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 Meet the Farmer: Ellen Davis – PEI Culture fit is one of those workplace terms employers use to describe qualities deemed essential for success. Ellen Davis is the epitome of this ideal in Prince Edward Island (PEI), where her deep roots in the Maritime beef industry and experience in genetics, artificial insemination (AI), and herd health landed her the role of PEI’s first-ever Livestock Champion in 2025 with a mandate to grow the Island’s cattle herd. In her first year as Livestock Champion, Davis delivered by visiting scores of Island farms and helping producers access programs and best management advice to expand their cow herds. The role also sees her helping government and organizations understand what farmers need to succeed in their efforts to reverse the Island’s long-term trend of declining herd numbers – and to build up beef cattle supply for the region’s processors, including Atlantic Beef Products. “We have had an incredibly successful year with our Grow the Herd pilot on PEI. It has also been important to me to develop locally appropriate extension, information that is tailored to our unique climate, challenges, and opportunities,” Davis said. “The Maritimes has a long and important history with cattle production, and I am proud to help the industry here evolve and thrive.” Off-farm dream job aside, cattle have always been a part of Davis’s life. She was born and raised on a cow-calf operation in Mates Corner, New Brunswick, and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at Dalhousie University's Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia. Today, she operates a small purebred Simmental herd of her own and is actively involved in her family’s commercial cow-calf operation, which includes 130 cows and 20 replacement heifers based on Simmental, Charolais, and Angus genetics. Davis balances technology with tried-and-true practices from the family farm to make it all work. For example, she uses AI in her purebred herd, incorporating a Controlled Internal Drug Release synchronization program to achieve a more condensed and uniform calving interval for this group, which calves in April and May. The genetics and calving are her favourite parts of farming. “I love analyzing EPDs [Expected Progeny Differences] and selecting sires that complement the dam, then seeing the results of breeding decisions that are sometimes years in the making. The ability to use multiple sires through AI has been a gamechanger for the industry, and it is a tool I rely on heavily in my breeding program,” she said. Calving for the family’s commercial herd starts June 1. Family farm practices include castration of commercial bull calves at birth and maintaining detailed records of birth dates and weaning weights. “It is a routine we have followed for generations—something even young family members become familiar with early on.” The herd also follows a comprehensive vaccination protocol designed to support optimal health, disease prevention, and growth performance. Being Livestock Champion also allows Davis the opportunity to be a role model in the industry. As a kid growing up, she recalls few role models in the industry that represented the possibilities for women in agriculture. “There was no one to look up to validate that having a seedstock operation is not impossible, or that being a woman in the industry is not abnormal nor impossible,” she said. “Now, I am living that out, and I can be that role model for the next generation. I take that responsibility seriously.”   That sense of responsibility includes serving as a role model for consumers by demonstrating what a typical beef farm in Canada looks like. “Most beef farms are family-operated, and we typically have an off-farm job to be able to farm. We are creating a high-quality product,” she said. Davis loves a good steak (rare, of course!) In the summer, there is nothing like a BBQ steak paired with a salad and a cold beverage. Her favourite comfort food? Goulash, “no matter how you make it, it is always delicious.” Our Meet the Farmer: International Year of the Woman Farmer campaign launched in January 2026 and will run the full calendar year. A Canadian woman owner-operator is announced each month on our social channels, with detailed information provided in Canada Beef Performs and on our website. Back to main page GINA TEEL Director, Stakeholder Communications

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