Ted Farron
It’s been ten years and counting for two meat businesses that have enthusiastically supported the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program since its inception. Norwich Packers (Norpac) was the first provincial processor to come on board while Ted Farron’s Gourmet Butcher Shop in Windsor was one of the first retailers to feature the signature brand of the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association.
The Ontario Corn Fed Beef program was launched in June of 2001.
For Ted Farron, the program represented a good news story that was needed at the time.
“The reason I came on board is we had some bad news in the meat business and negative things about Canadian beef,” recalls Farron, noting that people were becoming more concerned about the quality and safety of beef products. “I was glad to see that Ontario stepped up to come out with a real clean program; no animal by-products fed to the cattle, giving people the assurance of a quality piece of meat.”
As for his customers’ response, Farron says the reaction to the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program has been terrific.
He also praises Norpac for maintaining the high quality standards of the beef. “They do a wonderful job. The quality assurance is great for me,” says Farron.“I know when somebody gets a piece of meat from me, we’re feeding them the healthiest, most tender piece of meat they can buy.”
Provincial Packer Was Looking For An Ontario Beef Program
When asked to recall the early days of Ontario Corn Fed Beef, Norpac owner Ron Heleniak says he was looking for something to help give Ontario’s beef industry a boost.
Noting that Norpac buys cattle in Ontario and sells beef products in a provincial marketplace, Heleniak says he was pleased to see a program that labeled Ontario beef.
“There’s always a big push for Alberta beef and a push for United States beef and I felt, like a lot of other people did, that we have a great beef program in Ontario. We have to label it, identify it and promote it.”
The recognition is also important to Farron’s business. When he sells ground beef to restaurants, Farron also gives them a small plaque from the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program. “It gives them the quality assurance,” says Farron.
Farron has been in the meat business since 1955 when he started with Loblaw Companies. Opening his first store in 1972, Farron has been operating from his current location in Windsor for the last 27 years. He also has been active in promoting and educating people about beef and meat products. Of note, he had a feature on CBC called “Ted’s Backyard” and he was seen from coast-to-coast on the CBC’s nationally televised Midday program, offering tips to people on buying, cooking and carving meat.
From his perspective as a veteran of the meat business, he says the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program gives farmers a competitive advantage in the marketplace. “What you need is some credentials when you’re going to sell your product. It opens many more doors for buyers of cattle,” says Farron.
“So many companies are now so quality-conscious, they want the best product, and that is where the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program has filled the gap.”
Heleniak concurs, noting that building a ready-made market for Ontario cattle has been the main goal of the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program. “I know for a fact that when Ontario Corn Fed cattle come through the stockyard ring or somewhere else, we’ll buy them first,” says Heleniak, adding that building the demand for the product is vital for improving the Ontario cattle market for producers.
“Restaurants are asking for it and retailers are asking for it. If the consumer wants it, and the packer goes looking for it, then you know there is going to be some reward.”