2021 Summer Blocktalk

Keeping Ontario’s Meat and Poultry Industry Informed

Summer 2021 • Vol. 27, Issue 2

Conestoga

Committed to Sustainability

ALSO INSIDE:

14 Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition

16 Artisanal Chicken Program

28 Sustainable Packaging Solutions

SERIES

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Vol. 27, Issue 2

26

Energy Savings Programs

Regenerative Agriculture at Kipling Farms

Presidents Message............................................................ 4 Welcome to the Association.............................................. 5 Workforce Development Strategy.................................... 6 Sustainable Artificial Casings for the Meat Industry....... 8 Ontario’s Finest Butcher.................................................. 14 Artisanal Chicken.............................................................. 16 Conestoga - Committed to Sustainability...................... 21 Building Sustainability in the Food System.................... 24 Are you aware of what you don’t know when it comes to energy and your operations?...................... 26 Sustainable Packaging for the Meat and Poultry industry in Ontario.............................................. 28 The New Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Funding for Safer Ontario Agriculture During COVID-19............................................................... 34 From the Ground Up - Kipling Ridge.............................. 36 Your Best Salesperson is not a Who, it’s a What!.......... 38

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Building Sustainability in the Food System - Provision Coalition

How to Apply your COVID-19 Safety Plan to Other Hazards.............................................................. 42 Advertiser Index................................................................ 46 BlockTalk - Summer 2021

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W

ith Summer just around the corner, we are all looking forward to warmer weather and hopefully a return to some normality as the Covid numbers continue to trend downwards and the vaccine campaign continues to ramp up. You are all doing a great job feeding the people of Ontario; keep up the good work!

Industry Day was held virtually this year for the first time. The MPO team did a great job putting together an educational, interesting and entertaining program. The launch of the event boxes were a huge hit and sold out! It was a great way to feel some “real time” inclusion as well as enjoy other member’s delicious meat treats.

Sustainability in the meat industry? How can we do our part? In this issue, you will learn about the sustainable work being done by two of our members.

With the climate-conscious consumer and the increase in plant-based meats, a collaboration of meat and poultry companies on sustainability efforts could boost the industry as a whole. Small changes could have big impacts as we move forward. Let’s all try to do our part.

Have a safe and enjoyable Summer!

Carol Goriup, President

Carol

C

limate change. Health. Sustainability. There are not many conversations that happen at the political level that aren’t talking about one of these things and all of them are intrinsically entwined. Not only are they fueling large policy conversations at the government level, they are also changing how companies are running their business and how consumers are making purchasing decisions on everything from cars, clothes, and the type of food they put on their tables.

Today’s consumer is much more informed in their purchasing decisions and are aligning their purchases with what makes them feel good. This is only going to get more prominent as consumers get access to more information. Many Consumer Packaged Good (CPG) companies have entire departments looking for ways to be “more sustainable” and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars measuring and reporting their impacts to investors and stakeholders. Maple Leaf Foods made a bold move to become the world’s first major food company to be carbon neutral, a move to be leaders in the war on climate change.

What does Sustainability mean to you? Do you think of local food? Your environmental footprint? Operational efficiencies reducing waste and electricity usage? Do you think about re-generative practices? Do you think about your business model? All of these are elements that make for thorough sustainability strategy. A strategy that will improve your bottom line, strengthen supply chains, make you more resilient and help you connect to your consumers on a deeper, more personal space.

MPO is delighted to announce the launch of a new project to support our members with sustainability, working with Provision Coalition, Canada’s food sustainability experts.

Over the next 18 months, over 30 member companies will have the opportunity to benefit from co-funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to develop sustainable business strategies and goals, reduce costs, and win new customers. We thank the Government of Canada and Ontario for providing us with $310,000 to support this important work.

There are only limited spaces in this co-funded program. If you are interested in securing yours, reach out directly to me as soon as you can.

We welcome your feedback and encourage you to carry on the conversation on twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #sustainabilitymatters Franco Naccarato, Executive Director 4

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VISION A sustainable, respectful and diverse food system that celebrates the nutritional and economic value of meat and poultry.

MISSION We strengthen the meat and poultry industry in Ontario by connecting people, influencing change and empowering our members.

MPO LIFETIME MEMBERS • Doris Valade (2019) • Laurie Nicol (2018) • Joe Abate (2017) • Brian Quinn (2016) • Graham Dalziel (2015) • Tony Facciolo (2011) • Pat Johnson (2005)

• Gerry Houtzager (2003) • Leo Rocheleau (2001) • Jim Vidoczy (2000) • Nancy Ackert (1997) • Dr. Ron Usborne (1996) • Ron Deeth (1995)

MPO LONG TIME MEMBERS Thank you to our long time members who have been helping move the industry forward for over 25 years.

• Ontario Pork, Guelph (1980) • Gord’s Abattoir, Leamington (1982) • L’Orignal Packing, L’Orignal (1986) • MMIS/MONDO, Aurora (1986) • Nitta Casings, Markham (1986) • Walnut Hill Farms, Gads Hill (1986) • VG Meats, Simcoe (1987) • Rothsay, Dundas (1988) • Stemmler Meat & Cheese, Heidelberg (1988) • Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Burlington (1989) • Jetnet Norstar, Toronto (1989) • Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats, Chatham (1989) • Springer’s Meats, Hamilton (1989) • Barron Poultry, Amherstburg (1991)

• Brenner Packers, Windsor (1991) • Norwich Packers, Norwich (1991) • Weston Abattoir, Maidstone (1991) • Handtmann Canada, Waterloo (1992) • Hay’s Custom Cutting, Campbellford (1992) • Hoffman Meats & European Deli, Stayner (1992) • Newmarket Meat Packers, Newmarket (1992) • WIBERG Corporation, Oakville (1992) • Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatam (1993) • Windcrest Meat Packers, Port Perry (1994) • Malabar Super Spice, Burlington (1994) • R. Denninger Ltd., Hamilton (1995)

MEAT INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT (MIA) AWARD RECIPIENTS • Hayter’s Farm, Dashwood (2016) • Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham (2014) • Conestoga Meat Packers, Breslau (2013) • In Memory of Dave Tiller (2012) • Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa (2011)

• Springer’s Meats, Hamilton (2010) • VG Meats, Simcoe (2009) • Stemmler’s Meat & Cheese, Heidelberg (2008) • Leo Rocheleau, Maidstone (2007)

ASSOCIATE MEMBER RECOGNITION AWARD (AMRA) RECIPIENTS Multivac Canada Inc., Brampton (2020) Reiser Canada, Burlington (2019) VC999, Saint-Germain-deGrantham (2018)

Handtmann Canada, Waterloo (2017) Malabar Super Spice, Burlington (2016)

www.meatpoultryon.ca

MPO

Welcome to the Association

ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Franco Naccarato franco@MeatPoultryON.ca

Building an informed and engaged membership representing a diverse Ontario meat and poultry industry.

Leadbetter Foods Inc. Doug Alexander 705-325-9922 d.alexander@ cowboysteaks.com 255 Hughes Road Orillia, ON L3V 2M2 Sani-Marc Inc. - Food & Beverage Division Brian March 905-795-1183 brian.march@sanimarc.com 19 Annagem Boulevard Mississauga, ON L5T 2V5

Big Red Markets Dan Timmins 905-227-2015 dantimmins2@gmail.com 133 Front Street North Unit 1 Thorold, ON L2V 0A3 Matar Meats Hassan Matar 613-821-7929 meat.61@hotmail.com 2690 Stagecoach Road RR 1 Osgoode, ON K0A 2W0

BOARD LISTING

PRESIDENT | Carol Goriup Florence Meats, Oakville PAST PRESIDENT Cory Van Groningen VG Meats, Simcoe

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Daphne Nuys-Hall technical@MeatPoultryON.ca EVENTS, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER April Jackman april@MeatPoultryON.ca INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Derek Boudreau derek@MeatPoultryON.ca

VICE PRESIDENT Christine Hobson Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa SECRETARY/TREASURER Kevin Schinkel Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham DIRECTOR | Peter Baarda J&G Quality Meats, Burlington

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Melissa McDougall member@MeatPoultryON.ca

Arvaspring Farms Ltd. Marianne Donaldson 519-657-6030 dmdonaldson@ everspringfarms.ca 22370 Adelaide Street North Ilderton, ON N0M 2A0

&

DIRECTOR | Graham Dalziel ViscoFan, Markham DIRECTOR | Adam Hayward Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay DIRECTOR | Gerhard Metzger Metzger Meats, Hensall DIRECTOR | Kevin Stemmler Stemmler Meats & Cheese, Heidelberg DIRECTOR | Dale Schefter Schefter Poultry Processing Ltd., Gorrie DIRECTOR | Doris Valade The Malabar Group Inc., Campbellville DIRECTOR | Jeff Miedema Townsend Butchers Inc., Simcoe DIRECTOR | Doug Alexander Belmont Food Group, North York

BLOCKtalk is the official publication of the MPO, distributed to over 250 MPO members, commodity groups, and others throughout the industry, providing excellent advertising opportunities for suppliers of the meat and poultry industry to promote their newest, most innovative, supplies, equipment, and technology.

