Better Farming – September 2016

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32 Farm News First > Better Farming September 2016
Forward 2 government programs for
preliminary market research and
program implementation.
Van Groningen’s Norfolk County
business, VG Meats, piloted the
concept, launching the service in
2014. VG Meats is a vertically inte-
grated meat production business that
includes cattle production, processing
and retail sales. The company is the
only producer involved, although
Wuermli says she is building a list of
interested producers, most of whom
are already doing farm gate sales. So
far, 10 producers have expressed
interest, she says.
The organization will hold work-
shops on the approach in the fall.
“We’re hopeful that the more people
who get exposure to the model, the
more producers we can get up and
running and using the model then
there will be interest from other
groups as well,”Wuermli says.
Rob and Maryjo Tait’s Celtic Ridge
Farms near Dutton in Elgin County is
one of the producer operations on
Beef Farmers’ list. Rob Tait says the
idea dovetails well with the couple’s
plans to grow the business. Rob, 36,
and Maryjo, 29, maintain a sheep and
cow-calf operation on the 300-acre
farmstead that has been in Rob’s
family since 1873. They finish their
own animals. “We don’t buy in any
(cattle) to finish,” Rob says. “Every-
thing is all here so we have full
traceability for all of our meat.”
A local butcher supplies process-
ing, and the couple sells both large
orders and specialty boxes. Demand
has been through the roof and they
have also begun to supply the
Talbotville Berry Farm Market store
near St. Thomas. Their biggest
challenge is ensuring enough product
is available.
The Taits already maintain a
website that lists what’s available and
how buyers can place orders. The
couple recognizes having an online
store and adding a pickup location
are the next steps to make ordering
even more convenient for customers.
Moreover, given that they both work
off-farm and have two young chil-
dren, jumping to the end goal of
DIRECT MARKETING
Cory Van Groningen