ALP is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has fulfilled the two vacant Interim Director positions. While we currently await their formal appointment from Marketing Council, we are pleased to welcome Adam French and Alison Neale to the Board of Directors. As these are interim positions, an election will be required for the positions at the ALP AGM on November 23, 2024.
Adam French
I am pleased to be joining the Board of Alberta Lamb Producers. Growing up in Australia I was surrounded by sheep farms and spent most school holidays working in shearing sheds or moving sheep around the countryside. I first came to Canada 30 years ago as a high school exchange student, met a girl and the rest is history. I attained a Bachelor of Agriculture and added an MBA in Finance a few years later and then spent over 20 years working in agricultural finance and business development, a career which gave me the opportunity to work across much of Alberta and BC, gaining exposure to a huge variety of farms and industries. In 2020 my wife and I finally purchased our farm, fulfilling a life-long dream of mine to have some land and raise sheep.
Located near Islay, we started out buying 19 “bred” Blackbelly ewes, turned out only 10 were actually bred but it was a good start as we navigated the first winter on the farm. I completed the Master Shepherd Course through Ontario Sheep Farmers, an experience which expanded my knowledge of sheep production in the Canadian context. We’ve been slowly growing and today have 54 Katahdin/Dorper crosses having sold off the Blackbellys as we seek to produce larger lambs. We practice annual lambing indoors and graze Spring through Fall. As we rehabilitate some tired pastures and continue to learn what our property can produce we are beginning to incorporate rotational grazing with an eye to expanding the flock and improving the productivity of our farm.
I’m passionate about agriculture and believe there is huge opportunity for our industry and I look forward to serving on the board.
Alison Neale
Growing up, my lifelong aspiration has been to work with livestock. In 2019, I achieved a BSc in Animal Biosciences from the University of Saskatchewan. I have worked as a research Technician at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, before joining Feedlot Health Management Services as a Project Manager focusing on large-scale feedlot trials. At present, I am a Research Associate at Olds College, actively involved in beef and sheep research trials. Recently, I ventured into owning my own flock of Suffolk and Black Welsh Mountain sheep. The focus of this endeavour has been refining genetics, optimizing carcass quality and enhancing wool production. I look forward to being a contributing member of the sheep industry.
You can find their contact information here once it has been added to the website.
Please help us in welcoming Adam and Alison to the ALP Board of Directors!