BLOCKtalk encourages Associate Members and supporters of the industry to submit articles which would be beneficial to our members.

ADVERTISING DEADLINES 2021 Spring January 22 Summer April 30 Fall July 30 Winter October 29

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The information published in BLOCKtalk is compiled from a variety of sources, which we believe to be reliable; however, MPO does not guarantee, and assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the information.

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Workforce Development Strategy Thank You For Particapting

M

PO is developing a provincial workforce strategy to address the chronic and critical labour shortage in Ontario’s meat sector, and to support a competitive and skilled industry. Using the information gained from employer and worker surveys, key informant interviews, and research we will advance tangible solutions for our industry’s workforce challenges. Our advisory group is comprised of leaders from meat processing companies from across Ontario, representing diverse business models.

Joe Abate, Abate Packers, Arthur Doug Alexander, Leadbetter Foods, Orillia Mark Carter, Halenda’s Fine Foods, Mississauga Shannon Desborough, Finest Sausage & Meat, Kitchener Carol Goriup, Florence Meats, Oakville Adam Hayward, Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay Mike McLauchlan, Sargent Farms, Milton Jeff Miedema, Townsend Butchers, Simcoe Sinthu Navaretnam, Sargent Farms, Milton Kevin Schinkel, Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham Ben Thompson, King Cole Ducks, Newmarket Pauline Zwiers, Conestoga Meats, Breslau

With the input from the Workforce Advisory Table, collaboration with other organizations and community partners, MPO will be developing specific employer informed action plans and recommendations for the meat industry that will include: • Attraction strategies for new entrants into our industry.

• Retention strategies for the current workforce.

• Skill development pathways.

For more information on the Workforce Strategy contact: Laurie Nicol our Workforce Development Specialist at workforce@MeatPoultryON.ca This Employment Ontario project is funded by the Government of Ontario.

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Sustainable Artificial Casings for the Meat Industry

T

he usage of plastic for packaging has been under discussion for a long time already. Predominantly the fact of (micro) plastic in the environment is calling for a reduction of plastic usage in general. However, plastic food packaging is helping in the enormous challenge of fighting food waste, while having a lower carbon footprint over its lifetime in comparison to other packaging materials.

According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021, an estimated 17 % of the total global food production was wasted in 2019 (https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-wasteindex-report-2021). In addition to the plastic casing’s inherent benefit of preserving the enclosed foodstuff for a long shelf-life and thus reducing food waste, the new EFAN line is helping to reduce the use of fossil-based raw materials while at the same time avoiding the depletion of natural resources and reducing the accumulating plastic waste.

The EFAN product line represents an important pillar of Viscofan’s commitment to a sustainable world, in which the impact onto the environment is reduced as much as possible without affecting the high standard of quality of our products.

By closely working with raw material providers and customers and also in line with the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, aiming e.g. to reduce plastic waste and support the transition to a circular plastics economy, certified plastic casings

are now offered which are fulfilling one or more of the following properties: a) H ave lower specific weight without affecting their performance. b) A re made with raw materials which are attributed to renewable resources – the so-called bio-based plastics. c) Are made with raw materials which are attributed to the advanced recycling of used plastic (also known as chemical recycling), the used plastic coming either from industry or from consumers.

Plastics made from bio-based sources or from chemical recycling are, at molecular level, the same as their fossil-based versions.

Only the source of the initial raw material changes: from oil or natural gas to agricultural waste or used plastic, respectively.

As being similar primary raw materials, they can be all fed to the same chemical reactors that produce plastics, and keep the same properties of their fossil-based counterparts, including the same level of food-contact approval. Therefore, the casings made with such materials behave in the same manner as conventional fossil-based casings, but come with an increased sustainability.

As of today, the supply of bio-based and chemically recycled feedstock is limited in comparison to the fossil fuel feedstock.

Continued on page 10

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

COFFINET | CELLULOSE | ELASTIC NETTING | FIBROUS | PLASTIC | NON-EDIBLE | SHRINK BAGS

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A wide range of Shrink Bag sizes available for all applications.

PLASTIC CASINGS • • •

Superior barrier properties to maximize product shelf-life and cooking yields.

Excellent meat adhesion with no purge and options to modulate peeling processes. efan is a new product line which reduces environmental impact without sacrificing the well-known high quality of Viscofan casings.

For more information contact:

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Australia | Brazil | Canada | Czech Republic | China | Costa Rica | Germany | Mexico | Russia | Serbia | Spain | Thailand | United Kingdom | Uruguay | USA BlockTalk - Summer 2021 9

Continued from page 8 – S USTAINABLE

ARTIFICIAL CASINGS FOR THE MEAT INDUSTRY

Also the costs are higher at this early stage of building up the necessary infrastructure for the generation of the feedstock.

Nonetheless, Viscofan and its providers are committed to support the use of sustainably sourced bio-based and chemically recycled materials and to satisfy the growing demand.

As done in other industries, also Viscofan is part of a certified mass-balance accounting, ensuring that along the entire supply chain only such an amount of bio-based or chemically recycled product is sold, for which the respective quantities of feedstock were added at the beginning. In this way, these low-carbon and more sustainable products can be offered to the market in increasing quantities, using available equipment while at the same time building the infrastructure needed to reach world-scale production capacities of the feedstock.

For the Certification of the mass-balance accounting, ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, https:// www.iscc-system.org/) is one of the most renowned sustainability certification schemes, present in many areas of the economy (sustainable agriculture, bio-based fuels, etc.) and supported by a large group of stakeholders including NGOs such as WWF. The Viscofan plant located in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic is the first Viscofan site (and the first plastic casing factory in the world) to obtain the ISCC PLUS certification, which is adapted to companies committed to a circular economy and a bio-economy. In the near future, further Viscofan sites will also be certified.

The efforts to make a more sustainable business do not stop here.

Viscofan is continuously working on optimizing their products to reduce the amount of plastic needed per kg of food contained therein, by researching on new materials and optimizing the processes to achieve the balance between protecting the often high-carbon footprint foodstuff and minimizing plastic waste.

The new EFAN line shows Viscofan’s strong commitment to work hard for a sustainable future and towards a circular economy in the casing industry by collaboration with providers and customers.

These new products are now available to customers.

High-tech meeting the highest demands Price and goods labeling system GLM-Ievo

Flexibility labeling system The GLM-Ievo intelligent labeling line, is designed for automatic weighing and labeling of prepackaged goods. Available in a variety of configurations, this modular design can be optimally constructed for products and performance requirements in the food area. With an output of up to 200 packages/minute, there are no limits in the industrial food area for today’s regulations or any other regulations in the future. www.bizerba.com

More information Learn more about our wideranging product portfolio.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

GRAHAM DALZIEL TECHNICAL SALES MANAGER DALZIELG@VISCOFAN.COM 519-400-8385

Toronto, ON - June 1, 2021 - David Flomen President, CEO Viscofan Canada announced the appointment of Graham Dalziel to the role of Technical Sales Manager, New Business Product Category, with responsibility for “supporting our Viscofan customers with the highest level of application expertise. Graham’s years of experience and commitment to relationships make him a perfect fit for Viscofan Canada and those same qualities make Viscofan such a reliable partner for our customers.”

Dalziel has been an active member of MPO for over 30 years, received the Lifetime Membership Award in 2015, and currently serves as an MPO board member. For the nine years prior to his new position, Dalziel was responsible for business development at Handtmann Canada where he helped create a period of exceptional growth.

“That success, like all success in our industry,” says Dalziel “was built on the value delivered by product performance, service excellence and a loyal commitment to customer success. Today, the ever-changing regulatory environment, a critical shortage of skilled labour and the continuing pandemic have really reinforced the importance of reliable supply chain partners, and innovative labor saving solutions; especially for consumables. So, helping provide that dependability with experienced technical support is a great opportunity.”

Over the past several years, Viscofan has been investing €100’s of million into new product development and manufacturing expertise and Flomen says “the investments we have been making in technology, logistics and skilled people have become even more valuable in this current environment. That forethought has let us dependably maintain the very highest product quality and service reliability that has been so critical to customer success in these unstable times.”

Dalziel also notes that processors are challenged to produce artisan quality products at unparalleled speeds. “Those demands require an ever wider range of quality innovative casings, sustainable packaging films, shrink bags, and value added technologies that dependably deliver very consistent results. We assure that dependability with the technical proficiency and commitment of our Viscofan Canada Team that works so well together and with our customers to support their success.”

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YOU FOR K N A H T

R I N A G H S T A R B U LE O Y

Feed Ontario and food banks across the province are so grateful to Ontario’s agricultural community for their generosity and support during this especially challenging year

Are you interested in supporting a food bank?

