May 31, 2013 – Mike Pickard, a member of the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan since 2007, has recently been named to the 2013 council of the Farm Products Council of Canada (FPCC) for a three-year term.
The goal of the council is primarily to act as an overseer body said Pickard, whose main responsibilities will be to oversee the operation and creation of marketing boards and promotion agencies, as well as to report directly to the Minister of Agriculture that everything follows the Farm Products Agencies Act.
“All six members work in a consensus,” he said, similar to the way a board of directors operates – they will address issues at each meeting, discuss, vote and make a decision. Every member of the council is also in charge of a variety of poultry and egg supply management agencies that they are responsible to monitor.
Prior to his work with the FPCC, Pickard served as the director of both the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan (CFS). Diane Pastoor, a member of the board of directors of the CFS, said that he was a huge asset to their board and an absolute pleasure to work with.
“Mike’s forward thinking and productivity made our meeting efficient,” she said. “As well as having a passion for the industry, Mike took the time to attend business management courses and used that knowledge at the board level. We wish Mike the best in his new position with FPCC!”
Prior to his work with the CFS, Pickard owned a chicken farm in Wynyard, Saskatchewan for over 25 years. And in 2004, his farm received the Saskatchewan Broiler Producer of the Year award.
Agriculture is extremely important to Pickard, as are all the groups that must work together to make it an effective and productive industry – one that he is proud to be a part of.
“I am looking forward to the position in general as a challenge, and I look forward to working with all the agencies that I have met through my previous experiences,” added Pickard.
“It has to be teamwork – from gate to plate – in any agricultural business, and same with supply management.”
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