Nick Sloboshan

Nick was born in the Ukraine in 1938 to Leo and Anna Sloboshan. The family lived in Germany for six years, before immigrating to Arlee, Saskatchewan. In 1950 they purchased the family farm at Spinny Hill. Nick later moved to Saskatoon and attended Bedford Road Collegiate.

Nick worked at Cory Potash Mine for several years gaining valuable negotiating experience as president of the Steelworkers Union. A knee injury at the mine led him to his dream of farming full-time. After numerous years raising cattle Nick got into the table egg layer business in 1977. He ventured into the broiler industry in 1985. Nick brought other family members into the business and increased the broiler sector of the farm to the point where in 2004 Nick’s group holds over 438,000 kilograms of quota. 

Nick was elected to the Saskatchewan Chicken Marketing Board in 1990 and served continuously until the end of his term on December 31, 2002. Through the years he served various positions on the board including Price and Quota Committee, CFS Vice-Chairman and Alternate Director to Chicken Farmers of Canada. 

Mr. Sloboshan always made time for board meetings at the same time as he managed a very large and diverse farm. Nick was well known for his position that all members are treated the same. “No individual is more or less equal and business references to individuals should be by the license number, not name.” With the expansion agreement came a discussion on what basis new quota should be offered. While the board reviewed processes used by other provinces Nick was a strong proponent of ‘the same amount offered to each individual license holder.’

Nick was known as a tenacious negotiator. Price and volume negotiations were seldom without some challenge to the processor to meet what their competitors were doing in other provinces. He worked countless hours, with others, to bring a stronger processor to the province. His work bore fruit just as Saskatchewan was about to move into the growth laid out in the Expansion Agreement. 

Nick has four adult children and all are active in the chicken industry. His plans are to spend more time with his nine grandchildren that love and admire him.