To make a financial donation, contact Rachel Dixon at 416-656-4100 or rachel@feedontario.ca To make a donation of food, contact Adelaide Wimpenny at 416-656-4100 or adelaide@feedontario.ca 12

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

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2020 Ontario’s Finest Butcher, Steve Toms

Find out if you have what it takes by showcasing your skills at our elimination round. The top three competitors will proceed to the finals where they will be given 30 minutes to show off their creativity on a surprise protein basket.

September 13, 2021 Halenda’s in Mississauga To Be Announced

Register today at www.meatpoultryon.ca

Deadline: August 27 at 4:30PM 14

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

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BlockTalk - Summer 2021 15 www.canadacompound.com

Artisanal Chicken program promotes sustainable practices

Timothy Bakker and his son, Samuel, move a portable pasture shelter on their farm, Jubilee Forest Farm

The public’s appetite for local food and farmers’ appetite for satisfying that demand has meant the Artisanal Chicken program was fully subscribed by February for this year’s new applicants. The Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) program is offered to eligible producers who want to raise between 600 and 3,000 birds.

“Coming out of COVID, there’s been a lot of interest—there are 163 farms in the program across the province, which is up about 20 from the year before,” says Carl Stevenson, CFO’s Manager of Community Programs Operations and Flock Advisor.

ARTISANAL BEGINNINGS The program was launched six years ago to provide non quota holding farmers with the opportunity to supply their local and seasonal markets with fresh, high-quality chickens. It also gives consumers more choice and options to buy locally.

approval. There’s also a requirement for the farms and records to be audited annually.

“We want to see them enjoy sustainable, long-term success,” says Shanna Armstrong, who is CFO’s Farming Operations Representative for eastern Ontario. “We help them put in place good biosecurity measures to keep diseases at bay and, for animal welfare, to ensure the birds are being treated the best way they possibly can.”

Previous to that time, smaller scale farmers could only raise up to 300 birds for their personal use. Commercial farmers have to buy quota under the supply management system, which matches supply with demand.

The application process for the Artisanal Chicken program is rigorous, with documentation, interviews and board

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

Many of the new entrants had only raised 100 or so birds previously, and some are taking a big jump by taking on many more. Armstrong also conducts annual audits with both commercial growers and her 32 Artisanal Chicken producers, who are in eastern and northern Ontario. She coaches both to help them prepare for what’s coming. Audits cover three main areas: on-farm food safety, animal care and farm worker safety.

While it’s not part of the audit, something Armstrong has really noticed over the years that the program has in place is that the condition of the pastures where chickens have been raised is so much better, with lush amounts of clover and other forages and really improved soil quality.

Most Artisanal Chicken farmers put their birds in moveable outdoor pens—and transport the flock to a new location in the field to ‘graze’—usually every day. At the same time they’re eating, they’re fertilizing the soil. It means the farmers don’t have to use a tractor to spread manure in the places that need soil amendments.

“The farmers want to leave the land in a better condition than they got it—they take it really seriously,” she says, adding that Artisanal Chicken farmers are also very conscious of water conservation and use.

MAPLETWISS COMMITTED TO LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING Amanda and James Twiss are dedicated to sustainability in every aspect of their farm. MapleTwiss Farm is a 50-acre operation near Kenilworth, Ontario.

The couple—who have two small children—started their farm in 2018 and had a small flock of chickens in 2019 for their own use. They then raised 1,000 chickens under Chicken Farmers of Ontario’s (CFO) Artisanal Chicken program in 2020 and doubled that number to 2,000 for this year. They also raise pigs, cattle and turkeys.

“We really saw a spike in demand as soon as the pandemic hit,” Amanda says. “We had already sold out of our chicken before it started.”

During the 2020 growing season (spring-summerfall), they were able to market to smaller local stores and farmers’ markets that were open because they participated in the Artisanal Chicken program.

Amanda suggests that a lot of people preferred shopping at the smaller stores where they could feel safe. She also says that she had to re-organize the online store she had started in late 2019 quickly to make it much more efficient when COVID-19 hit.

She says that she feels lucky that there are a number of processors very close to the farm.

“I use that to sell to customers—our products don’t travel very far, and we’re keeping all the money locally,” she says.

Ontario, where they are further processed into cuts, sausages, ground chicken—everything.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING The Twiss’ chickens spend their first 14 to 21 days inside a brooder and then are put outdoors on pasture. The chicken manure fertilizes their fields. They’re kept in a chicken tractor—basically a kind of outdoor cage on wheels—which is moved every day. Every year, they move the whole operation to a new spot on the property.

In terms of the processed chicken, Amanda says they try to use the whole animal. They get back the feet and the offal and sell it for human and animal consumption.

“I’ve had people ask for the livers for their babies because of the high level of iron,” she says.

She’s also in the process of finding someone to make stocks out of the bones, marrow and leftover carcass meat.

Amanda is very pleased with the Artisanal Chicken program—even through the pandemic, she was able to get information virtually and found that she could reach staff any time she had a question or concern.

“I’ve talked to people about how they’re intimidated by all the regulations, audits and documentation, but actually, the program staff are really helpful and want to see you succeed by raising the best and healthiest birds,” she says.

The live birds go to Country Poultry for slaughter, and then the whole birds go to their butcher in Parker,

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BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY INTO ALL ASPECTS OF FARMING Eliana and Andrew Witchell are new to farming, and are eager to develop Eliana’s parents’ 46-acre property near Woodstock into a truly regenerative and sustainable operation that takes care of their family, the community and the environment.

“We’ve been thinking about this and planning for it for about 10 years,” says Andrew, who also is gathering and sharing data on how the farm—which they’ve named Provenance Farms— transforms using the practices the couple has researched over the years.

Until they moved to the area near the farm, the family lived in Toronto, with Andrew working in the medical and technology sector and Eliana working as a registered dietitian. They have two young children.

The Witchells are raising 1,800 chickens in six 300-bird batches in 2021 under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario’s (CFO) Artisanal Chicken program. In the future, they’ll be adding other livestock, including pigs, sheep and maybe cattle.

“We applied last year, and got in this year,” says Eliana.

Both say their experience with the program has been fantastic, and, despite the pandemic, they’ve felt very supported by program staff.

“We intend to regenerate the soil,” Andrew says, adding that they’ll be taking about 20 acres of what used to be cash crop land and making it into pasture for the birds and animals. The livestock, in turn, restores the soil by digging it up with their beaks, feet and hooves, fertilizing it with their manure and eating the insects and plants. They’re also going to be growing fruits, vegetables and nuts.

They’ll be documenting the entire process and sharing data with the University of Guelph and other farmers.

PROCESSING

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“Our birds are big—they come out at seven and a quarter pounds,” says Andrew, explaining that they are currently selling whole birds to family buyers. This way of selling reduces the environmental effects of packaging parts.

They’ve also started the process of talking to chefs and restaurants.

Eliana says that the Artisanal Chicken program staff were great for helping ensure she and everyone in the production cycle is connected—from having the number of chicks and dates booked at the hatchery right through to booking slaughter dates at Chicken Little.

“Carl’s been fantastic and the coaching system in the program helps us make sure we’re not missing something before the audit,” she says. Carl Stevenson is Chicken Farmers of Ontario’s Community Programs Operations Manager and Flock Advisor.

Eliana explained that their audit will be conducted after they’ve completed the third or fourth of the six batches they’re growing this year.

They have an online market at provenance.farm and the family is targeting the Greater Toronto Area, KitchenerWaterloo and London.

“We’ve had inquiries from as far away as Ottawa,” Andrew says, noting that the pandemic has created a huge demand for the chicken.

GIVING BACK As part of their commitment to community, they’re donating at least 180 birds to foodbanks. They’ve contracted with A-Way Express Courier, a social enterprise that employs people who have been in direct contact with the mental health system, to deliver orders to customers.

The Witchells get their birds processed at Chicken Little, a provincially regulated business that’s about an hour from the farm.

“Ten per cent of everything that comes off this farm is always going to go to foodbanks,” Andrew says, adding that he’s been very happy with the courier’s service.

The staff at Chicken Little have been very accommodating—answering questions and providing exactly the kind of service the Witchells want. They even conducted a digital tracking test using RFID (radio frequency identification) tags on the chickens’ legs.

With a winning combination of deep knowledge, help from professionals in both farming and food processing, and a passion for taking care of community and environment, the Witchells are well on their way to farming success.

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Carl Stevenson, Community Programs Operations Manager and Flock Advisor with CFO

PROCESSING OPPORTUNITIES

PANDEMIC PIVOT

Both Armstrong and Stevenson point out that a lack of slaughter capacity and accessible poultry abattoirs in the province are barriers to increasing the Artisanal Chicken program.

Both Stevenson and Armstrong had to change their processes because of lockdowns from the pandemic. Application interviews and audits were conducted using on-line platforms, videos, and photos. Training and coaching for on-farm food safety and animal care and reporting were done via webinars.

