Fall Edition 2014 - Growing Forward 2

Business
tools,information
informationand
andideas
ideastotomeet
meetchanging
changing
market
consumer
demands
Business tools,
market
andand
consumer
demands
How Alberta Producers
and Processors are
Changing the Game
It’s an exciting time to be in the agriculture
industry in Alberta. Farmers, ranchers and
agribusiness see new markets available, at
home and around the world. Technology is
changing, too, putting ever-more efficient tools
at the service of productivity, quality and safety.
How are producers and processors
responding? Many are positioning themselves
to meet new market opportunities. Farms and
agribusinesses are adapting what they do
and how they do it. They’re investing in new
technology, equipment and processes to boost
their production and management capacity.
They’re looking forward to new market
opportunities and listening closely to what
consumers want today and in the future.
The theme of this issue, Building Capacity
Adapting for the Future is one of three priority
areas under Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative. Programs and
initiatives in this area aim to enhance industry
competiveness by supporting the adoption
of best management practices, developing
innovative business solutions, enabling
market growth and new market opportunities.
Many of the producers and processors
featured in this edition of Agri-Business
Forward participated in Growing Forward 2
2014
FallFALL
2013
Inside this Issue
Minister’s Column
2
What’s New for AgriInvest
2
Old-time Butcher, High-tech System
3
Free of Allergens, Packed with Potential
4
The System Behind the Taste
5
When Communication Goes
with the Territory
6
programs. This issue is dedicated to telling
Collaboration at its Best
7
the stories of people that are taking action
Building Farm Capacity, One Project at a Time 8
to strengthen and grow their business.
Birds, Bees and Trees Unlock
While their stories are different, all saw
Farm Transformation
9
a market need or opportunity, prepared for
Preparing for the Crops of Tomorrow
10
it through planning and investment, and
Family Meat Business Charts
moved forward. Here are some of the Alberta
Bold New Direction
11
businesses you’ll meet:
Meat Shop Keeps it Simple, Healthy and Safe 11
ÎÎ a pork producer making the challenging
Business
tools, from
information
andmarket
ideas totomeet changing market and consumer demands
Fall 2013
transition
farmers’
supermarket
ÎÎ a seed grower who’s planning today for
crops his customers will grow tomorrow
ÎÎ a beef producer who moved closer to the
consumer with a unique meat product
ÎÎ a chef who’s bringing innovation and
simplicity to the frozen foods category
ÎÎ producers who are embracing the chance
to meet with consumers face-to-face.
Markets are changing. Consumers want
more. In this dynamic environment, Alberta
producers and processors are looking for
new market opportunities and paying close
attention to consumer demands. n
BUILDING CAPACITY. ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE.
Minister’s Column
Growing Forward 2 programs encourage
adaptability and build capacity
A key focus of my mandate as Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Development is
to encourage industry innovation to meet
the demands of international and
domestic consumers.
The ability to identify new opportunities
and adapt is at the heart of our agriculture
sector’s ongoing success in the highly
competitive global marketplace
Alberta’s producers and agri-food businesses
are adapting all the time - just take a stroll
down the grocery aisle or through a farmers’
market and you’ll see an array of new products.
Alberta’s agricultural firms and farms know
they need to appeal to local, national and
international palettes.
Adapting, changing and producing new
products – or putting new twists on existing
ones – takes innovation and capital.
Building capacity often requires additional
financial investments, which are essential
for producers to increase their market-based
profitability. Building capacity also requires
producers to learn new things and expand
their knowledge base.
That’s why Growing Forward 2’s (GF2)
programs, funded under the cost-shared
provincial-federal agreement, are so vital
to the continued growth and evolution
of our agriculture industry.
These strategic programs provide
important tools and resources for our
agriculture entrepreneurs seeking to
strengthen their businesses.
Today’s successful producer has to have
strong business acumen. You can’t just grow,
raise or create goods – ultimately they have
to get to market. That requires businesses
assessments and plans. If you have a successful
business, you need to embrace and manage
change. That may mean implementing a new
process or improving an existing one.
Part of being adaptable is ensuring
Alberta’s producers can develop or improve
their infrastructures and systems to address
challenges and take advantage of new market
opportunities. A bigger market share often
requires a bigger production space.
Medicine Hat’s Greg Pahl knows a thing or
two about adapting. When the BSE crisis hit,
the third-generation cattle producer became
a first-generation butcher whose beef jerky
became a hit. His facility was at capacity until
last year when he used GF2 funding to invest
in a new smoke house so he could double
his production.
Calgary’s Copper Pot Creations started
making products in 2003 that were initially
for a niche market – frozen entrees free of
common allergens including gluten, soy, dairy
and nuts. Fast forward a decade and that niche
market is now mainstream. Thanks again in
part to GF2 funding; Copper Pot Creations
recently signed an agreement with food
service leader Sysco to provide meals to
work camps in the Fort McMurray region.
Killam-area’s Don Ruzicka has spent
decades transforming his farm into a haven
for birds and bees, which has made him
something of an expert in native pollinators.
He shared his knowledge and experience
with close to 40 farmers, agronomists and
researchers this past summer during a tour
which was partly supported by GF2 funding.
The stories of these producers, and many
others, are in this edition of AgriBusiness
Forward and I know you’ll enjoy reading
them. I think they are a testament to the
effectiveness of GF2 programs and show
that adapting and growing capacity are
key ingredients in being successful.
I encourage you to check the Growing
Forward website frequently for new programs
that will help you adapt and build capacity. n
Verlyn Olson, Q.C.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
What’s New for AgriInvest
A number of changes came into effect for
the 2013 program year with the new Growing
Forward 2 agreement. Producers can now
contribute up to 100% of their Allowable
Net Sales (ANS) to a maximum of $15,000
once per year, with the first 1% matched by
governments. The account balance limit has
also increased, allowing producers to hold up
to 400% of average ANS in their account so
that they can better use AgriInvest as a risk
management tool.
AgriInvest helps cover income declines and
supports investments that help mitigate risks.
