ROCKY VIEW COUNTY, AB – Canadian Angus Association Past President Bob Switzer will be inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame this fall.
In 1966 Switzer purchased his first registered Angus from the Corydon dispersal at Elbow, Saskatchewan, eventually leading to the establishment of Sandy Bar Ranch at Aneroid. He served as CAA President in 2008 and as Canadian Angus Foundation Chair in 2009.
Switzer was instrumental in organizing the first Angus and Angus influenced feeder calf sale in Moose Jaw, which led to sales in Assiniboia, Maple Creek, Mankota, Medicine Hat and in subsequent years, throughout Canada. He helped form Red Coat Cattle Feeders in 1998 to feed cattle and employ local people to stop the outflow of cattle, grain and people from the region.
The Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame also named Canadian Western Agribition Past President John Willmott and crop protection pioneer James Bartlett as 2016 inductees.
Canadian Angus CEO Rob Smith says “Bob has been a huge promoter of Canadian Angus and the feeder calf sale program in particular. Bob Switzer and Sandy Bar Angus are important contributors to Canadian Angus history. We are thrilled to have two Canadian Angus Past Presidents inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame. Bob served in 2008 and John served in 1970 and 1985.”
Herb McLane, President of the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame Association noted, “This year’s three inductees all channeled their passion, whether for horticulture, beef cattle or industry organizations, into advances and opportunities to make agriculture matter even more. They dreamed big, advocated tirelessly and have left indelible marks on the Canadian agricultural landscape.”
The induction ceremony will take place on November 6 at the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair in Toronto.
The Canadian Angus Association (www.cdnangus.ca) is Canada’s largest purebred beef breed organization, registering more than half of Canada’s purebred beef cattle. The Association represents more than 2,000 members across Canada for the purposes of registering and recording the pedigrees of purebred Angus cattle in the closed HerdBook and promoting the breed across Canada. The member-approved mandate is to maintain breed registry, breed purity and provide services that enhance the growth and position of the Angus breed.