“One of the first questions I ask when I’m coaching new farmers is ‘have you got your dates booked with your processor for the year?’ And if not, I advise them to do it right away,” she says.

For her entire geographic area—from Kingston east to the border with Quebec—Armstrong says there are only two processing plants for smaller lots.

“We did three webinars for new farmers coming into the program and another webinar on two different dates for farmers who were already in the program,” Stevenson says. “We had good feedback from the farmers and the farming operations team is also coaching virtually as much as possible.”

“Some farmers have to travel up to two and a half hours to get to a processor,” she says.

Every farmer does things slightly differently, so processes have to be molded to the business, while still upholding the regulations.

The pandemic really boosted demand for local chicken and Armstrong says when she has conducted audits, she’s heard of producers getting requests from well out of their own communities for product.

“We hope to be on-farm for most of the audits towards the end of the summer,” Stevenson says. The new protocol will be to have any documentation submitted in advance to reduce the amount of time representatives have to be on the farm.

Stevenson agrees that processing capacity is tight and adds that the Artisanal Chicken program has shone a light on the need for more.

Stevenson says there is a lot of enthusiasm for the Artisanal Chicken program—and there’s definitely room for growth.

“It’s right across the province—there are definitely opportunities if an abattoir has the capability of adding a white meat line,” he says.

Visit artisanalchicken.ca for more information.

In both the application and interview process for the Artisanal Chicken program, he ensures that producers have at least had a conversation with a local processor about taking their birds, because there are some processors that are scheduling as much as two years into the future.

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Grilled Chicken Berry Salad The hot days of summer call for light eating, such as this delicious main course salad that combines Ontario Strawberries, grilled chicken and whole grain pasta.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 23 minutes Servings: 4-6 Ingredients Dijon Honey Dressing: • 3 tbsp (45 mL) each white wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard • 2 cloves garlic, put through garlic press or minced • 1 tsp (5 mL) Ontario Honey • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper Salad: • 3 boneless skinless Ontario Chicken Breasts • 3 cups (750 mL) whole wheat rotini pasta • 2 cups (500 mL) sliced Ontario Strawberries • 2 Ontario Green Onions, thinly sliced • 1 large Ontario Greenhouse Orange or Yellow Sweet Pepper, chopped • 1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Basil • 1/4 cup (50 mL) Ontario Chèvre Cheese, crumbled Instructions Dijon Honey Dressing: In bowl, whisk together wine vinegar, oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, honey, salt and pepper.

(Make-ahead: can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Salad: Remove 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the dressing and brush both sides of chicken. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink inside, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally into thin strips. (Make-ahead: can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. In serving bowl, combine pasta, strawberries, green onions, sweet pepper, basil and chicken; toss with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with cheese; toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Tip: Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of cooked chicken. Boneless chicken breasts should reach 170°F (77°C).

Nutritional information 1 Serving (when recipe serves 6): • Protein: 23 grams • Calories: 363 • Good Source of Fibre

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• Fat: 10 grams • Carbohydrates: 47 grams

www.meatpoultryon.ca

Conestoga Committed to Sustainability

BUSINESS MEMBER PROFILE BlockTalk - Summer 2021

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BUSINESS MEMBER PROFILE

Conestoga Committed to Sustainability

By Lois Harris

C

onestoga Meats is committed to its employees, the farm families that own it, its community and to sustainably producing high-quality products.

“We’ve always had a very comprehensive system, and pride ourselves in wasting nothing,” says Arnold Drung, President of the company, which is based in Breslau, Ontario, processes 40,000 hogs a week and employs 1,300 local residents. It’s the second largest pork processor in Ontario and is a long-time member of Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO).

Conestoga has also been recognized as one of Canada’s bestmanaged companies for the past two years.

Sustainable Practices Drung says that everything from the animals is used, right down to providing raw materials for rendered products that go into animal feed. As much as possible, packaging is either recyclable or reusable. For some customers – like further processors – who buy in bulk, they use hard plastic containers that can be sanitized and used again.

In terms of energy use, they’ve done a number of things over time, including switching over to an ammonia, rather than a freon-based refrigeration system. This dropped their hydro consumption by about 10 per cent.

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Conestoga refreshes its truck fleet every seven years, and each time, they’ve purchased more and more fuel-efficient vehicles and trailers. They have nine tractors and 20 trailers which are used for local deliveries. Much of the company’s products are exported via outside carriers, rail and ships.

“We’re currently testing a trailer that’s made from composite materials, which is lighter and more energy efficient, and we figure that will reduce unit operating costs by 15 per cent,” Drung says.

www.meatpoultryon.ca

People First “In our values, we have put people first,” Drung says. “We want our people to be healthy, safe, productive and enjoy their work.”

He says that is what drives everything else – not only is it the right thing to do, he’s convinced it also drives good business results.

“I started my career as a student working on the kill floor and I learned the value of the people who work on the processing floor day in and day out and know how important they are,” he says.

Pandemic Challenges Like most MPO members, Conestoga was considered an essential service, and continued operations through the pandemic.

“It meant we had to deal with a whole new set of circumstances,” he says.

As a result of Conestoga being a farmer-owned business, the company had to handle both the supply side and the food production side of the equation.

“We had to adapt extremely quickly to the situation – in fact we have invested over $11 million in COVID-19 mitigation measures,” Drung says, including hiring more people, making physical changes to the plant to allow for distancing, and monitoring everyone’s health.

In late April, the company was one of the first in the Kitchener-Waterloo region to have an on-site vaccination clinic with most of its employees receiving a shot.

Co-operative Business As a result of being a farmerowned co-operative, the entire production system is a virtuous environmental cycle. Farmers grow the feed to nourish their hogs, the hogs provide manure to nourish the crops. The hogs are then shipped to the plant for slaughter.

“For us, it’s an end-to-end model – so we look at the entire chain to drive out any waste and make it as efficient as possible,” he says.

For example, he says the company has invested in livestock trailers made in Europe that are larger than those available here which means more animals per load, which reduces transportation costs for everyone.

There are 157 families who own the co-operative and the business continues to grow. In 2018, Conestoga expanded and revamped the entire front-end of the plant, including the livestock receiving and processing. The provincial government provided $5.3 million toward the total cost.

“We’re a new generation co-op and everyone is equal from a membership perspective,” Drung says, adding that members also have shipping shares which are based on the amount of livestock they ship to the plant.

This means that the families have a significant investment in the plant, over and above the price they receive from their animals.

“We’re helping make hog farming more sustainable in southern Ontario,” he says. “Our farmers chose to make an investment in vertical integration, and it’s proven to be good for their farms, from many perspectives.”

This has meant that farmers who are with Conestoga have not had to deal with the plant closures and dwindling slaughter capacity that the province has experienced.

Conestoga has been a member of Meat & Poultry Ontario for many years – since it was a small provincial plant. Now that it’s a federallyregistered plant and is a member of national organizations, Drung says that the company still likes to stay connected to its roots.

“Many of our customers are also MPO members, so we want to support them as well,” he says.

Conestoga Meat Packers Ltd Arnold Drung Breslau, ON 519-648-2506 info@conestogameats.com www.conestogameats.com BlockTalk - Summer 2021

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ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE

Building Sustainability

in the Food System

By Lois Harris

C

her Mereweather is passionate about creating a more sustainable, circular food system, and she and her team are well on their way to achieving that goal by working with hundreds of companies over the years.

“Inspired by the planet’s natural cycles, a circular food economy reimagines and regenerates the systems that feed us, eliminating waste, sharing economic prosperity, regenerating natural and human systems and ensuring people have access to healthy, nutritious food,” says the Founder, President and CEO of Provision Coalition Inc., a Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) associate member.

The company is based in Guelph, Ontario, has five permanent staff and reaches out to a wide network of professionals for specific projects.

Mereweather believes in transforming the system one company at a time, and she has worked with many food and beverage businesses, including meat processors like Maple Leaf Foods and Conestoga Farm Fresh Pork.

“We start with determining their ‘why’ – why do they exist beyond profit?” she says, emphasizing that getting this part clear not only builds employee loyalty, it also helps consumers understand and support their value.

She says it’s essential for companies to dig deep to figure out why they are doing what they’re doing – to emotionally connect with people on a goal that’s bigger than any individual or any business.

“Take Provision Coalition, for example – why we do everything we do is about making food sustainably so we can achieve our vision of a circular food system,” she says, adding that when her

Cher Mereweather, Founder, President and CEO of Provision Coalition Inc.

team is making business decisions, they ask themselves whether the choice being presented supports their reason for being.

Once the ‘why’ is clear, it can be built into the company’s brand story and they move on to other facets of the business – like reducing waste, keeping products and ingredients in play for as long as possible and looking at more circular packaging options so the waste doesn’t go into landfill. They also look at taking care of employees – to help them feel inspired, engaged and wanting to be a part of the company, rather than just showing up for the pay cheque.