To learn more, go to the AgriInvest website at
www.agr.gc.ca/agriinvest.
Get Online Access to your AgriInvest Account
‘My AAFC Account’ provides convenient and
secure access to your AgriInvest account
PAGE 2
Agri-Business Forward
information online. With online access, you
can check AgriInvest account transactions,
track the status of an application, view current
and prior year statements, and communicate
securely one-on-one with the AgriInvest
administration.
For more information and to sign up
for a My AAFC Account, go to www.agr.gc.
ca/myaccount. n
Prepared by:
Renée Robert
Manager, Business Risk Management (BRM)
Communications and Consultations Branch
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Tel. (204) 259-5804
renee.robert@agr.gc.ca
Old-time Butcher,
High-tech System
The Spragg family raises up to 2,500 market hogs annually, a
volume that should increase with a new listing with Calgary Co-op.
Ever wondered what it would be like
to sell your farm-grown products directly
to consumers at a farmers’ market?
Pork producer Bonnie Spragg has been
selling free-range pork and other products
through farmers’ markets for almost 10 years.
She’ll tell you that, initially, the experience
was quite a bit different than she expected.
“I thought at the beginning that we’d have
to do a lot more convincing in order to sell the
product,” says Spragg, who owns and operates
Spragg’s Meat Shop with husband Greg in
Rosemary, Alberta. “It really almost sold itself.
That’s why we just kept going.”
Under the right circumstance, a desirable
product may practically sell itself. Under no
circumstance does that product make itself.
The Spraggs have developed an efficient,
modern system for processing and packaging
their pasture-raised, naturally fed pork and
other meat products.
This approach has made them a trusted
presence at farmers’ markets in Calgary, Brooks
and Millarville and, with 16 staff, the largest
employer in the village of Rosemary, too.
Quality starts on the farm
As Spragg sees it, the reason no heavy
selling is needed at farmers’ markets is that
consumers get it. They quickly identify with
the Spraggs’ approach to pork production.
The Spraggs raise up to 2,500 market hogs
annually, free-ranging up to 1,000 at any
one time on pastures of annual grass. The pigs
are kept antibiotic free and fed plants only.
“People like to know these are happy pigs,”
says Spragg, “right from the farm to them.
When they see our products at the farmers’
market, in many cases, those pigs were on
pasture three days ago.”
Investments in traceability and production capacity
are positioning this producer and processor for
significant growth ahead.
Consumers may see in Spragg’s Meat Shop
a bastion of Alberta’s traditional farming
values. Today, however, running a successful
meat business requires modern systems for
maintaining production efficiency, quality and
food safety. Over the past two years, this has
been a focus of the Spraggs’ involvement with
Growing Forward 2 initiative.
“In terms of traceability, we’re
implementing a total compliance system
known as BioLink,” says Spragg. “Every package
of meat gets a barcode that leads back to
the pig. If there’s ever a product recall, we
know which batch of pigs it came from.”
This system includes software, originally
developed by Alberta Agriculture and Rural
Development, along with equipment to read
and print the barcodes.
Along with the traceability system and
software, Growing Forward 2 assisted Spragg’s
Meat Shop with the cost of a new scale system
and other production equipment. This will
allow the shop to increase its production
volume, and just in time.
From farmers’ market to supermarket
In August 2014, Spraggs Meat Shop started
delivering its products to Calgary Co-op. With
24 food stores and more than $1 billion in
annual sales, Co-op seems like a big step up
compared to the business’s farmers’ market
roots. Bonnie Spragg calls this new venture a
huge unknown, but she doesn’t sound all that
worried about it.
When Spragg’s Meat Shop saw the
opportunity to sell through Calgary Co-op,
building the capacity to deliver was a project
more than a year in the making. For one
thing, as Bonnie Spragg explains, they
needed more pigs.
Spragg’s Meat Shop is now the largest employer in Rosemary, Alta.
“We started ramping up hog production
so that we had the extra pigs available on a
weekly basis,” says Spragg. “We had to increase
by 20 to 25 pigs a week five months ago, with
no guarantee we would be able to sell them.”
Playing in the big leagues demands worldclass packaging. Spragg needed to ensure a
nine-day shelf life for fresh products, with
packaging durable enough that it could be
handled multiple times during distribution
and in-store by customers. This part actually
preceded the additional pigs.
“We put cardboard cases into the production
system a year ago so that we could send out
orders through more complex distribution
and palletized systems,” says Spragg. “We
also added shrink tunnel packaging to increase
the durability of each package compared to
simply cryovac packaging.” She notes these
packaging improvements were made with
a grant from Alberta Livestock and Meat
Agency (ALMA).
Over the past two years, Spragg’s Meat Shop
implemented a BioLink traceability system into
their operations. All cases produced are tracked
through this system. The shop can now trace
products and package dates in the event of a
food recall. The new systems, and increased
production, put a lot on the shoulders of the
company’s staff. Bonnie Spragg is pleased that
everything’s on track.
She says: “It will likely take six to eight weeks
of production before all the staff are trained
to the point where we are confident all the
packages are going out with the consistency
and ‘look’ that we want for our pork.”
“When we started in 2005, we had a goal
and we met that,” says Spragg. “Every year,
it just seemed completely feasible to take the
next step, whatever that was. We’re confident
that we know how to do this.”
For more information on Spragg’s Meat
Shop, visit www.spraggsmeatshop.com, drop
by the Brooks Farmers’ Market, the Millarville
Farmers’ Market or the Calgary, Kingsland or
Symons Valley Ranch markets. n
After a decade selling through farmers’ markets, the business is now expanding its urban retail presence.
www.growingforward.alberta.ca
PAGE 3
Free of Allergens,
Packed with Potential
This Calgary company serves a robust market for
foods that are free of common allergens. By expanding
their food safety capacity, they can grow as fast as
the opportunity.
What do you do when circumstance forces a
sharp turn in your career path? If you’re chef
Chris Niddrie, you find new fields to conquer.
