Bullseye May 2014

WestGen Days 2014

In recent years the WestGen AGM has become much more than the societal requirement of providing membership with the numbers and reports on various activities. As interesting as that half day is for those in attendance, WestGen Days has become much more than an AGM and indeed, is becoming an annual event.

A relaxing wine and cheese session as out-of-town guests arrived helped provide a casual setting to talk with WestGen directors and staff as well as to meet Semex staff here to take part in the event. The AGM itself was fast-paced in delivery of key reports and financial numbers – which all-in-all resulted in a net positive financial year for the company. New subsidiary companies Cryogen and Boviteq West also provided updates on their activities.

WestGen’s new look and branding efforts played prominently in both President Tony DeGroot’s remarks as well as those of CEO Chris Parry. It is not just a new look, a new logo and a snazzy new colour. Indeed, it is a company refocused for even loftier goals. While the first 70 years for the company have seen many successes that are more than noteworthy – they document an extraordinary rise to prominence of a small AI company to stand fearlessly with giants. Today that company is poised to chart new territories while remaining relevant and true to membership needs, producers in attendance were told.

Presentations from Semex CEO Paul Larmer on global sales of the organization WestGen proudly co-owns with EastGen and CIAQ and a genetic update from western Canadian sire analyst Mike West were well received. Director Henry Gisler provided a summary of the worthy investments WestGen made in western causes over the year through its endowment fund. In total the investment over the past 10 years has now surpassed $1.3M and those dollars in turn have been leveraged to secure over $7M for extension and research-based initiatives in western Canada. This is what sets WestGen apart from other organizations – it is just one of the ways this farmer-owned and directed Canadian company is working to earn your continued support.

UBC researcher Ronaldo Cerri kicked off the afternoon session comparing activity-based heat detection to synching programs. Noted historian Doug Blair provided an extraordinary account of 70 years of AI in western Canada. This presentation received accolades by all – for many it helped paint a picture of how the fledgling organization under strong leadership through the generations by passionate producers who believed in their cause resulted in something western producers today can all take pride in.

Dinner and a casino night rounded out the day for our guests and for the out-of-province set, farm tours the following morning, a game of curling and a short producer panel discussion on experiences with genomic testing rounded out a full program and a highly successful event – easily the best WestGen Days program to date.