A Bit About Me....

 

I have spent most of my career in service to the Canadian Beef Cattle industry. My awareness of livestock issues began in 1947 when my father’s small dairy herd was depopulated in the national Bovine TB eradication program. This reinforced my intention to pursue a career in the livestock industry.

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I was most closely involved as Executive Vice President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association from 1970 to 1990. I then gained related experience as a Member of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal adjudicating all manner of trade disputes. After that short stint I was called upon to privatize the Canadian Beef Carcass Grading System in 1995 and upon successful completion of that I was again asked to develop the plans for the National Cattle Identification Program.

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I see myself mainly as an industry analyst. Though I played no role in the establishment of CANFAX, I designed several of the analytical programs still used within that agency. Throughout my career and continuing in retirement I have written innumerable articles for farm magazines, the more pertinent of which are, or will be posted, on this site.

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I created, and will continue to create, the content for this site but the site itself was created and is being administered by my daughter Laurel Gracey who also prods me to get on with the job of placing material on it. I am grateful for her help and her editing skills. 

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My  main interest now is in information flow to producers. In particular I believe that carcass grade information should flow freely to producers so that they can use grade information for its intended purpose of improving the product. The obstacle to this was the lack of individual animal ID but that obstacle was removed a decade ago. I invite and welcome criticism, comments suggestions and questions, believing that each is an indispensable component of  open dialogue. It is said that “knowledge is power” and it follows from that that information should be shared as widely as possible.

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Charlie Gracey