At age 27, Niddrie was a rising star on the
Canadian culinary scene. Then, a diagnosis
of celiac disease meant that a restaurant
kitchen was not the place to be spending
his days and nights.
In 2003, Niddrie chose to direct his culinary
skills in a bold new direction. He and wife
Crystal founded Copper Pot Creations. This
Calgary-based company makes healthy and
delicious meals that are free of many common
allergens—such as gluten, soy, dairy and nuts.
As Crystal Niddrie explains, the company’s
first product line included frozen entrees such
as Spaghetti Bolognese, Shepherd’s Pie and
Bombay Chicken. These are available at SaveOn-Foods and Calgary Co-op, among others.
More recently, to meet growing demand,
Copper Pot Creations has developed a new
line of five Veggie Bowls.
“Unlike most frozen entrees, it’s very
important to us that we use only real
ingredients and no preservatives,” says
food allergens.
most common
sly free of the
meals ~ deliciou
Chef inspired
Niddrie. “When the ingredient list says
potatoes, for example, we boil and mash
them and that’s it.”
The allergen-free food market has been
growing briskly in recent years, but Copper
Pot Creations is cleverly moving beyond that.
The company recently signed an agreement
with food service leader Sysco to provide meals
to work camps in the Fort McMurray area. The
thinking is, if the meals are tasty, nutritious
and allergen-free, anyone can enjoy them
and a company avoids the cost of stocking
allergen-free product separately.
“This is one reason our business has
increased quite a bit over the past few
months,” says Niddrie.
Capital and non-capital improvements
Right now, market conditions are receptive
to Copper Pot Creations’ products, and the
Niddries plan to keep it that way. Over the
past two years, the company has participated
in the Growing Forward 2 Food Safety Systems
Processor Program.
“It’s quite critical that our facility has a
good allergen control program,” says Niddrie.
“We wanted to enhance our procedures,
policies and practices. As we looked at some
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
food allergens.
most common
sly free of the
meals ~ deliciou
Chef inspired
Gluten Free
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PAGE 4
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Chef Chris Niddrie (top) swapped his chef’s coat for an
entrepreneur’s demanding life. Today, Chris and wife Crystal
(middle) operate Copper Pot Creations and make healthy, tasty,
allergen-free entrees like these (bottom).
of the bigger grocery chains, we wanted to give
customers confidence in our product, and food
safety is critical to that.”
Cost-sharing with Growing Forward 2
enabled the purchase of equipment for
allergen testing as well as freezers and
coolers that allow for the strict separation of
raw ingredients and final food products. In a
second phase, Copper Pot Creations developed
and implemented a food safety system
based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Point (HACCP) principles. Crystal Niddrie’s
professional background in the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) quality
management system was a major asset in this
technically demanding process.
The future is bright, and allergen-free
If you visit copperpotcreations.com, and
click on Where To Buy, you’ll see the company’s
products are currently available only in
Alberta. Not for long, perhaps. The new
Veggie Bowls product line has already been
introduced to some major grocery chains
and distributors. Distribution that would
take CopperPot’s products outside Alberta
is in the works.
Energized by new customers and products,
Copper Pot Creations is planning to move to
a newer, bigger production facility in 2015.
Backed by the company’s enhanced food
safety assurance capability, Niddrie sees
growth ahead.
“In the short term, we’re looking to launch
our new product line and expand outside
Alberta,” she says. “Longer term, we’re looking
at expanding with new products, new
distribution and new grocery chains and
food service in Western Canada and beyond.”
For more information on Copper Pot
Creations, its allergen-free line of Albertamade entrees and your nearest retailer,
visit copperpotcreations.com. n
The System Behind the Taste
Safely making and transporting a frozen dessert
product is no easy task. This small and growing
Lethbridge company is leaving nothing to chance.
It’s official: Screamin Brothers is screaming
busy, serving an enthusiastic customer base
with a popular line of coconut milk-based
frozen dessert products.
“If anything, it’s been growing faster
than we would’ve anticipated,” says Wayne
Wikkerink, co-owner of Screamin Brothers.
“We’ve been on a steep upward curve since
late-Spring.”
What’s behind all this growth? An
exceptional product, for starters. The
company’s lineup of nine frozen treats appeals
to those who enjoy great taste and freedom
from many common allergens. These include
milk, soy, wheat, peanuts and eggs.
Wikkerink’s son, J.R., began selling frozen
treats in 2010 to raise money for disaster relief
in earthquake-stricken Haiti. Wikkerink and
wife Anne were in the process of adopting
two Haitian boys: one was already safely
with the family in Lethbridge, while his
brother was living in an orphanage
destroyed by the earthquake.
The story had a happy ending. Before
long, the entire family was united in
Lethbridge. Today, 5% of Screamin Brothers’
net profits go to support children’s charities.
Commitment to food safety
The Screamin Brothers story has attracted a
lot of interest from the public and the media.
The quality of the products has earned the
company a loyal following. Still, as Wikkerink
sees it, none of that matters unless retailers
and consumers have confidence that the
product is safe to eat.
“We needed to have a terrific program
from the get-go in order to ensure food
safety,” he says.
Over the past three years, this company
has worked with the Growing Forward 2 Food
Safety Processor program initiative on several
projects designed to help ensure safe food and
delighted customers. Projects have included
the purchase of freezers, batch processors
and fillers - with 20% of the cost coming from
Growing Forward 2. Product is verified with
allergen test kits to confirm it is indeed free
of the relevant allergens. Third-party allergen
testing provides further assurance.
No matter how capable the equipment,
however, it can only perform as well as the
people who operate it. That’s why Wikkerink
made sure to include a training and education
component, developed with a food safety
consultant. The consultant returns to the
facility on a regular basis to ensure the
prescribed protocols are being followed.
Screamin Brothers is firmly on the road to
achieving full Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Point (HACCP) compliance, which Wikkerink
considers a key ongoing project.
Achieving food safety at the production
facility is one thing. As Wikkerink sees it,
a further challenge is ensuring that the product
maintains its integrity during transportation.
