The Rural Voice, 2003-09, Page 17December 13 at David Carson's, (in
Listowel)" despite the current
problems. "We'll probably have to
increase the number of embryos and
semen packages that we market
throughout the U.S. to try to make up
for the live animal loss," Geddes
says. Luckily there have been no
restrictions on embryos and semen
crossing borders.
After the border closure Geddes
took the precaution of having
embryos implanted in cows on
friends' farms in Nebraska and Iowa
to have a secure base for U.S. sales.
"If we can't ship cattle there then
we're going to have calves born in
the U.S. to draw from."
The Top Meadow approach
includes some innovative
value-added features for
producers who buy their genetics.
"Last fall we started a commercial
calf sale for our bull customers from
the U.S., the west and the eastern
provinces of Canada. We co-ordinate
their calves (last year at Carson's).
What they are is genetically similar
Limousin cross -bred feeder calves,
all out of our bulls. We help line up
buyers, and get them all there on one
day." Buyers can get uniform lots of
preconditioned calves. The producers
receive premium prices.
. "We're trying to add as much
value to our customers calves as we
can," Geddes says. "Keep them in
the game, keep us in the game. This
year we're going to have two sales,
one at Keady, one at Carson's."
The same idea of adding value to
their customers' production is behind
Top Meadow Farms' branded meat
program.
"We started developing Top
Meadow Meats four years ago,"
Geddes explains. "All the calves used
in the Top Meadow Meat program
are classified as all -natural, meaning
no hormone implants and no
antibiotics during the finishing
period. Any animal treated during the
finishing period just goes down the
other avenue."
"Once we started getting enough
bulls out in the countryside, now
we've got enough calves, sired by
our bulls, with similar genetics in the
cow herd so they're genetically
similar. They enter into our meat
program and they're marketed
through four major outlets (Onasis
-str
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SEPTEMBER 2003 13