The Rural Voice, 2004-12, Page 27the idea Underwood agrees. Most
buyers are people who want to see
farmers get a fair share of the dollars
they are spending, he says. They
aren't after bargains because this
isn't cheap beef, he says. It's about
the price consumers would pay for
retail beef at sale prices.
All the meat is processed at Frey's
Custom Meats in Mount Forest and
the farmers pay the cost of
processing. Beef Connections gets
$10 a box, or about $70-$80 per
animal, to cover its costs.
participating producers must
attend meetings to co-ordinate
delivery of animals to the
packer.
Farmers also have to put "sweat
equity" into the project by helping
box the meat of two other producers
before they're eligible to have their
own meat sold through the system.
"It keeps them motivated,"
Underwood says but more than that
the packing session brings farmers
together and they can talk to each
other and share their stress and
worries.
The best delivery was
52 boxes ($10,400
worth) to one location
,Because of the cost of travel,
Underwood says, the group has
agreed that it will deliver to a
location if there are eight boxes (400
pounds) involved. In the cool
weather eight boxes can easily be
handled safely in a van for a short
trip. In the summer, a refrigerated
truck is needed for deliveries.
Often this means delivering to a
church parking lot or even a public
parking lot in downtown Toronto
where the buyers will assemble at the
designated time to pick up their meat.
The best was a delivery of 52 boxes
($10,400 worth) to one location in
Guelph.
Since nearly all packers have a
freezer space shortage these days, the
meat must be stored elsewhere once
it has been hung, cut and wrapped.
Beef Connections has been renting
freezer space from Mildmay Cheese
Haus at Mildmay Creamery and rents
the use of the company's refrigerator
truck for deliveries. They're
exploring acquiring a portable
r!•
llhaatgf rId(
iah.a
At this special time of the
year, our entire staff wishes
to say Merry Christmas and
sincere thanks to our
customers and friends.
Dealers in all types of
Grain & Seed
cosi
Bus: (519) 528-2092 / 1-800-582-5669
Fax: (519) 528-3542
e-mail: soybean@hurontel.on.ca
P.O. Box 29, 323 Havelock St., Lucknow, Ont. NOG 2H0
From all of us to you and yours,
thanks and best wishes for the
Holiday Season.
Wishing you a successful New Year.
tAOC°
MULLIN'S FARM
SERVICE
ALLIS
WHITE
POLRRIS�
wewBoletus
Newlsor
Chepstow, Ont.
(519) 366-2325 1-800-561-1801
www.agdealer.com/mullins mullins@log.on.ca
1);.7„.
,
A
DECEMBER 2004 23