Provision Coalition has been up and running since 2013 – first as a non-profit with 17 member organizations that focused mostly on food and beverage manufacturers. Then, in the fall of 2019, it transitioned to a for-profit social enterprise, with a wider reach up and down the food chain.

Pandemic Pivot When the pandemic hit, Cher and her team had already done emergency preparations thanks to a tip from her husband, who works in the pharmaceutical industry. He warned her weeks ahead of time of what he thought might happen.

“We knew we could work from home – we all have laptops and could stay safe,” she says. “What we had not factored in was that, with the global announcement, all of our projects were put on pause.”

Having been a for-profit for only about six months, Cher was worried about whether they were going to make it through the pandemic.

She and her team recognized that sustainability might become a ‘nice to have’, rather than a ‘have to have’.

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

“Our pivot was to really drive home the message that sustainability is a pain killer, not a vitamin, and if you think about and act on these things, it will make you more resilient in the future,” she says.

While they waited out the initial crisis of the pandemic, they got busy creating content – blog posts, white papers, webinars and more – to support the industry in its time of need. They also created R-Purpose Micro, as part of the Our Food Future initiative aimed at smaller manufacturers to help them build resilience and embed sustainable and circular principles in the business whether they stay small or decide to scale up.

“After folks came out the other side of the crisis mode, we actually tripled our revenue and had the best year we’ve ever had,” Cher says.

“In a way, MPO and the other original 16 members of the coalition created us, so now we’re here to provide services to them,” she says, adding that Provision Coalition is currently working with MPO on a circular transformation project for the meat industry that should be rolled out soon.

Moving Ahead For the future, Cher says Provision Coalition is focused on bringing circularity to the food system. Re(Purpose) is a program that aims to commercialize unavoidable by-products of the food system and find ways to make them into new grocery and menu items, rather than wasting them.

As an example, she points to an initiative that she and her team presented in October, 2020 that demonstrated the first ever circular restaurant meal.

It started with spent grains from brewing beer, which was then used to feed insects, which were fed to fish at a fish farm. The fish became the centrepiece in this circular meal. Other spent grains from the same brewery and spent yeast from a yeast lab were re-configured and baked into sourdough bread. High nutrient by-products from the fish farm were used to fertilize potatoes in the field. Chefs from local restaurants made three different meals from the resulting products.

In the meat industry, Provision Coalition is looking at upcycling offal – to be made into pet food or exported to Asian markets.

“We’re looking at ways we can use every single part of the animal,” she says, adding that she’s currently conducting feasibility studies with meat processors.

She suggests that the pandemic has shone a light on the fragility of our natural and human systems, and that sustainability and circularity address both of those.

Cher says that being a member of MPO is about staying connected to the founding members who are committed to sustainability.

Provision Coalition Cher Mayweather Guelph, ON 519-822-2042 cmereweather@provisioncoalition.com www.provisioncoalition.com BlockTalk - Summer 2021

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TECH TALK

Are you aware of what you don’t know when it comes to energy and your operations?

By Stacey Newman

A

ll human beings have a stake in achieving sustainable operations and at the heart of eco-responsibility is the question of energy—how do we produce, capture, use and waste energy?

reaping the rewards of the program, which among other benefits provides access to volume price breaks—allowing ECNG to secure wholesale market pricing on behalf of the entire group and pass on the savings directly to individual members.

The industry experts I spoke to agree: it’s the incorrect assumptions made about our operations that stand in the way of running sustainable businesses and saving costs in the short and long term. They also say that there is no better time than now to implement strategies to grow your business while shrinking your footprint.

Elliott Jones is a business development executive at ECNG. Jones says that while almost everyone wants to cut costs, ECNG looks holistically at all matters related to energy, not just savings on commodity or fixing your gas or electricity price.

There are several sustainability programs and organizations available to MPO members designed with meat processors/ businesses in mind.

Contact MPO for more information about any of the following programs.

The MPO Energy program ECNG Energy Group is the largest provider of energy management solutions and services in Canada, working across all industries sectors. Some of the largest MPO members are already

FOR SALE

“ECNG drives costs out of the supply chain, for example, by focusing on strategic procurement strategies and aggregating the volumes of MPO members, to leverage the combined buying power in the market,” says Jones. “We’ve put together this energy program with the intention of being more than just a price point but more as your energy management provider helping members discover rebates, retrofit grants and savings that may have been missed.

ECNG will do the leg work and the money goes right into your pocket, not ours.”

Jones is proud of helping everyday operators to save and run energy-efficient businesses based on understanding their operations. He says his ultimate goal is removing the burden of uncertainty around costs. He also wants to demonstrate that ECNG brings a ton of value to the table with creative, proven recommendations for every kind of customer.

Provision Coalition Cher Mereweather is one of Canada’s leaders in food industry sustainability. As founder and CEO of Provision Coalition Inc, Mereweather works directly with food companies to transform their business culture and operations. (Look in this issue for the Provision Coalition business profile!)

I’ve spoken to Mereweather about the topic of energy consumption.

She outlined 35 key quick wins for reducing energy consumption today, which you can find online at Provision Coalition’s blog.

3183 sq. ft. provincially inspected OMFRA processing plant.

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Contact Rick by phone at 905-945-4552 or e-mail at viksmeats@sourcecable.net 26

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But quick wins are just the beginning of what’s possible. Most fascinating are Mereweather’s insights into one of the biggest barriers to sustainability for food industry businesses—with food operators so focused on the day-to-day—there is little to no measurement of actual efficiencies and operators are leaving big money on the table.

Says Mereweather, customers typically “just want to sell more” which is understandable. But they’re not making the connection that value-driven customers today care about this. What business are you losing, what business aren’t you gaining?

As an example, let’s look at food wastage.

But I’m paying to divert my food waste, so I don’t have that problem. www.meatpoultryon.ca

“Actually,” says Mereweather, “you’re losing in energy, water, food processors and manufacturing, all of the energy and GHGs embedded in the raw ingredients, and your labour.”

Mereweather asks the questions others may not: “Why are you diverting? What is the reason? Do you have an unavoidable byproduct, or is there just a major flaw in your process requiring you to unnecessarily divert waste? Mereweather says when you run the numbers, the costs are greater when implementing unnecessary diversion strategies instead of re-assessing your processes. But operators haven’t made that connection.

Says Mereweather: “When it comes to sustainability, most of us in the industry lack self-awareness and we have to redefine success and the ways we measure the cost of our operations.”

The costs are even higher for meat companies • In 2019, Provision was funded by the Walmart Foundation in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity and Enviro-Stewards to assess opportunities to prevent food loss + waste at 50 facilities across Canada.

• 15 of those 50 were meat processing facilities.

• The average food wasted across those 15 sites was equivalent to $259,324 per year, per site (i.e., $3.9 million in losses/year for 15 facilities).

• If saved, the environmental impact is equivalent to 9,600 t of greenhouse gas emissions.

• If saved, the social impact is equivalent to 5 million meals or 3.75 billion calories.

SAVE ON ENERGY’s program to retrofit lighting DYK? MPO members are eligible businesses for the upgrading of equipment and operations with the help of the Save On Retrofit program. Projects eligible for this program are those that provide maintainable, measurable and verifiable reductions in peak electricity demand and electricity consumption.

Examples of eligible projects include: • Lighting retrofits • Lighting controls • HVAC redesign • Chiller replacement • Variable-speed drive installations For more information about Save On Energy’s program, please visit saveonenergy.ca/For-Your-Small-Business) For more information anout the MPO Energy Program please contact Derek Boudreau at 519-635-9281.

(Source: Provision Coalition)

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Sustainable Packaging for the Meat and Poultry industry in Ontario

By Jean-Francois Bourdeau, President and General Manager of Duropac

In this article, Jean-Francois Bourdeau, President and General Manager of Duropac, highlights challenges in offering ‘sustainable’ packaging solutions to the meat and poultry industry

T

oday food processors face ever-changing market pressures from consumers, retailers, and regulators. At times it feels like juggling too many balls which constantly change weight and size. Sustainability is a new ball thrown into the mix for food manufactures by consumers and retailers.

Definition of sustainability in the Meat and Poultry business What is sustainability and how is it defined in the context of food packaging? The most frequently used definition is ‘avoidance of the depletion of natural resources to maintain an ecological balance.’ Many people would disagree with this definition, just as they would disagree on any solutions or programs that others would consider sustainable. The industry is flummoxed with the definition of sustainability as well as choices of readily available sustainable packaging solutions. This is the current state of sustainability in the Meat and Poultry business today.

