Robert Switzer makes big things happen in the Canadian beef industry and his community. He’s been doing it for decades as a distinguished Angus breed champion, judge, promoter, mentor and industry leader.
Angus cattle are in Bob’s blood. He bought his first animal at age 12. The next year he followed up with his first registered Angus – a purchase that would grow into his Sandy Bar Ranch in Aneroid, Saskatchewan.
Bob has spent his entire farming career as an advocate for the cattle industry in Saskatchewan and across Canada. He’s an ideas man, and was instrumental in the creation and support of many brands and events within the industry.
In the late 1970s, Bob organized the first Angus feeder calf sale in southern Saskatchewan, working to link buyers and sellers across Canada. The Short Grass Bull and Female Sale has been running for 38 years at Sandy Bar Ranch, creating strong North American markets for Saskatchewan livestock.
Bob’s vision for a sustainable cattle business lead to a unique community project called Red Coat Feeders that has been feeding cattle and employing local people since 1998. Bob was a founding director of the idea that worked to stop the exodus of cattle, grain and people from the region. Today, Red Coat Feeders runs 20,000 head of cattle, covers 13 quarter sections of land and employs 17 full-time staff.
Sandy Bar Ranch – that Bob runs with his wife Gail – has bred great cattle that have started some of the most elite herds in the country. Sandy Bar bulls work in prestigious purebred and commercial herds. Cattle from Sandy Bar have been sold internationally to England, Ireland, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Japan, China, New Zealand, Russia and Kazakhstan. Bob is a highly respected judge, who has judged every breed of beef cattle in shows across Canada.
Bob’s ranch is also part of Prairie Heritage Beef – a brand built on 14 family ranches that raise uniquely branded beef for select retail chains in Ontario and British Columbia.
Bob has served the Canadian livestock industry in leadership positions with the Canadian Angus Association, Saskatchewan Angus Association and Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. He’s served on his local municipal council, is an active sponsor and mentor of 4-H, and credits the support of his family for many of his achievements. Bob and his late wife Sandra were recognized as Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 1980.
A dynamic and dedicated promoter of Angus cattle, Bob has helped keep Angus the number one breed in Canada. He continues to encourage, support and inspire younger producers to share his passion for Canadian agriculture.
