Wasko on tour with FCC speaking engagements
Anne Wasko, a marketing analyst for the Canadian cattle industry, recently spoke at several FCC Knowledge Exchange events across Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“The events are an opportunity for FCC to put out that educational platform,” Wasko said. “I think that producers are always looking for places to find information that will help them to stay up-to-date on trends, new technologies and other arenas. It's a way for FCC to maybe give back and potentially connect with not just their customers but, also connect with producers.”
Wasko, who is a mother of two and a grandmother of a blended family of grandchildren, has been a market analyst for the industry for over 30 years and is currently the market analyst for Gateway Livestock Exchange in Taber. Wasko is also president of Cattle Trends Inc.
Additionally, Wasko invested 21 years as a senior market analyst with Canfax; served time as a board member within the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency; and also sat on the Statistics Canada Advisory Committee on Agriculture. She has also volunteered with Calgary Exhibition and the Calgary Stampede for 20 years.
“It's been my career my entire life,” Wasko said. “I've always been involved in agriculture. My time in agriculture goes back to when I was a young girl being raised on a small farm in British Columbia and being involved with 4-H. It's just been my life. I am passionate about agriculture and I love public speaking.”
On top of all that, Wasko finds time to work alongside her husband at their ranch in Eastend, Saskatchewan.
As a marketing analyst for the cattle industry, Wasko keeps an eye on how cattle prices are doing you know locally, regionally, nationally, and globally and uses that information to inform beef producers about what the market might do in the short, medium, or long-term.
“When I go to make presentations, I try to put that information in a condensed form and depending on the audience, it will always be a little bit different depending on what type of these producers I'm talking to,” she explained “I share what's going on in the markets and how it affects them because people might have questions about why the market is the way it is.”
Wasko says that analysts for the cattle industry like her are always looking to next year or the year after as we try to plan budgets and production plans for future years. Wasko also says that it's important to note that markets are always changing
“I think that's why it's been easy and fun for me to do over 30 years,” Wasko said.
“No two days are the same; there's always something different affecting the market whether it's locally or outside of our borders. There are also lots of things to talk about and sell and producers are are looking for looking for a source to get the that kind of information. At the end of the day, working for and with producers is wonderful; they're great people.”