Canadian plastic industry and sustainability Later this year the Government of Canada, following the 2019 national report on the plastic industry1, will decide the fate of single-use plastics such as straws, bags, cutlery, and perhaps primary food packaging. The sobering data from the study indicates Canadians throw away three million tons of plastic waste every year. About 86% of plastic ends up in landfills, 9% is recycled and 4% is incinerated. While we wait for a verdict on the future of single-use plastics, we ought to examine practical sustainable solutions given the current Canadian waste management infrastructure, innovative non-plastic materials, and reusable containers.

Primary packaging for meat and poultry could be marked as single-use plastic and a path to substitute or eliminate primary plastic packaging may be carved out. Although this is unlikely soon, we ought to start exploring current solutions in the industry that most industry stakeholders agree are sustainable.

Continued on page 30

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Continued from page 28 – SUSTAINABLE

PACKAGING FOR THE MEAT AND POULTRY INDUSTRY IN ONTARIO

The popular 3Rs of sustainability present a good starting point; reuse, recycle and reduce.

Recycle Recycling as mentioned before accounts for 4% of all Canadian plastic waste. Averting plastic from landfills is commendable but it is costly, and the current recycling infrastructure is not scalable due to labor and technology constraints. Primary food packaging is hardly recyclable because many of the materials are made up of two or more materials that are glued together (commonly referred to as multilayer plastics). Recent efforts have focused on the chemical breakdown of multilayer food packaging materials with extraordinarily little success. The holy grail of recycling in the food industry is a high barrier monolayer structure. Even if there is a material breakthrough, we must contend with our current recycling infrastructure.

Reduce Reducing packaging material consumption is a medium-term solution at best. Thinner materials through the process of downgauging means lighter packages, source reduction, and a lower carbon footprint. In certain instances, downgauging led to a 60% material reduction with the same performance. Although this is an effort that is considered sustainable most of the material ends up in a landfill.

Reuse Reuse has garnered a lot of traction and popularity. With programs such as LOOP which Loblaws implemented successfully using rigid packaging that can be cleaned and

reused. Meat and Poultry products present challenging food safety hurdles to embrace reusable containers. Crosscontamination is a significant concern for retailers, and we suspect a low adoption rate of reusable containers for meat and poultry on a large scale across the country is years away.

Sustainability and food waste reduction Plastic food packaging has helped reduce food waste since the mid-1950s when plastic bags were first used in supermarkets. As more uses of plastics were found, we stumbled upon modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) first through vacuum packing meat to extend shelf life and later altering the gas composition of the headspace of packages. It is only in the last 20 years that a concerted push for sustainability has gained momentum to a tipping point where plastic must be replaced or reused.

MAP helped reduce food waste for decades and will continue to do so. Familiar examples of MAP reducing food waste are fresh chicken in oxygen permeable shrink bags lasting between 14 to 21 days in retail stores, and fresh pork shoulder in high barrier shrink bags lasting 60 days.

A troubling statistic from the World Health Organization (WHO) asserts 33% of global food production is wasted2 from farm to fork, or enough food to feed 3 billion people. When you consider the water, land, energy, labor, and capital used you begin to understand how unsustainable the status quo is. Packaging combined with the right process can help reduce food waste.

New approaches to sustainable packaging Food packaging suppliers lately feel the same pressure as food processors to solve the sustainability challenges. The 3Rs mentioned before are part of the solution. New approaches look to using renewable resources to make food packaging.

Bioplastics made from plants are gaining popularity because they not only come from a renewal source but also biodegrade.

Bioplastics account for only 1% of global plastic production.

Some require special facilities to speed up decomposition which are scarce in Canada. In addition, food packaging bioplastics are mostly laminated to a plastic derived from fossil fuel. Bioplastics substitute one problem but introduce additional issues. PLA or polylactic acid derived from plant cellulose such as corn or potato (starch), require new farmland that does not compete with human and animal consumption. Where will the extra land come from? How about additives3 in bioplastics that could migrate into food that are not fully understood yet? If bioplastics cannot be composted at home, where can they be recycled or decomposed in Canada? Some bioplastics decomposed into smaller pieces of plastic, called micro-plastics, do we understand the true negative impact to the environment ? Unless we get satisfactory answers, be wary of bioplastics before jumping on the bandwagon of buzzwords in the plastic industry.

A practical approach to plastic packaging sustainability efforts A pragmatic approach to solving sustainability challenges is to rethink our landfills which account for 86% of all plastic waste.

With the existing infrastructure, can we convert plastic to organic matter without using chemicals, heat, or more energy?

Continued on page 32

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www.meatpoultryon.ca

Get it right. Go Klever!

Travaglini Klever Equipped is the North American distributor of Fessmann and Travaglini food processing solutions.

We specialize in heat-treatment and air-circulation equipment with the following functions: smokehouses, cooking, fermenting, chilling, drying, clean rooms, pollution control by electrostatic filters, as well as air treatment by germicidal UV lamps in a variety of applications.

We offer a wide range of service, support, and expert advice to improve your product and process.

BlockTalk - Summer 2021 31 905-532-0330 | www.goklever.com | info@goklever.com

Continued from page 30 – SUSTAINABLE

PACKAGING FOR THE MEAT AND POULTRY INDUSTRY IN ONTARIO

In other words, food packaging manufacturers have a huge incentive to design materials that can decompose in a landfill without expending more resources.

Duropac has taken this pragmatic approach and will launch food packaging solutions that completely decompose in landfills within 26 months. A food-safe additive that attracts anaerobic bacteria to ingest plastic and through the action of enzymes converts multilayer plastic into organic matter that is beneficial to the soil such as humus and other nutrients.

Choosing a sustainable package to satisfy 2025 sustainability goals identified by some retailers The process of choosing packaging as a food processor is complex and striking a balance to satisfy retailers and consumers makes it daunting at times.

There are many ‘sustainability’ packaging options available, and it is up to each Meat and Poultry packer, producer, distributor, food service company, and retailer to take a deep dive with their supplier to decide.

Sustainability is a buzzword that sells. Before the pandemic, some studies showed that between 15% to 30% of consumers would be willing to pay more for products with a sustainability claim. Here are the steps we prescribe if you are willing to capitalize on this massive shift toward sustainable packaging: • Contact several manufacturers or distributors and have a candid conversation about their sustainable packaging options.

•P erform thorough due diligence of the options including a life cycle analysis.

•T est the samples and conduct a shelf-life study – make sure the products live up to the promises.

•R ethink the positioning of your brand with the introduction of sustainable packaging. If needed, re-evaluate pricing and passthrough cost to consumers or create a new line of products.

•S tart small and make a concerted effort to collaborate with retailers and seek the voice of the customer.

•E ducate the consumer about your sustainability efforts. It could be as deliberate as communicating on your packing.

Reach out to partners who understand your needs and sustainability goals to maximize your chances of success.

To satisfy the retailer’s 2025 sustainability goals, pull in all stakeholders to collaborate and co-create solutions.

Note: Duropac is co-Owned by Jean-Francois and Olivier Bourdeau.

Since 1993, Duropac has been a family-owned Canadian business servicing the food industry. With over 25 employees, Duropac supplies innovative packaging from SQF and BRC certified global manufacturers.

This year they are celebrating 15 years supporting the Meat and Poultry Ontario.

References 1. S ource http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2019/eccc/En4-366-1-2019eng.pdf 2. Source http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-agriculture/2019/en/ 3. S ource https://www.plasticstoday.com/biopolymers/bioplastics-just-toxicconventional-plastics-says-study

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The New Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Funding for Safer Ontario Agriculture During COVID-19

By Alena Barreca, Marketing Coordinator, Mentor Works With the emphasized importance of keeping the agri-food sector safe and strong during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the newly announced Agri-Tech Innovation Cost Share Program provides government funding for the transformation of agricultural workplaces. By supporting projects that adopt advanced or innovative technology to enhance health and safety in the workplace, eligible Ontario farm and processer businesses can access funding that will also improve productivity and help nurture Ontario’s agriculture sector.

Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Funding Amount The Early Adopters Stream provides up to 35% to a maximum of $100,000 per eligible project to offset costs on relevant projects with a minimum value of $150,000.

The details and intake for the Innovators Stream will open following the closing of the Early Adopters Stream.

Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Eligible Applicants An applicant must be either an Ontario farm or processing business as outlined: • An established Farm Business that is a legal entity and produces agricultural commodities in Ontario under a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN), or an allowable exemption.

• An established Processor Business that is a legal entity that handles agricultural commodities, food, beverage, or agri-based products in Ontario. This includes primary food processing, such as businesses that manufacture products that cut, clean, package, store, and refrigerate raw plant food.

Eligible Ontario Farm or Processor businesses must: •B e adopting an Advanced Automation or Manufacturing Technology; and: •B e and remain in compliance with all Requirements of Law for the duration of the project; •H ave a valid and up-to-date Premises Identification (PID) Number for the business location where the project is to take place; •P rovide a Canada Revenue Agency Business Number as part of the application process, if applicable; and •B e capable of entering into a funding agreement with the Province of Ontario and meeting their obligations under it.

Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Eligible Projects and Activities Projects that will lead to the adoption of Advanced Automation or Manufacturing Technology that support the following outcomes: • Allow businesses to shift away from labour-intensive work practices or processes to help prevent the exposure and transmission of COVID-19, and • Address at least one of the following labour-related project impacts: -A llow business to focus redeployment of workers to higher value-added activities -R educe the ongoing labour shortage pressures in the sector -A ttract more highly skilled labour to businesses within the sector - I ncrease productivity Examples of Eligible Projects: Projects that may be eligible for Farm business applicants: • Adoption and integration of an automated rack handling system and seeding machines in a greenhouse setting • Adoption and use of a fully automated optical grading system with visually guided robotics for the grading and sorting of vegetables replacing manual grading/sorting

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• Adoption of solar powered autonomous robotic vineyard pruning robots with optical/spectral guidance systems in place of manual pruning • Adoption of semi-autonomous or autonomous self-propelled transplanters replacing manual/ mechanical processes where distancing employees is difficult

“Technology and modern equipment make today’s farms more efficient and safer, both for people and the environment. This program will not only protect farmers and farm workers from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will also enable investments in new processes and state of the art equipment.”

Projects that may be eligible for Processor business applicants: • Installation and training staff on the use of a robotic deboning machine for whole chicken - Peggy Brekveld, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture legs replacing labour intensive manual cutting and deboning stations through CAP that each have their own focus areas, eligibility • Adoption and use of a fully automated optical criteria, and funding amounts. packing system with visually guided robotics for the sorting and packing of product replacing manual packing/sorting Get in touch with the professional team of experienced grant writers at Mentor Works to assess whether your Ontario meat Agri-Tech Innovation Program: Program Timeline and poultry business is right for funding.

This Early Adopters Stream of this program opened for intake on May 17, 2021. Eligible Ontario farm and processor applicants Mentor Works is a business support organization specializing in must apply by June 21, 2021 to be considered for funding.

Canadian government funding. The Ontario-based business has helped hundreds of businesses build and execute their funding strategy through Details about the Innovators Stream will open after the Early a mix of federal and provincial government grants, loans, and tax credits.

Adopters Stream is finished.

Mentor Works offers free online resources, funding webinars, and news via their website at www.mentorworks.ca.

Other Funding Options for Ontario Agri-Food Businesses Established by the Government of Canada, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is a $3 billion program that provides support for agri-food businesses. There are five streams

Call us today: 1-866-573-6328

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From the Ground Up

Lessons in regenerative agriculture from James Morin of Kipling Ridge Farms in Northern Ontario

By Stacey Newman

K

ipling Ridge Farms is located in Verner, a town located in Northeastern Ontario. Owned and operated by James and Josee Morin, the farm has been operating since 2015.

Neither James nor Josee Morin comes from an agricultural background. They were both raised in small Northern Ontario communities. They lived “down South” for a while but returned to the North when their daughter was born. They became immersed in the “foodie movement,” were cooking and growing their food, which led to the decision to get out into the country to do more.

James Morin became involved with local food organizations. He recognized the challenges within the food system—from how food was being produced and its impact on everything from human health to environmental health to the health of the agricultural community. Also, there are food security concerns around how much food is perhaps unnecessarily being brought into regions from outside of that particular region.

The Morins raised a couple of pigs and chickens for themselves.

They added to that to make some available for family and friends.

Says, Morin: “It really just snowballed from there. We ended up taking a step into getting our own breeding stock.”

Kipling Ridge Farms today is a much larger operation and supplier of local meats. Their operations revolve around using ecological practices and principles.

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Morin gives us a snapshot of life at Kipling Ridge. Their cattle and hogs, the majority of which are born on the farm, spend their entire lives on the farm’s pastures and in the forest (including winter), with shelters available at all times. They only raise meat chickens during the summer and fall to ensure they have daily access to new, fresh grass and insects—allows all of their animals to express their natural behaviours.

Their farm has 160 acres, but it’s split with 40 or so in pasture lands. The pastures have some mixed Northern forest and some wetlands.

The farm employs a multispecies approach. The idea is the cows run through first and keep the pastures at the right height. Then come the hogs and the poultry. “We interchange how those two run through,” Morin explains. This depends on the climate and not so much on a day-to-day basis. If they’re having a wetter season than normal, they adjust to being careful about how much impact animals can have.

“Pigs that can be very disruptive on a wet pasture very quickly,” laughs Morin. “But they also complement each other.”

Take poultry: When you bring them behind other species they do a wonderful job breaking down the manure patties. But they don’t like tall grasses, so if the grasses are too tall, you run the other two through first and the cows and hogs do a great job of prepping it for the poultry.

equation as well. Looking at things a little bit differently, seeking innovative financing models to support transitions.

“I’m a commercial banker by trade. I’ve managed agricultural accounts. The vast majority of farmers need to know that their cash flows are going to remain consistent. So that’s a very difficult thing to approach,” says Morin. He understands this as both banker and farmer, they went through it themselves for Kipling Ridge.

We may just be asking the wrong questions. We have to start from the idea of reverting to localized regional but not necessarily smaller farms. Take the prairies and the vast fields of corn canola, soybean, and perhaps wheat—what about a shift in planting rotations, how it’s harvested, and where livestock might play a role in being moved through those fields from a harvesting and fertilization standpoint? “You’ve got 10,000 head of cattle…

Why not use that a little more strategically?” asks Morin.

About a successful scalability model like White Oak Pastures, Morin says: “Let’s take that particular model and put it everywhere.”

The scalability of regenerative farming is constantly under fire.

According to Morin, this has been a common “criticism” that began when organic food started taking off 20 or 30 years ago.

Morin states firmly that there are clear examples of why this is not the case. He points to a farm in Georgia called White Oak Pastures. They’re operating 5,000 acres, two processing plants and they employ 150 people. “It’s a model that can be easily duplicated and it’s something that we’re working towards ourselves,” says Morin.

What does it take to scale? A fundamental shift in the way livestock and crops are being raised, as well as better mainstream consumption practices. Morin believes how we use machinery, produce feed for animals, and house animals can be healthier and more productive; for the animals, environment, our local economies and food systems.

It’s about thinking outside the box of existing ag-tech models.

Morin is no stranger to the demands of big business, his background is in finance. He feels that we’ve reduced everything to a simple economic equation. And that includes all of what are referred to as externalities—costs to the environment, ethical issues, human health issues. He says little of that is captured in economic equations.

“These are costs that we all bear as a society,” says Morin.

The regenerative movement involves a clear understanding of circular systems and shifts in that economic and capital

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Your Best Salesperson is not a Who, it’s a What!

By Doris Valade, Business and Leadership Coach

F

ourteen months in and the pandemic continues to affect the way we do business. As a business owner, you faced many challenges through 2020 and this continues in 2021. At first, the big question was “will my business survive?” As vaccines slowly arrive, you’re probably shifting your focus to look at how to grow your business in the new normal. One of the most dramatic changes during the pandemic has been the end of in-person sales calls. Since in-person activities will likely be slow to resume and travel will remain restricted, who will promote your brand? Who will reach out to your customers? How will you maintain those important connections? One of the most valuable members of your sales team is one that some of you may have overlooked or underestimated for years. It’s not a who, however; it’s a what! It’s your website. Today, a business website is more important than ever.

Historically, retail was a brick-and-mortar location with walkin customers. The advent of social media encouraged a gradual transition to online shopping. During the pandemic, this growth has accelerated as social restrictions forced a rapid move to online shopping and curbside pick-up. In 2021, as we move toward a new normal, it will pay dividends to think of your website as your digital storefront. Consumers spent $861.12 billion online with U.S. merchants in 2020, up an incredible 44.0% year over year, according to Digital Commerce 360 estimates. That’s the highest annual U.S. ecommerce growth in at least two decades. It’s also nearly triple the 15.1% jump in 2019.

New figures from Statistics Canada show online retail sales rose 110.7% year-over-year in January 2021 compared to January 2020 in accounting for 7.8% of total retail trade. So it’s time to ask yourself… is your best virtual salesperson ready for business?

When’s the Last Time You Showed Your Website Some Love?

Many business owners put up a website, then give it little thought and very few updates over the years. While social media should be part of your integrated marketing strategy, your website remains your calling card. Social media’s job is to drive customers to your website. When they land, your website

provides the content they need to make buying decisions. Your website is a vital connection to your brand and its business. Just like with an in-person sales call appearance matters, and you don’t have long to make a good first impression. Ask your sales team and a few of your best customers to provide feedback on your website. Here are a few key things for you (and them) to consider: Is your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) working well?

How do you know if it’s working? In a web browser, type a few key words that describe your products or type of business and location (e.g., deli, butcher shop, meat products, Toronto). Does your business show up on the first page of the search? If not, you need to improve your SEO. This will increase visibility of your website. If your customers do a google search, you want your business and its products or services to show up if not first, at least ahead of most of the competition. Here’s a great link to learn more about SEO: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/ Is your website visually attractive?

