The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 371
Americans are becoming interested
in new elk products.
There still isn't much demand for
meat but farmers are trying to
develop a niche market. Farm -raised
venison sells for $3.40 per pound (for
a dressed carcass). Prices for
breeding stock remain high for good
blood lines. A female yearling will
sell for $6,000 - $7,000 and a mature
cow for over $8,000. Wayne Scott
said the thrust is now to breed pure
elk.
Aside from antlers and meat, elk
antler products are attracting
attention. Extensive research is being
done at the University of Calgary
into the medicinal values in antler
properties.
Antler capsules are sold in health
food stores. They are often used by
people with arthritis. The product is
said to affect circulation and act as an
anti-inflammatory.
Wayne Scott is excited about new
elk products being developed. As one
of the biggest elk farmers in Ontario,
Scott raises close to 200 elk,
northeast of Goderich.
RATITES: Emus remain the most
popular of the ratites. In Grey -Bruce
County, there are 40 ratite producers,
said Ron Snyder, president of the
Grey -Bruce Ratite Association. Of
those 40, 90 per cent raise emus,
while the rest produce a combination
of emu, ostrich and rhea. In Ontario,
there are close to 300 ratite
producers, 25-30 of those producers
raise ostrich.
Ratite meat is a red meat and low
in cholesterol. Emu and ostrich meat
sell for between $4-$12 per pound,
depending on the cut. For ostrich
meat, that's down 50 per cent from
last year.
Emus and ostriches vary
considerably in size. A full emu
weighs 125 pounds, compared to 400
pounds for an ostrich.
Aside from the meat, emu
producers are selling emu oil, which
is used in cosmetic products such as,
hand lotion, facial cream and
massage oils. The oil is said to have
properties that ease mild arthritis,
insect bites and psoriasis. These
products are sold in some health food
stores.
The only place in Canada to
process emu fat into oil is in British
Columbia. It is closer for farmers in
Ontario to send their fat to Texas or
Pennsylvania to be processed.
Ron Snyder sells both the meat
and oil from his emus. Raising over
100 emus on his farm in Grey
County near Tara, Snyder markets
and distributes the meat to seven
high-end, local restaurants and stores.
Snyder is lucky, emu producers have
had difficulty establishing their own
markets, he said.
WILD BOAR: Demand for wild
boar meat is stable, but demand for
hunting game is growing. The
hunting reserves in Quebec and the
United States are buying more boar
from Ontario.
There is also a wild boar hunting
reserve open all year in Ontario.
Prices for pure blood breeding
stock are good. A one -year-old male
has been bringing $1,500, while a
female costs $750. A full grown male
will reach 450 pounds.
While most wild boar producers
are in the West, demand for Ontario
wild boar is growing because of the
good breeding stocks.
In Ontario there are close to 15
producers. Meat prices have stayed
the same as last year. Wild boar meat
ranges anywhere from $5-$9 per
pound depending on the cut.
There is room for more meat sales
outside of Canada in places such as
Asia and Europe, but wild boar
producers face the same non -tariff
trade barriers that producers of
domestic swine face. Countries in the
European Union have sanitation
requirements for abattoirs that
Canadian packers haven't been able
to meet. There is only one federally
inspected plant in Ontario which
handles wild boar.
As a result the growth in wild
boar farming has stagnated. Many of
those who were in the business and
didn't like marketing their own
product have gotten out.°
Enjoy a taste from Europe!
Huron Game Farms has specialized
in the raising of European
WILD BOAR
in an environment
that emulates their
natural habitat.
Retail Outlet
On Farm
.40
• Fresh Meat Cu( To Your Specifications
• Smoked Meals • Sausage
"Eating Good Food is one of the
great pleasures of life."
Visitors Welcome At:
Huron Game Farms
Loealad 10 km east of Amberley
on Highway 86
R.R. #3, Ludcnow
(519) 395-3126, (519) 395-3254
"We am committed to
the sustainability of the
farm as well as the
quality of the food for
the consumer."
Amb.tr�
Wnca,dI,r
Hwy/ 21
RV*
Yew cast;
+Ludmor
•...o
CANADIAN
CO-OPERATIVE
WOOL GROWERS
LIMITED
Now Available
WOOL ADVANCE PAYMENTS
400 - 500 per pound
* Skirted Fleeces
* Well -Packed Sacks
For more information contact:
WINGHAM
WOOL DEPOT
John Farrell
R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario
Phone/Fax 519-357-1058
JULY 1998 33