Screamin Brothers’ most recent Growing
Forward 2 project added equipment to
make food-safe transportation easier.
“Moving our product at the right
temperature is akin to dealing with ice cream,”
he says. “Our target temperature for our
Brothers Dawson (left) and JR Wikkerink demonstrate the
unique taste and quality of Screamin’ Brothers’ frozen desserts.
facility is -18C. We then need to move it to
Calgary without variation in that temperature,
and from there it goes east and west.”
To make a food product viable in today’s
market, it needs great taste up front and an
engaging story behind it. Screamin Brothers
has both in abundance. Making it work as a
business is just as important. As Wikkerink
sees it, a family business like Screamin
Brothers needs to be on an equal food
safety footing with much larger enterprises.
“The insurance industry is raising red
flags about small and mid-range companies,
and being careful in how they insure food
processors,” says Wikkerink. Growing Forward 2
has been invaluable in making sure we know
what has to be done to verify the quality and
integrity of our product.” n
The gluten-free opportunity: how big, for how long?
In recent years, there’s been an explosion in the
number of gluten-free food products available.
Those considering entering this market might
be wondering: is it too late?
Ava Duering, Competitiveness Analyst
with Alberta Agriculture and Rural
Development (ARD), believes the gluten-free
opportunity still has plenty of room to run.
She cites an August 2013 study by Packaged
Facts, titled Gluten-Free Foods in Canada, that
values the Canadian gluten-free market at
$460 million. That’s substantial, but the real
story may be gluten-free’s next stage of growth.
The market is expected to nearly double, to
about $811 million, by 2017.
“One of the key drivers for growth is
thought to be the evolution from specialty
marketers into the mainstream retail grocery,”
says Duering, “making it more accessible for
consumers.”
People with confirmed celiac disease are the
core of the market served by gluten-free food
products. This number could grow as greater
awareness prompts a higher level of celiac
diagnosis, bringing with it a kind of multiplier
effect. When one person within a family is
diagnosed, others within the same family may
go gluten-free, out of solidarity or for the sake
of simplicity. This phenomenon is helping move
gluten-free foods from single-serve meals to
multi-person meal offerings.
As Duering explains, however, gluten-free
products have also been embraced by ‘glutensensitive’ consumers with milder symptoms
and people with no celiac issues whatsoever.
“There is a market segment who purchase
gluten-free simply because they think it is
healthier than the traditional counterparts,”
she says.
Bottom line: for the right product, there’s
still time to capture a piece of the gluten-free
opportunity. n
www.growingforward.alberta.ca
PAGE 5
When Communication
Goes with the Territory
More consumers want to know where their food
comes from, and meet the people who grow it.
Producers are adapting and enjoying the experience.
Armena, Alta. greenhouse operator Doug Lyseng believes
that communicating with consumers is now part of a farmer’s
job description.
Farming 101
Involvement
They’re experienced, innovative and
bullish on the industry’s future. That’s
why Walter Farms’ Ralph Buhler and
Maplewood Acres’ Doug Lyseng were
asked to host a group of Alberta
Agriculture and Rural Development staff
recently. Supported by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, the
Farming 101 program allows staff to meet
with producers in different agriculture
sectors. Generously donating his time,
Ralph Buhler represented his partners,
showed people around the farm and
answered questions.
“The best thing about Farming 101
is that people could come out and see
a little bit of what we do,” Buhler says.
“If they can get a window into what
we do and how we do it, they can make
better decisions.”
Lyseng’s skill as a communicator and
ambassador for agriculture made him
an ideal host as he welcomed staff from
ARD who were seeking an inside view of
a successful farm operation. To Lyseng,
Farming 101 is just one more way to
share what he knows with others.
“I think it’s really important that
people understand some of the challenges
farmers face, things you cannot learn
about in a textbook,” he says. “People were
just very positive and very eager to learn.
I’ll do that any time to help make that
connection.”
PAGE 6
Agri-Business Forward
What’s the most important quality an
agricultural producer can have? Agronomic
knowledge, technological savvy and attention
to detail have long been important, and
continue to be. From where Doug Lyseng
is sitting, however, today’s farmer must also
be an effective communicator. Lyseng, who
along with wife Margaret, owns Maplewood
Acres Market Garden in Armena, Alberta
believes more producers are now called upon
to engage with consumers in a direct and
personal way. He says, bring it on.
“Most of our produce is sold at farmers’
markets such as Old Strathcona in Edmonton,”
says Lyseng. “We see a big change in that more
people value being able to talk to the owner
of the farm that grew the produce. That’s
something that’s really changed.”
Before Maplewood makes a sale, Lyseng and
his staff often field questions from potential
buyers. People want to know about production
practices on the farm, even asking what type
of fertilizer is used.
In Lyseng’s view, a younger generation of
urban consumers is emerging with its own
ideas about locally grown food. These people
are keenly aware they know little about
farming, but are curious and hungry for
information. With Maplewood Acres,
they’ve come to the right place.
“It’s that 20 to 30-year-old person who’s
becoming much more involved,” says Lyseng.
“They lack knowledge about agriculture
because they haven’t been exposed to it, so
they ask a lot of questions about the product,
including how to cook it.”
A welcoming experience for visitors
While many people know Maplewood Acres
from farmers’ markets, others make a regular
trek out to the farm. Soon to celebrate its 30th
anniversary, Maplewood Acres today includes
an 8000 square-foot greenhouse and 12 acres
of vegetables and herbs.
If one visit was largely like the one before,
consumers might be tempted to stay home.
This is why Lyseng places a high priority on
trying out new ideas and offering many types
of produce. If you like tomatoes, for example,
Maplewood Acres grows 40 different varieties,
both modern and heirloom types.
Achieving consistent field production
depends on many factors that the consumer
doesn’t always understand. Even so, people
have the expectation that no matter what
the weather’s doing, the vegetables they want
will be abundant in supply and beautiful in
appearance. Behind the scenes, Lyseng and
his staff work hard to make this happen.
“Every year we run into periods of drought,
and so we need to have multiple systems of
irrigation ready to go at any time,” he says.
