Ontario beef: what does it mean to you?
To me, Ontario beef means a safe, nutritious product that is produced from an innovative and environmentally conscious farmer. When you shop for beef, do you look for Ontario beef? I think you should, because Ontario beef is sustainable, local, safe and a quality product.
Sustainability in agriculture is sometimes a hard term to describe. I like to describe sustainability as a constant improvement to better the environment and society. Beef farming fits this bill perfectly. Beef production starts with a cow and her calf. These animals are raised on pastures, which are great for land that might not be suitable for crop production, such as hilly land and land near waterways. When this type of land is put into a pasture system, erosion of land is greatly reduced. Cattle, over their lifetime, produce a lot of manure. Some may argue that a large amount of manure is bad for the environment, but I look at it differently. Manure is an excellent natural fertilizer. In Ontario, there are regulations that dictate when, where, and how much manure can be applied to land. These regulations apply to all farmers and ensure that we do not harm the environment that we farm.
Another great thing about Ontario beef is that it’s from Ontario. Most of the cattle fed in Ontario are fed in the Southwestern part of the province. This reduces the carbon footprint of our industry. The locality of Ontario beef also helps to provide a fresh product to you, the consumer.
Food safety is paramount to both the consumer and producer. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspects beef in Ontario, and all of Canada. The CFIA does inspections at the processing level to ensure that our food is free from bacteria, like E. coli, and free from any antibiotic residues.
The quality of Ontario beef is second to none. There are a number of beef brands in Ontario to offer you a consistent eating experience. The Ontario Corn Fed Beef (OCFB) program is one such program. Launched in 2001, OCFB has been offering consumers a high quality product for competitive prices. Any farmer in Ontario can participate in the brand, but they must follow a set of rules and guidelines that pertain to feeding and management strategies. These rules ensure that the beef marketed under the brand is tender, juicy, and flavourful. OCFB can be found at a number of food retailers, so the next time you’re at the grocery store, take a look at the beef counter and buy some Ontario beef.
Ontario Beef: what does it mean to you? I hope you would agree with me that Ontario produces some of the best beef in the world. And remember – just because it is winter doesn’t mean you can’t BBQ some steaks for dinner tonight.