Is it well branded? Does it look current or is it outdated? Think colours, fonts, images, content.

Is it easy to move around on your website?

Websites must be customer friendly. Pages should load quickly and when customers move from page to page there should be no error messages. Is your home (landing) page uncluttered and easy to read? Is the navigation menu intuitive? Does your opening page tell a story about your company — one that engages visitors and draws them in to learn more (see Content comments farther below)? Equally important, is your website compliant for customers with disabilities?

Continued on page 40

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2020-10-28 11:26 AM

Continued from page 38 – Y OUR

BEST SALESPERSON IS NOT A WHO, IT’S A WHAT!

Is your website mobile friendly?

In 2020, the number of unique mobile internet users stood at 4.28 billion, indicating that over 90 percent of the global internet population use a mobile device to go online. Make sure that your website renders cleanly across all devices — laptops, mobile phones, iPads, tablets.

Don’t neglect the “Contact Us” page!

This is an important page. Does it work smoothly? Is it friendly to use? How quickly do you respond when a customer reaches out to you? Superior customer service can be a key differentiator between you and your competition.

In real estate it’s location, location — on websites it’s all about content.

Make sure every piece of content on your website is high quality.

Not only is this important for engaging customers, it’s also crucial to your website’s page ranking (SEO). There are loads of sites on the Internet to help you write good content. Read their tips or hire a professional copywriter.

Engage with customers in the ways they like to engage Are you using SMS (short message service) marketing? SMS uses text messages to send promotional campaigns or transactional messages for marketing purposes. According to a statistics

report from G2 Learning Hub₁, 42% of millennials check their text messages ten or more times per day on average. 50% of consumers say that they would opt into an SMS loyalty program if they were offered flash sales, deals or coupons. Learn more about SMS marketing: ₁ https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics https://optinmonster.com/sms-marketing/ The pandemic has changed how consumers buy and how businesses sell. An engaging website opens the door to potential new customers and ensures lasting connections with current customers — this is true at any time, but will be particularly important going forward. Isn’t it time you showed your best virtual salesperson a little virtual love?

About Doris Valade Doris has been involved in the meat and poultry industry for over 35 years. She has sat on the boards of Food & Beverage Ontario, the Canadian Meat Council, and the Canadian Spice Association.

Doris has been included on the list of Profit magazine’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs from 1999 – 2005 and again in 2016.

Meat and Poultry Ontario recently awarded Doris the Lifetime Member Award for her outstanding contribution to the industry.

Doris mentors and supports small business owners and entrepreneurs through the challenges of running their business.

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SAFETY FIRST

How to Apply your COVID-19 Safety Plan to Other Hazards By: Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

A

key tool in the Ontario Government’s COVID-19 Response Framework is a requirement for workplaces to develop a safety plan. The plan’s goal is to prevent transmission of the virus.

Here’s an example of how you could adapt those questions to the potential hazards of using a new chemical in your workplace.

The process is straightforward: a safety plan template created by the provincial government poses six questions. Your answers to the questions form your plan.

• Determine the hazards before bringing the chemical into the workplace by obtaining the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from the supplier. “This is a fantastic resource for understanding the properties of the chemical, including physical and chemical properties, handling and storage requirements, stability and reactivity, and first aid measures,” says Alyson.

It’s simple and effective, but the benefits don’t end there. Having developed a safety plan for controlling one workplace hazard, you can apply the same process to other hazards.

“A COVID-19 safety plan is just one element of a broader workplace safety program,” explains WSPS Consultant Alyson Smith. “The six questions it asks are based on the RACE principle for Recognizing, Assessing, Controlling, and Evaluating hazards, which is the basis of an effective safety program.”

The questions help workplaces recognize where transmission of COVID-19 could occur, assess the likelihood of transmission, implement effective controls, and review the controls to make sure they’re effective.

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1. How will you ensure workers know how to keep themselves safe from exposure to the chemical?

• Assess the risks of exposure. How and where will workers handle and use the chemical? What is the likelihood of chemical exposure or an incident occurring? Are potential exposure levels within legislated limits?

• Determine what prevention measures to put in place.

(See question 3.)

• Develop and document safe operating procedures that cover the hazards, use and handling, storage, controls, first aid requirements, emergency response, etc.

• Communicate the procedures to all applicable personnel and document the training.

2. How will you evaluate worker understanding?

• Ensure supervisors monitor the way workers handle and store the chemical.

• Ask workers questions about the chemical to confirm their understanding. Also ask if they have any concerns or suggestions for reducing the level of risk.

• Consider providing a proof of comprehension test during the training to confirm understanding and demonstrate due diligence.

3. How will you control hazards associated with the chemical?

Use the hierarchy of controls to determine the best combination of measures to protect workers. For example:

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• elimination - can you avoid using the chemical entirely?

• substitution - can you replace the chemical with something less hazardous?

• engineering controls - do you need to increase ventilation in the area where the chemical will be used?

• awareness controls - do you need a visual or audio system to warn workers of the hazard?

• administrative controls - how you will provide information, training, safety signage and supervision?

Continued on page 44

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Continued from page 42 – HOW

TO APPLY YOUR COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN TO OTHER HAZARDS

• personal protective equipment - do workers need to wear or use anything to reduce contact? Again, check the SDS and review how the chemical is used.

4. What will you do if suspected exposure to the chemical occurs in your workplace?

• Develop first aid procedures and train responders. “If the exposed worker needs to see a medical professional, send along a copy of the SDS,” says Alyson.

5. How will you manage any new risks resulting from changes you made when introducing the chemical?

• Prioritize risks based on the likelihood and severity of exposure, determine which control(s) are most effective, and ensure they are working as intended and have not created a new hazard.

6. How will you make sure your plan is working?

• During monthly inspections, have your joint health and safety committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative observe workers as they handle and store the chemical.

• If a worker reports a near miss, or an incident occurs that involves the chemical, review your program and training.

• Ensure that workers’ understanding of the chemical and how to use it safely matches the training provided and is sufficient to protect them from a potential incident.

Get more information and resources • Join the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program to help you implement policies and procedures for a variety of hazards.

• Check out the following resources: • hazard assessment resource page, where you’ll find downloadable forms, eCourses, articles and consulting services • Small Business Centre for a roadmap to controlling hazards in your workplace.

About Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) is a not-forprofit organization committed to protecting Ontario workers and businesses. A proud partner in Ontario’s occupational health and safety system and a trusted safety advisor since 1917, WSPS has a rich history of making Ontario workplaces safer. WSPS serves the manufacturing, agricultural and service sectors. For more information visit WSPS.ca.

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services 5110 Creekbank Road Mississauga, ON L4W 0A1 (877) 494-9777 customercare@wsps.ca wsps.ca

WHAT’S ON YOUR GRILL THIS SUMMER?

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THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 CORPORATE SUPPORTERS DIAMOND SUPPORTER

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BlockTalk - Summer 2021

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Advertiser Index Abate Packers abatepackers.com

pg. 44

Klever Equipped Inc. goklever.com

pg. 31

AgSights agsights.com

pg. 27

Lumar Ideal Lumar.ca

pg. 13

AKR Consulting akrconsulting.com

pg. 37

Malabar Super Spice Malabarsuperspice.com

pg. 5

Bizerba bizerba.com

pg. 10

Mrakovic mrakovic.com

pg. 6

Canada Compound canadacompound.com

pg. 15

Multivac ca.multivac.com

pg. 33

Darling Ingredients darlingii.ca

pg. 30

Pembertons pemcom.com

pg. 36

Donnel Insurance donnellins.com

pg. 32

Poly-clip polyclip.com

DPEC Food Solutions Inc. dpecfoodsolutions.ca

pg. 39

Reiser reiser.com

pg. 43

Duropac Duropac.com

pg. 28

Stock Canada stockcanada.ca

pg. 39

Erb Transport Erbgroup.com

pg. 42

The Meat Depot themeatdepot.ca

pg. 35

Farm Credit Canada fcc.ca

pg. 29

VC999 Vc999.com

pg. 2, 48

Feed Ontario feedontario.ca

pg. 12

Viks Meats

pg. 26

Handtmann handtmann.ca

pg. 47

Viscofan Viscofan.com

pg. 7, 41

pg. 9,11

Are you receiving MPO electronic communications?

Word on the BLOCK, our bi-weekly email delivered Monday morning, highlights the latest events and opportunities within the industry. Technical eBulletins are distributed as needed with information such as regulatory challenges and animal rights activist events.

This important industry information is often time sensitive. Please make sure your spam list includes news@meatpoultryon.ca, technical@meatpoultryon.ca and member@meatpoultryon.ca.

If there are other people within your company that should be receiving information contact Melissa at www.meatpoultryon.ca 46 BlockTalk - Summer 2021 (519) 763-4558 or member@meatpoultryon.ca to have them added to our lists.

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