In 2013, Lyseng and the Growing Forward 2
initiative shared the cost of a dugout that
serves as a primary source of water for crop
irrigation. This system helps ensure that
water can be collected and retained when
it’s plentiful, so that it’s available when
conditions turn dry. n
Collaboration at its Best
In a nifty market adaptation, three Alberta farms pool resources
to reduce costs, upgrade equipment and share risk.
Neighbour helping neighbour is a common
occurrence on Alberta’s farms and ranches.
Whether it’s a spare part that’s needed, a hand
with repairs or some time-critical fieldwork,
people are used to pitching in.
The way Ralph Buhler and two neighbours
saw it, if this approach works on a small,
everyday scale, why not kick it up a notch?
In 2001, they combined their equipment and
cattle under an innovative corporate structure.
Buhler, along with Ed and Ernie Lange and
Stan and Chris Walter, now farm 5,000 acres
and raise 800 cows annually in a business
known as Walter Farms.
When it’s time to make decisions, the five
partners vote; three votes carry the day. When
someone needs time off, the other guys can
pick up the slack. Still, economics looms large
in this arrangement.
“The biggest cost in grain farming is buying
machinery, which makes it tough on the
farmer who wants to buy bigger and better
equipment,” says Buhler, who like the others
owns land south of Edmonton. “We figured,
if we put our equipment together, we could
have two newer combines instead of three
older ones.”
Do-it-yourself risk management
Sharing costs is one potential benefit of
producers pooling their resources. Another
is the opportunity to manage risk on the
revenue side. After all, farms in the same
region can often have different rainfall and
field conditions. One producer could see his
barley go for malt and his wheat go #1, while
a neighbour down the road ends up with feed
crops. A shared approach may not capture all
the highs, but it keeps the lows to a minimum.
“Everything goes into a pot, including
grain,” says Buhler. “It increases the chance
that we all get some #1 wheat.”
Cattle, which are also jointly owned,
are raised under a natural beef program
and sold to a feedlot at roughly 1,000 lb.
Some years, both cattle and grain do well.
Other times, strong revenue in one helps
offset a tough year for the other.
With cattle prices strong, Buhler and his
partners are enjoying the cattle side of the
business right now. He sees robust global
demand as people in emerging economies
improve their diets. With a young herd that’s
been carefully developed, they’re in a position
to grow with the opportunity.
The business participated in Growing
Forward 2 programs such as Livestock Welfare
and Food Safety Systems Producer that shared
the cost of a new cattle handling system and
hydraulic squeeze. This makes handling more
efficient, safer for the operator and easier
on the animals. With prospects in the beef
industry positive, Buhler believes this added
efficiency will go a long way.
“We don’t know where cattle prices are
going to end up,” says Buhler. “The price could
start going the other way, but the cattle side
may have to subsidize the grain side over the
next couple of years.” n
www.growingforward.alberta.ca
PAGE 7
Building Farm Capacity,
One Project at a Time
Over the past five years, this farm couple has steadily
upgraded their asset base for raising and handling
cattle, managing crops and safeguarding water supply.
In 2015, the Burkhardt family of Wetaskiwin
will celebrate 100 years of farming. While
proud of their past, this family is looking
confidently into the future.
Husband-and-wife partners Kelly and Jill
Burkhardt, the fifth generation on the land,
are taking a strategic, progressive approach
to kicking off the next century on this family’s
mixed farming operation.
On the cropping side of the operation, the
Burkhardts farm just under 1,000 acres of land,
with 70% owned and the balance rented. Their
2014 crop lineup included 285 acres of malt
barley, 275 acres of canola, 225 acres of wheat,
170 acres of faba beans and 40 acres of oats.
The Burkhardts also operate a cattle herd
consisting of 80 head of Angus-cross cattle.
The cattle are raised using holistic grazing
techniques, without added hormones.
Antibiotics are only given if the animal
is ill or injured. The couple also practices
humane animal handling and care.
Beef from the herd is direct-marketed
at farmers’ markets in the Edmonton area
under the Crooked Lake Farm brand. On the
Burkhardts’ website at crookedlakefarm.com,
consumers can find detailed and transparent
production information, recipes and a blog
that takes them inside the farm’s day-to-day
operations.
Since 2009, Jill and Kelly Burkhardt
have been upgrading their capacity in
terms of animal welfare, food safety, water
management, traceability and the efficiency
of their field operations.
The Burkhardts’ capacity-building priorities
have often dovetailed with the provisions of
programs available under Growing Forward 2 –
a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Here’s a look at how this farm family
has enhanced its capacity with timely
infrastructure improvements.
The Burkhardts’ new cattle chute makes
it more efficient and safer to handle cattle.
PAGE 8
Agri-Business Forward
Putting the well outside. The main farmhouse
on the Burkhardts’ land has a feature
that would be considered unusual today.
In the mid-1960s, a well was constructed
in the basement of the house. While the
arrangement is untypical for a farm water
system, the Burkhardts lived with it as best
they could. That changed in 2009, when the
well’s casement collapsed.
The Burkhardts worked with Growing
Forward on cost-sharing for a project to drill
and build a new well out in the yard that would
better serve their long term water needs.
“Our water quality with the old well
actually wasn’t that bad, though the water
was higher in sodium than you would like,”
says Jill Burkhardt. “The new well goes down
quite a bit deeper and we have found there
is definitely better water quality.”
Chute plus scale means better handling.
The Burkhardts are both graduates of
Montana State University in the field of Range
Management. They have embraced progressive
methods of grazing, handling and marketing
their cattle. At times, their cattle-handling
system made this approach challenging.
In 2011, under Growing Forward On-Farm
Safety Producer program, the Burkhardts
acquired a new cattle chute resulting in
improved animal handling and safety. In 2013,
under Growing Forward 2, they acquired a
weigh scale. These additions improved the
efficiency of their cattle handling and has
made life a little less stressful for everyone.
