Loblaw’s stores. “Platinum” product is selected from the top 3% of carcasses based on marbling, yield and carcass composition. Approximately 25,000 head have already fallen into this premium category in 2013. Loblaw’s Ontario Corn Fed Beef Platinum entry won the “superior taste” award at the 2013 International Taste and Quality Institute’s competition in Brussels, Belgium. Focus on consumer preferences has been integral to the success of the Ontario Corn Fed brand. Every summer, Jim Clark drives the Ontario Corn Fed Beef “mobile kitchen” tractor trailer unit to 60 different grocery store parking lots. This allows the brand face-time with 500 consumers on an average day, providing the opportunity to learn exactly what they’re looking for in beef products. “As beef producers, we need to be proactive in telling our story. We have nothing to hide – we’re great family operations, great stewards of the land, and we produce great food. Consumers vote with their pocketbooks, and we have to listen,” states Clark. Although Ontario Corn Fed Beef has been displacing non-branded beef on Ontario grocery store shelves, the product does not currently sell at a set premium. “The market will dictate if there’s a premium in the future. Our original goal was to build brand awareness and overall product tonnage,” shares Clark.“We have accomplished that, and I believe the brand has created higher prices for fed cattle in Ontario; and premiums are passed up and down the beef value chain.” The market for Ontario Corn Fed Beef is bigger than just the province of Ontario. The brand already exports across the Northeastern United States, and product samples are being sent to select countries in the Middle East. Asia is also a target market as this area has strong demand for quality Canadian branded beef products. Packer partners and Canada Beef Inc. have been integral partners in establishing domestic and international reach for Ontario Corn Fed Beef. In terms of what Ontario feedlots are looking
for when they buy feeders, Clark says: “We’re simply looking for strong, healthy, vaccinated calves. Cow-calf producers across Canada are doing a great job breeding cattle. Our Ontario Corn Fed Beef feeding protocols create beef consistency – it’s both our genetics and the way we feed cattle in Canada that creates excellent beef.” “All major Canadian beef breeds have greatly improved carcass traits,” he adds.“Our brand has never been breed specific, due to the wide range of top genetics available – and no longer does hide color tell you the genes of an animal. But if I had to name one beef breed that has changed significantly for the better, I would say Simmental. The Canadian Simmental Association has recognized that quality genetics are needed to create quality cattle and quality beef. Simmental has moved from large frame size to more moderate
animals with stronger carcass characteristics.” Involved in developing the brand from the ground up, Clark admits he still gets a little emotional when he sees Ontario Corn Fed Beef on grocery store shelves. “When I see our brand showcased to consumers, I think of all of the work that has gone into producing it. From the calf through to the meat counter, there is strong commitment from our producers to sell some of the best beef in the world. When I’m out on the road, my shirts carry our logo and our slogan: ‘Faith in our members, pride in our product.’ There’s nothing better than a consumer telling me, ‘I like your shirt, but I enjoy your beef even more!’” “There is a great future for Canada’s beef industry despite all of today’s challenges,” Clark maintains. “Beef producers – cow-calf, backgrounder, and feedlot – are extremely resilient. We need to work together to show the next generation that there’s opportunity. I believe those opportunities are in branded beef, and there is room for other producer groups to do what Ontario Corn Fed has done. Our sector will succeed based on the quality of our beef. My motto is, the only beef that ever hurt you was the beef you didn’t eat!” By Trish Henderson 65