Western ranchers featured in new web series
March 18, 2014
Shoppers wanting to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced have inspired Raised at Home, a three-part web series released today by Co-op and Canada Beef.
The series opens the farm gate for viewers to visit three western Canadian ranches. Starting with an early snowmobile ride to feed the herd and ending with a chat over supper, the ranchers share how they work with their families and local businesses to provide beef for prairie homes.
“This series shows that ranchers and Co-ops have a lot in common—they’re community-minded and they care about their work’s impacts,” says Ron Welke, Associate Vice-President, Federated Co-operatives Limited. “Once you see these videos, you’ll know why Co-op butchers are so proud to prepare western Canadian beef in our food stores.”
“We were very happy to partner with Co-op on this series of videos. They show the dedication and commitment of the people who raise Canadian beef for all of our tables,” says Rob Meijer, President of Canada Beef.
The videos, available at www.raisedathome.ca, were shot earlier this winter at ranches in each Prairie province. The series features a ranch family from Inglis, Man., sharing how taking care of their cattle results in the best quality beef. Another rancher from Hudson Bay, Sask., talks about the importance that family plays in operating a ranch. A final video looks at how a Cochrane, Alta., ranch family values sustainability by actively managing their cattle and minimizing their impact on the land.
| Chapter 1 Building on Family Values |
Chapter 2 Producing Quality with Care |
Chapter 3 Ranching Sustainably |
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Family motivates Darcy Hrebeniuk, who ranches outside Hudson Bay, Sask. He explains over supper how working alongside family makes the long hours worthwhile as they provide beef for other western homes. “If it wasn’t for the family support system around me, I wouldn’t be able to do this job that I love doing every day,” says Darcy. “We rely on the Co-op to assist us in being a profitable farm.” |
Producing quality beef begins at the grassroots by caring for cattle, shares Donna Jackson who ranches with her husband Carman near Inglis, Man. “It all goes back to the environment they’re raised under—a low-stress environment from pasture to plate,” adds Carman. |
John and Tracy Buckley care about their cattle and the rolling pastures they are raised on near Cochrane, Alta. They share how their family values sustainability by actively managing their cattle and minimizing their impact on the land. “Our operation is focused on working with the resources base that the land provides,” says John. |