“Handling animals can be a bit risky,” says
Burkhardt. “Our previous system didn’t always
work that well, it didn’t squeeze properly
or evenly, and wasn’t that friendly for the
cattle or for us. With the new one, you set up
the opening for the animal, their shoulders
push into the bar and they more or less catch
themselves and both sides of the chute are
engaged. It’s like a big hug.”
Apart from the comfort of the animals
(and safety of the operators) this cattle chute
makes it much faster to process the animals,
administer injections as needed and prepare
them for transportation to market. Having
a weigh scale under the chute has delivered
other benefits as well.
“If an animal gets sick you can dose them
precisely, down to one-tenth of a milligram,
because you’re not guessing what they
Kelly and Jill Burkhardt have been on a mission to
improve the capacity of their farm so they can meet
emerging market opportunities.
weigh,” says Burkhardt. “We can also weigh
them before they go to slaughter. This way,
I’ll know their approximate dress weight
ahead of time.”
Production records: fast, accurate and always
available. When Crooked Lake Farms markets
its beef at Edmonton-area farmers’ markets,
consumers often ask questions
about traceability issues. The Burkhardts
have answers.
In 2013, they took part in the Growing
Forward 2 Traceability Pilot Program. The
program picked up 30% of the cost of a smart
pad, Bluetooth scanning wand and smart
phone system. As Burkhardt sees it, this has
delivered tremendous benefits in terms of
handling efficiency as well as food safety.
“You scan an animal’s tag, and you can see
any vaccines that it’s had,” she says. “It lets you
know the withdrawal period and whether that
withdrawal period has passed. This goes on the
computer and when it’s time to do a Verified
Beef audit, it’s all there. Everything is digital.”
Looking ahead, Jill Burkhardt can see several
areas where asset upgrades would improve
their production efficiency and environmental
stewardship even more. She recently applied
to the Growing Forward 2 Food Safety Systems
Producer Program. She’d like to purchase a calf
tipping table—also known as a calf cradle—
to more efficiently handle, medicate and
freeze-brand their younger animals going
on to community pasture.
“Another one of the areas we’re looking
at is off-site watering for the animals, rather
than watering in the corral or a slough,”
says Burkhardt. “We’d like to fence off all our
sloughs as protected riparian areas. We’d like
the cattle operation to be sustainable in terms
of its water use.”
Over the past century, the Burkhardt family
has evolved with a fast-moving agriculture
industry. Today, they’re on the leading edge of
current developments in areas such as range
management, animal care and farm-direct
marketing of branded meat products. Based
on the pace of change the fifth generation is
keeping, the farm’s second century holds a
world of promise.
“Looking around,” says Jill Burkhardt, “there
are definitely some things we’d like to do.” n
Don and Marie Ruzicka built an award-winning farm that pastures organic beef and poultry, and natural pork, and offers custom grazing.
Birds, Bees and Trees
Unlock Farm Transformation
How a struggling cropping operation became a thriving grazing
operation, with an assist from shelterbelts, wetlands and wild pollinators.
To one degree or another, Alberta producers
never farm the same way twice. They might
change their crop rotation or herd numbers
from year to year, build their production base
with more land or tackle emerging challenges
in the field.
Years ago, Don Ruzicka looked at his
farming operation and didn’t like what he saw.
He decided to change, well, almost everything.
“We moved in 1983 to the farm started by
my grandfather and grandmother in 1909,”
says Ruzicka, who farms with his wife Marie
near Killam. “For years, we farmed cattle and
grain according to the conventional model.
I bulldozed trees and wetlands to get more
land but it was never enough. By 1995, I felt the
writing was on the wall: an 800-acre farm was
not going to be competitive, the way we were
doing things.”
For Ruzicka, a course in holistic
management provided the framework he’d
been searching for, and he fundamentally
changed his farming operation on several
levels. Over the past 20 years, he’s planted
60,000 trees, shrubs and bushes. His 800
acres of annual cropland has become 600
acres of organic alfalfa pasture with 200 acres
of native prairie, wetlands and other wildlife
habitat. He now pasture-raises organic beef
and poultry, and natural pork, and provides
custom grazing too.
Pollinators kickstart farm productivity
Over the years, as Ruzicka planted more and
more trees, he gradually noticed profound
changes on the farm. Wild pollinators and
other insects flourished. Bird populations,
and the number of different species,
multiplied as their food source grew
richer. Ruzicka also erected 240 birdhouses
along perimeter fences. Meanwhile, farm
productivity increased dramatically, in part
due to the activity of native pollinators in
the field. This includes not just bees but
wasps, butterflies, beetles and hummingbirds.
“How many years of grazing do you
normally expect to get from pasture? Five
or six?” Ruzicka asks. “All of our tame pasture
here is 17 years old.”
This past July, Ruzicka hosted 37 farmers,
agronomists and researchers for a Trees and
Bees Field Day, supported in part by Growing
Forward 2. He toured visitors through his
operation and explored the changes he’d
made over the years. Experts in wild
pollinators, agroforestry and woodlot
management outlined the science behind
Ruzicka’s 20-year farm transformation. This
event was just one of a steady schedule of
research projects and speaking presentations
that he now maintains.
“We’re learning more and more about
native pollinators,” says Ruzicka, “and we’ve
tried to make our farm as pollinator-friendly
as possible.”
As Ruzicka explains, the key for him was to
listen to his farm’s natural environment, work
to protect and improve that environment
and let this renewed resource fuel the
sustainability of his business. This approach
may not be for everyone, but it’s changed
Ruzicka’s farm—and his life.
“As farmers, we have to understand how
our farm ecology works and work with it, not
against it,” he says. “Before 1995, I was working
against it. I bulldozed a lot of trees and
wetland. I like to think I’ve put all those trees
back, just not in the same places. I believe the
most valuable practice we as farmers have is
to work with nature and support nature.”
You can learn more about Don and Marie
Ruzicka’s farming journey and current business
by visiting their website, www.sunrisefarm.ca.n
One farmer’s framework for success
Can a mid-sized farm be economically
sustainable? That’s the question a soulsearching Alberta farmer asked himself
back in 1995. Two decades later, if anything,
the pressure to get big or get out has only
increased. What’s the best way forward?
