAs. their MLA and MP visit their operation and talk When you build the to them about what pie of our Canadian economy, our GDP is a very small they need done and how things work. It really helps. portion, making the decision to challenge the U.S. even They take those stories from their constituents to Regina more monumental. The cattle industry is just a sliver piece or Ottawa and narrate them as their own. They become of the pie. I used to throw Ryder, Amira, Vesper, Storm, and Kirsten Lee part of their dialogue. We that bit of information out help the board members when I went to provincial with the topics and how meetings to express why it to present them to be most is important for everyone effective. I have been in to talk to their MP and Ottawa hearing it from MLA. Even though we are the other side. We can say $9 billion of business, it is a what needs to be done a small piece of the pie. That hundred times, but when is why we translate it into an MP says, “Yeah, I know different terms to MLAs. what you are talking about. For example, for every I was over at Barry’s place million dollars of calves we and he was just telling me sell, there are 22 jobs. It is all about this.” I just smile more meaningful.” because they never heard it

“I am pleased with the when we presented it, but doors and ears open to us now that they have been to provincially and federally. Barry’s place and heard it Part of that is due to the from a constituent, it means producers that take the something. These may not work we suggest and call seem like significant things

to do, but they who isn’t able have an impact.” to present it

“One of the themself. Lots of biggest challenges people will share our industry the problems, faces right now but not everyone is competing has a solution to for farmers. We offer.” need people to The SCA raise cattle and a allocates its lot of fence was checkoff funds lost when canola by assessing prices were high. proposals The average age presented for of ranchers is a varying initiatives concern and we like Agri-Ed, need people to SODCAP (South replace them and of the Divide have an attractive Conservation business model Action Program to ensure their Manning the booth at Agribition Inc.), SK PCAP success.” (Saskatchewan

“I am happy with the stability we have been able to Prairie Conservation Action Plan) and research. In the put in place at the SCA. I really want to deliver value to last few years, they have started to host seminars to producers. The board sets out educate people before their fall policy and we strive to provide meetings. It is a way to provide the expertise to get it done. I One of the biggest challenges value and enhance producers’ am far enough from the days our industry faces right now ability to prosper. when I was sitting astride a saddle that I do not have a is competing for farmers. “When I was in high school, the guidance given was generic. personal agenda. We have a I had good marks, so they might great board that represents the industry well. Everybody suggest engineering or a science-based career. Politics in the province has somebody on that board that works and more specifically agricultural politics never entered in their kind or size of operation. I do not have a problem the conversation. I never knew these types of jobs existed. articulating a position and making something better by I don’t regret leaving the farm because I feel I am still doing that, if a position is presented to me by someone contributing to the family operation and the industry.”

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