Producer Council

Producer Council

Current Council

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) currently has 14 members, which represent each of the provincial organizations of beef producers that allocate part of the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off to research. The number of members from each province is proportional to the amount of provincial allocation to research. Members of the BCRC are representatives of provincial organizations and are appointed by them. As members of the provincial organization, they must be beef producers, and therefore pay the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off on all of their cattle that are sold.

The following is a series to introduce you to this group of innovative thinkers that set BCRC’s direction by sharing practices, strategies, or technologies that they have integrated into their own operations.

British Columbia
Jeff Braisher
Alberta
Graeme Finn, BCRC council member from Alberta
Graeme Finn
Darren Bevans, BCRC council member from Alberta
Darren Bevans
Fred Lozeman, BCRC council member and finance chair from Alberta
Fred Lozeman
(Finance Chair)
Lee Irvine, BCRC council member from Alberta
Lee Irvine 
Craig Lehr, , BCRC council member and vice chair from Alberta
Craig Lehr 
(Chair)
         
Saskatchewan
Roger Meyers
Ryan Beierbach, BCRC council member from Saskatchewan
Ryan Beierbach
Michael Spratt, BCRC council member from Saskatchewan
Michael Spratt
Manitoba
Melissa Atchison
 Trevor Sund
Ontario
Matt Bowman, BCRC chair from Ontario
Matt Bowman 
Ron Stevenson, BCRC council member from Ontario
Ron Stevenson 
(Vice Chair)

Quebec
Nathalie Côté, BCRC Ex-Officio member from Quebec
Nathalie Côté (Ex-Officio)
Atlantic
Dean Manning, BCRC council member
Dean Manning

Past Members

British Columbia
  • Jeff Braisher (2019 – Present)
  • John Morrison (1999-2001)
  • Harold Starr (Oct 2001 – 2013)
  • Dave Zehnder (2013 – 2019)
Alberta
  • Miles Belsheim (2002 – 2004)
  • Darren Bevans (June 2013 – June 2018 & June 2019 – Present)
  • Charlie Christie (May 2007 – 2008)
  • Marvin Conrad (Jun 2004 – 2006)
  • Don Curtice (Oct 2001 – 2006)
  • Darcy Davis (1999 – 2001)
  • Larry Delver (Apr 2009 – 2015)
  • Darcy Eddleston (Oct 2006 – 2007)
  • Brian Edge (Jan 2008 – June 2016)
  • Graeme Finn (June 2018 – Present)
  • Elgar Grinde (1999 – 2001)
  • Harvey Hagman (2008)
  • Jeff Havens (Oct. 2018 – 2020)
  • Lee Irvine (March 2021 – Present)
  • Chris Israelson (June 2018 – March 2021)
  • Murray Kerik (Oct. 2001 – 2004)
  • Craig Lehr (Jun 2019 – Present)
  • Fred Lozeman (Jun 2018 – Present)
  • Kelly Olson (Oct 2006 – 2007)
  • Dianne Panrucker (Apr 2005 – 2007)
  • Garth Porteous (2018)
  • John Prentice (1999 – 2004)
  • Brenda Schoepp (Apr 2005 – 2006)
  • Ben Schrader (Apr 2010 – 2011)
  • Cathy Sharp (Mar 2012 – June 2013)
  • John Schooten (Mar 2012 – June 2013)
  • Joanne Solverson (May 2020 – Present)
  • Rob Somerville (Jan 2008 – 2009)
  • Harry Swanson (Oct 2006 – 2007)
  • Bryan Thiessen (June 2013 – June 2018)
  • Weldon Thomson (1999 – 2001)
  • Melanie Wowk (June 2016 – June 2018)
Saskatchewan
  • Ryan Beierbach (2012 – Present)
  • Wilfred Campbell (1999 – 2011)
  • Randy Clark (Oct 2006 – 2009)
  • Ken Demyan (2014 – 2015)
  • Calvin Knoss (1999 – 2006)
  • Tim Oleksyn (May 2009 – June 2018)
  • Steven Pylot (June 2018 – Present)
  • Michael Spratt (2015 – Present)
  • Robin Wiggins (2006)
Manitoba
  • Melissa Atchison (March 2020 – Present)
  • Caron Clarke (2013 – 2016)
  • Bill Finney (2000 – 2006)
  • Mac McRae (Jan 2008 – 2013)
  • Rodney Pearn (Oct 2006 – 2007)
  • Art Petkau (1999 – 2000)
  • Trevor Sund (Nov 2021 – Present)
  • Larry Wegner (2016-2020)
Ontario
  • Matt Bowman (Apr 2009 – Present)
  • Rob Lipsett (Apr 2016 – 2019)
  • Larry Chanda (2000 – 2004)
  • Stan Eby (1999 – 2001)
  • John Gillespie (Jun 2004 – 2006)
  • Bob Gordanier (Apr 2007 – 2010)
  • Roger Griffiths (Nov 2003 – 2006)
  • Bill Herron (Mar 2011 – 2014)
  • Jim Martin (Apr 2007 – 2008)
  • Ken Mills (2002 – 2004)
  • Arden Schneckenburger (1999 – 2000)
  • Ron Stevenson (2019 – Present)
Quebec
  • Nathalie Côté (Ex-Officio, June 2019 – Present)
Atlantic
  • Frank Foster (1999 – 2000)
  • Charlie MacKenzie (Oct 2001 – 2013)
  • Dean Manning (Jun 2018 – Present)
  • Nathan Phinney (2015 – Jun 2018)
  • John Tilley (2013 – 2015)