The pasture-raised hogs at Sunrise Farm enjoy what the Ruzickas
call ‘minimum security’ accommodations.
www.growingforward.alberta.ca
PAGE 9
Preparing for the Crops of Tomorrow
Meet a southern Alberta seed grower who’s always adapting his crop mix so that,
one day, his customers can do the same.
For a crop producer, growing a new crop or
a new variety can enhance yields, diversify
a rotation and deliver improved returns per
acre. When you plant a new crop for the first
time, it’s likely that an Alberta seed grower
has been working for several years to make
this possible.
At Specialty Seeds near Bow Island,
Alberta, pedigreed seed grower Will Van
Roessel is working on new ideas that his
customers will eventually benefit from.
“In the seed business, you need to be a
few years ahead of the curve,” says Van
Roessel, who farms mainly under irrigation
with his wife Jean. Key seed crops include
cereals, hybrid canola, pulses and hemp.
“You’re always looking ahead and trying to
figure out what crop might be more widely
grown in a few years’ time.”
Hemp takes root
The process of getting new crops and varieties
into commercial production is about far
more than seed propagation. As Van Roessel
explains, before he commits precious time
and acres to a new venture, he wants to know
whether or not commercial growers will really
be interested.
Bow Island seed grower Will Van Roessel believes hemp could
become a bigger factor in Alberta farmers’ crop rotations.
PAGE 10
Agri-Business Forward
That takes research. Van Roessel will
generally plant side-by-side field-scale
comparisons of the new crop (or new variety)
and a competitive crop alternative.
In 2010, he was approached by a seed
grower acquaintance in Saskatchewan about
growing hemp seed. Intrigued by the idea,
Van Roessel planted 130 acres’ of hemp. In
the years since, of course, hemp seeds have
become something of a staple of healthy
eating. Consumers now commonly sprinkle
hemp seed over yogurt, or mix it into their
baking. This provides a dietary boost through
hemp’s high availability of Omega-3 fatty
acids and other nutritional attributes.
By 2013, farmers were calling Van Roessel
about buying hemp seed and he was ready for
them. The trade jumped again in 2014, with up
to 20 area farmers growing hemp from seed
grown by Van Roessel.
Could hybrid fall rye work here?
Today, as always, Van Roessel has a new-crop
project or two on the drawing board. He is
particularly interested in the potential of
hybrid fall rye.
“This is a new and different crop that will
require some on-farm research,” says Van
Roessel. “It’s quite common in Europe, but it’s
totally new for this area. Traditionally rye is
grown on poorer-quality soils. But hybrid rye
might fit into the winter wheat market, with
potentially less risk of winterkill than wheat
and hopefully higher yields and returns.”
In case growing multiple seed crops isn’t
challenging enough, Van Roessel also deals
with the complexities of producing under
irrigation. Over the last year, he participated
in the Growing Forward 2 Irrigation Efficiency
Program. This program shared the cost of Van
Roessel’s acquisition of computerized panels
that run his sprinkler pivots. The system
allows him to run pivots at different speeds in
different parts of the field. It’s now easier to
shut off individual nozzles in parts of the field
that already have enough moisture.
The system also provides remote
monitoring and control. Rather than driving
by each pivot every morning, Van Roessel is
alerted by text message as to which individual
pivots require attention first.
Apart from saving water, this kind of
efficiency should free up Van Roessel for more
of the forward thinking that goes with the
territory for today’s seed grower.
“Not every potential variety will be
successful,” he says. “But as seed growers,
we want to look ahead and have that seed
available when it’s needed.” n
Family Meat Business
Charts Bold New Direction
When bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) challenged
the Pahl family’s cattle business a decade ago, they decided
to move up the value chain. Beef jerky, anyone?
Before he was a first-generation butcher,
Greg Pahl was a third-generation cattleman.
Pahl’s transition from one type of family
business to another shows that the ability
to adapt is essential in today’s agriculture
and food industry.
Since 1934, this family has raised and sold
beef in the Medicine Hat area. A devastating
market development that began in 2003
would take their story in a new direction.
“The BSE crisis showed us just how
vulnerable we were,” says Pahl. “Until then,
we didn’t know that much about what
happened after the cattle went to market.”
Pahl’s idea was to move a step or two closer
to the consumer. After completing the Meat
Processing Program at Olds College, he built
a small but well-equipped meat shop and
opened Medicine Hat Meat Traders in 2006
as a full-service butcher. Most of the family’s
cattle-related assets were sold.
Jerky product stands out
Before long, Medicine Hat Meat Traders was
a popular destination for consumers seeking
farm-raised beef and pork. In these early years,
Pahl couldn’t help but notice that one of his
products gradually began to outsell the rest.
That was the soon-to-be famous Medicine Hat
Meat Traders beef jerky, available at the shop and
approximately 10 of Alberta farmers’ markets.
“A lot of people tell me that they don’t
really like beef jerky,” Pahl says, “but ours is
a bit different. It’s a flavored dried beef snack,
but with a softer texture. So people who
don’t really like beef jerky find they like
ours quite a lot.”
As the popularity of Pahl’s beef jerky grew,
he saw an opportunity to make this product
the signature offering of Medicine Hat
Meat Traders. His dilemma was, the shop’s
smokehouse had reached its maximum
capacity. Without additional meat-smoking
capacity, it would be hard to address the
opportunity Pahl saw in the market.
In 2013, Pahl accessed cost-shared
funding through the Growing Forward 2
Agri-Processing Automation and Efficiency
Livestock program to invest in a new smoke
house that allowed Medicine Hat Meat Traders
to double its jerky production. For the time
being, at least, the consumers’ demand for this
one-of-a-kind meat snack can be fulfilled.
From farmers’ market to retail
Pahl’s son Jackson, followed his father’s path
to the Meat Processing Program at Olds
College, then took his place as the second
generation at Medicine Hat Meat Traders.
