There were some influential people attending the Saskatchewan Cattlemens Associations' (SCA) drought town halls.
Not only were SCA CEO Grant McLellan and SCA Chairman Keith Day helping to run the show, but members of other agricultural groups like Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Municipalities attended to listen in.
Some representatives for the local governing bodies included David Gossard, the Mayor of the Town of Cabri which hosted Tuesday's meeting, Doug Steele, the MLA for Cypress Hills, and Jeremy Patzer, MP for Cypress Hills Grasslands.
"I think it was a good meeting," said Patzer. "It's good to see the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association hosting these meetings to hear from producers. They provide a good, clear, and concise message."
Patzer attended with the goal of listening, so that the next time he can bring up the topics of drought and cattle in Ottawa, he can back the same stance as the people he is representing.
"[The SCA] has a lot of credibility," praised Patzer. "It makes it easier for someone like myself to be able to push a similar message to what they're doing. That way, when the government hears me talking about it, and when they hear Saskatchewan Cattlemen's talking about it, and then they hear the Canadian Cattlemen's Association talking about it, they know that it's not just an MP from southwest Saskatchewan that's screaming at the top of his lungs. It's an entire industry that's talking and it's more than just one little area of the country."
Patzer was happy to witness so many producers taking an active role in the meeting, voicing concerns and making note of the responses they received. The unity and teamwork on display, as everyone looked for solutions and aid showed resilience in the local industry.
One of the big concerns was that the federal government may hold back on aiding the cattle producers in the prairies, as the provincial governments have butted head with the federal policymakers over things like the carbon tax. Patzer was confident that on important matters like these, level heads could prevail and work together on solutions that don't exclude western province producers.
"It's easy to go down that [political] pathway, but I do try to focus on providing practical solutions," said Patzer. "Which begins with coming into meetings like this where you're hearing from the people who are the boots on the ground, who are trying to make it through this, and rather than just arguing about whose environmental plan is this or that, let's actually focus on what's impacting people."
Patzer left the meeting after taking the time to speak to the producers in attendance, taking in their input on matters, and exchanging his thoughts for theirs.