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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-06-09, Page 24Mahonsfin t„, • By Katie Monk 11MES-ADVOCATE STAFF STAFFA -- A drive down a typical country road in Perth County leads a shunpiker to a farm that's anything but typical. The tidy farmstead at Hilton Farms Inc. near Staffa looks like many others but that's where the similarity ends. It's home to Hilton Whole Grain Millers, a company that has found''a niche market in processing oats and soybeans with sue, cess based on providing service and quality that distinguishes it from the large players in the mar- ketplace: - Barry and Karen Mahon had the oats operation up and running by 1994. Traditionally, millers steam oats butin a. dry heat process unique to Hilton Millers, the Mahons toast the flakes which results in a nuttier, delicate flavour. Son Scott, who has recently joined the family business on a full-time basis, says their goal is to provide the best quality, most natural and healthi- est product possible. His confidence is largely due to the fact the Mahons have control over the entire process from con- tracting nearly 400- acres of a specific variety 'of oat with more bran and" a lit- tle higher protein content than other oats, to pro- cessing and packaging. "Not all oatmeal is cre- ated equally," Scott claims. . - The Mahons realize that to be successful, they must fill a niche the large companies can't, "We try to provide bet- ter service and definitely a better quality product," Scott explained, adding: they don't compete in the high volume . markets where price' is more important than quality. "We have to walk away from it because it's just not us," he said. Customers use the oat- meal mostly in recipes where flavour is impor- tant, especially for oat- meal porridge. Fifty per cent of the cus- tomer base is served through mail order with chefs in major Canadian hotels also taking a large chunk of the business. Scott would like to see the mail order business expand because selling the product directly -to the customer eliminates "middle man" costs and allows them to be com- petitive. "We have control direct- ly with the customer with mail order," Scott' explained. ►men's Institutes ealth education initiatives In November, FWIO put forward a proposal to the Ministry of Health requesting funding to . support an expanded health education program within the Wom- en's Institute. On March 31 of this year, .the Minister of Health, Elizabeth ,Witmer, agreed to join in a partnership spearheaded by FWIO and including other agencies, and to provide funding over two years to hire a co- ordinator and hold WI leadership training programs to promote health education for WI members and their communities. WI will do more of what we have always done best - small scale, local education programs for our mem- bers and our community, developed in partnership with government and non government organizations. An important role for FWIO is to help branches raise the quality and reach of the educational programs branches put on. Working in partnership with professional organiza- tions is one way that WI will provide high quality ed- ucational programs. Already FWIO has established partnerships with four organizations - Ontario Breast Cancer Screening Program (OBCSP), Osteoporosis So- ciety of Canada (OSC), Pharmaceuticals Man- ufacturing Association of Canada (PMAC) and the Community Abuse Progra i ci of Rural Ontario (CAPRO). Our new Health Program will expand this existing program to include more health education organiza- tions, and make it easier for branches to work with them. The Health Partnership will make it easier for WI Branches and Districts to provide high quality health education programs. FWIO will do this by providing leadership training. workshops and back-up support, in each Area over the next two years. As a follow-up Branches will be challenged to pro- vide at least one health education program a year, to- gether with one of our partners, for WI members and the community. oats and,so Hilton Toasted' Bats 'I's` also sold in a few local grocery stores. While most customers are in Canada, he said the product is being tested in. a Japanese restaurant chain and he would like to start selling through the Internet. Scott claims that once people taste Hilton oats, . they become loyal cus- tomers who won't , use Oatmeal produced using - the steaming method: He admits it's not easy. competing with the big( companies, especially without a major market- ing budget but their niche market has been estab- lished through word-of- mouth by their loyal cus- tomer base. �f- SoyCrisps taking off Scott's .main focus is getting a new soybean product up and running which he hopes will com- pete with: or even replace peanuts In thesnack food market. The hiahons have named the product SoyCrisps -to avoid confu- sion with soynuts. Sprints have been around ' for .a. long time and., are. deep fried in oil Which adds unwan4151 fr .t. Heating oil also ,,S rtens the prod- uct's `� if We. The Hilton process dry :roasts the soybbeaans, IUeat units to date 547 lays ahead 'of . sinal 12 heat units to date in 1998 584 30 year normal .1.6 May 1999 May normal June to date June normal Source: °MAMA 62.2 76 116 82 Mark and Scott Mahon of Hilton Whole Grain Millers display the oatmeal and SoyCrisps produced at the milling operation near Staffs. adding a small amount of canola oil for colouring and sea salt for flavouring (unsalted SoyCrisps are :_also available). The end product: has 40-60 per cent less fat than peanuts, according to Se©►tt. "The res nse is •p he - ple who The: Mahons use clear white hilum beans, a vari- ety which hasn't been genetically modified. "1 don't ever want to use genetically modified beans because so many people don't want them," he added. The line started in March and they are now working on the packaging and marketing. So far, the product is going over very well with mail order cus- tomers, Scott said. The family affair doesn't stop with Barry, Karen and Scott. Sons Mark : and Kurt are •helping out this summer and daughter Erica occasionally helps with computer work. Barry's father Bill is also involved. 'o order Hilton Toasted Oats or SoyCrisps, call 1- 800-835-9831. Market report for June 1. , The market at Denfield traded on a good demand with prices steady on all classes of fed cattle. Cows sold strong. Prospect Feedlots Wyoming, sol 9 steers avg. wt. 1301, avg. price 92.86. Gord Hardy, Lucan sold 9' steers avg. wt. 1382, avg. price 95.67 to 105.50 purchased by MGI. Lisa Hardy Lucan, sold 1 steer,1375 lbs. for 100. Ray McPhail, Kerwood- sold 10 steers avg. wt. 1347, avg. price 95.82. Grant Zehbrass, Alvinston sold 6 heifers avg. wt. 1237, avg. price 92.19. Peter Moir, Chatham sold 21 char. heifers avg. wt. 1074, avg. price 93.62. Norm Hodgins, Parkhill HAMILTON'S TRUCK TOPPERS & Llght Truck Accessories • Vinyl Tonneau • Box Liners • Truck Toppers • Fiberglass Tonneaus 2680 Dundas St. E. London 451-8803 - Featuri . • `Raider & Leer' with Lifetime Warrant ivestock sales report sold 29 steers avg. wt. 1423 lbs. avg. • price 93.71. Vern Bean, Goderich sold 9 heavy steers avg. wt. 1560 avg. price 89.75. Choice steers 95.00- 100.00 sales to 105.00; Good steers 90.00-95.00 Choice heifers 94.00- 98.00; Good heifers 90.00-94.00 . D1 and D2' cows 55-65 sales to 75.; D3 cows 50- 55 Canners 30-40; Good veal 75-85; Common veal 65-75; Direct to Packers cows over 600 lbs. 115. Direct to Packer bulls 120.; Sows 42.00-48.00; Boars 22.00-25.00 WAGONS, BUCKBOARDS, BUGGY'S, SURREYS ETC. Pulled by riding mowers, garden tractors or tractors Prizes for original or refurbished condition. ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT (metal wheeled) Plows, rakes, etc. ANTIQUE TRACTORS (any make, any model) Participation plaques for. pre-registratlons For the: Country and western Parade Sat, August 7, 10:30 a.m. Exeter Rodeo Weekend For more information: JoAnne Fields 0 South Huron Rec Centre 619-236-2833. Pete Armstrong/Parade Chair person. 519-2350367