Chaffe joins CCA executive as Ontario officer at large

Jack Chaffe is taking his love of cattle to the Canadian Cattle Association as Ontario officer-at-large on the executive.

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“My aspiration is taking the Ontario voice to the national voice, taking the issues there and have them be resolved,” said Chaffe, after stepping down as Beef Farmers of Ontario president on Feb. 21.

He said at least five resolutions passed at the BFO annual general meeting will be dealt with in partnership with the CCA.

Chaffe spent nine years on the BFO board and didn’t join the CCA until he was vice-president because he represented Ontario on the national beef check-off committee. He compared joining CCA to his first years as a BFO board member.

“You come in and think you know all the issues, and after a couple of months, you realize you don’t really know anything,” he said. “You’re so focused on your own operation, but it really broadens your view of the whole industry.”

After speaking to politicians and to the standing agriculture committee in Ottawa on the impact of electronic logs, Chaffe said he realized the comfort level needed to effectively represent producers and the industry.

“(That day) I felt that I was being heard. My voice was being heard, and out of the five recommendations we asked for, that committee actually moved them all to the next step in government, which gives you that much more confidence.”

Chaffe is humble and downplays his contributions to organizations, said Craig McLaughlin, BFO’s new president.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve had an Ontario CCA president, but I will put serious money he will be CCA president someday.”

While Chaffe’s love of cattle may have drawn him into service on the BFO and CCA boards, the love of people in the industry kept him there, said McLaughlin.

He recalled how Chaffe’s ability to find solutions came into play after a 2018 check-off vote was defeated. That affected BFO plans and mandates, prompting potential layoffs of Jennifer Kyle and Jaclyn Horenberg, the most recent hires.

In the meeting after the vote, Chaffe, then a director, asked senior staff to leave and told the executive that they would each take less money for meals, travel, hotels and per diems in order to save those two jobs, said McLaughlin.

“Jack was 100 per cent correct on the new hires. They have made Beef Farmers of Ontario a better organization, and they have improved the Ontario beef industry. That is leadership at its finest.”

Chaffe’s preparedness, knowledge of files and issues, and a whole sector approach allowed him to build strong relationships with auctions, dealers, packers, the cow-calf sector, Ontario cattle feeders and politicians, said Richard Horne, BFO’s executive director.

“What I expected was a business-first leader who was here to get the job done first and foremost. And I think we got that,” he said. “And we got much more. Simply, he’s been a phenomenal leader.”

BFO will continue to reap the benefits of Chaffe’s work over nine years and will assist those around the CCA table into the future, added Horne.

“He really made it work and built bridges, which was to all our benefit. He’s provided tremendous value to the association and became a powerful advocate for Ontario producers.”