History of Steer A Year
In the early 1980's, the Alberta Hereford Association donated five crossbred steers to Olds College. The steers were to be fed until ready for slaughter and then sold. The proceeds from the sale of these steers were to be used to purchase five steers the next year.
Each year steers were purchased by Olds College through the breed association, with the price being determined by the association.
Several years later, the Alberta Hereford Association agreed to expand the program to other interested breed associations. Currently, 20 breed associations participate in the Steer-A-Year project.
Under the leadership of the former Ag. Production, Business and Animal Science Dean, Rodney Reynar, Olds College started to work with these breed associations in 1998 to strengthen the already successful project. Steps were taken to improve the feed trials, streamline the project reporting, provide better breed visibility, and increase student involvement in the project.