Jackson Pahl manages production, which
frees up the senior partner to focus on
management and sales.
Medicine Hat Meat Traders founder Greg Pahl (left)
and his son Jackson (right) make a beef jerky that
even jerky skeptics love.
This fall, Medicine Hat Meat Traders will
begin a push into retail accounts beyond their
farmers’ market presence. Of course, supplying
a farmers’ market can be complicated
enough. Selling through other retail outlets
puts an even greater premium on volume
and consistent delivery. Adding the second
smokehouse cranked up the production level.
In fact, faced with growing market demand,
this new smokehouse is also nearing its
operational capacity.
Rancher-turned-butcher Greg Pahl is
excited about what the future will bring.
Despite mostly moving out of the cattle
business, he’s thrilled to still be running a
family business, with the next generation
trained, dedicated and ready to grow.
Reflecting on his sons decision to join the
family business, Greg Pahl says “I was kind of
surprised he wanted this, but I sure depend
on him. Within the next few years, we’d like to
provide our high-quality beef snack to greater
numbers of Alberta and Canadian consumers.
Production changes and shop growth may be
the new normal in the future.”
For more information on Medicine Hat
Meat Traders’ products and retail markets,
visit www.mhmt.ca. n
Meat Shop Keeps it
Simple, Healthy and Safe
In just three years, this Claresholm sausage-maker
has moved from start-up to inter-provincial shipper.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
certification made all the difference.
Chantal Blokpoel (right), here with mother and partner Sylvia, are
proud of the quality offered by Meadow Creek Sausage and Meat.
Meadow Creek Sausage & Meat became
a federally registered food processor on
September 30, 2013. Shipments outside
Alberta, made possible by this designation,
started immediately.
Meadow Creek Sausage & Meat opened
its doors in May 2011. “I had graduated from
the University of Lethbridge with a Marketing
degree,” says Chantal Blokpoel. “I was working in
a bank, but I didn’t like being stuck in an office.”
…Continued on page 12
www.growingforward.alberta.ca
PAGE 11
More growth on the horizon
…Continued from page 11
Blokpoel’s parents, meanwhile, had recently
retired and wanted to open a small butcher
shop. Her father Peter had worked in the
meat industry for decades. He had a vision
of making sausages the old-fashioned way:
using the best meat, sea salt, spices and that’s
it. Blokpoel, with her marketing background,
knew the idea had merit. She joined her
parents and the business was born.
Certification opens border
A product of uncompromising quality
was the company’s first ingredient for success.
Effective, creative marketing was second. The
third ingredient? Location.
With a shop just off Highway 2, Meadow
Creek Sausage & Meat became a popular stop
for travelers along the Lethbridge to Edmonton
corridor. People from Saskatchewan and
British Columbia took their sausages home
and asked local retailers to make Meadow
Creek sausages available.
Until that point, as an Alberta-only meat
seller, Meadow Creek was subject to Alberta
Health Services regulations. To ship outside
Alberta, they’d need federal designation and for
that, they’d need to be compliant with HACCP.
HACCP is a management system that
addresses food safety through analysis and
control of biological, chemical and physical
hazards in food production. In 2013, Meadow
Creek applied to the Growing Forward 2
initiative for cost-sharing to engage a HACCP
consultant to develop a comprehensive food
safety system for their production facility.
“Being able to ship across provincial
borders has been important for us, and
HACCP made this possible,” says Blokpoel.
PUBLISHER
Growing Forward Coordination and Program Policy Branch
EDITOR
Alyssa Maerz
WRITER
Kieran Brett, Lemongrass Enterprises
LAYOUT
Diva Communications Inc.
For more information on Growing Forward 2 in Alberta, please
visit www.growingforward.alberta.ca or call 310-FARM (3276).
This report is printed on recycled paper.
The Agri-Business Forward is protected by the Copyright Act.
All materials in this Publication may be reproduced, in part or
in whole and by any means without charge or further permission
from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
What’s next for Meadow Creek Sausage
& Meat? As Blokpoel sees it, there’s no
shortage of options. Customers continue
to flock to the company’s healthy, tasty,
back-to-basics sausage. If warranted
by demand, they can open a second
production line at their 4,500 square
metre production facility. Whatever
comes, Blokpoel has no doubt her staff
are up for the challenge.
“We have a really great team here,”
she says, “and without them, we couldn’t
do what we do.”
Conventionally, sausage is a practical
application for less desirable meat
cuts – the kind most consumers might
hesitate to purchase from the meat
case. Meadow Creek Sausage & Meat
has changed the game by putting meat
quality first and foremost. Their pork sausage
is made from leg meat, for example, and their
chicken sausage is made with breast meat.
Blokpoel aims to bring ranch-to-plate
authenticity and innovation to the sausage
market. Meadow Creek is now partnering
with area ranchers, and expanding the
family’s own herd of Texas Longhorns, to
create a steady supply of grass-fed beef raised
with no hormones and no animal by-products.
This is an idea she believes could resonate
with food distributors, restaurants and
retailers across Canada.
“It’s been an amazing journey and
we’ve gone far beyond our expectations,”
says Blokpoel. “From working at the bank three
years ago, this is a whole different ballgame
and a huge learning curve. Right now, I just
couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” n
We ask that:
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initiative as the source of the article or information with the following
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The use of these materials by [insert user’s name] is done without
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Owner Chantal Blokpoel credits her staff for delivering on Meadow
Creek’s commitment to quality. Here, team member Kalyna (top)
vacuum-seals product packaging, while Miranda (bottom) makes
one of Meadow Creek’s dozens of varieties of sausages.
of rights. The Government of Alberta does not warrant or make
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The information that may identify you on this form is being collected for the distribution of newsletters and updates pertaining to the Growing Forward 2 initiative in Alberta,
under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) and is subject to the FOIP Act. If you have any questions about the collection of this
information, contact Wendy Grosfield, Room 201, 7000 – 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6, phone 780-422-1799, e-mail wendy.grosfield@gov.ab.ca.