Just call me The Beef Guru

I just got back from the Canada Beef School at Olds College, so please call me for any facts and definitive answers to questions about the Canadian beef industry you may have. Heck, I’ll even make it global – call with any questions you have about beef on the planet. I now have all the answers.

 Seriously, it was a great three days at the school. This was the seventh school that Olds has staged - they usually run it twice a year. It is an excellent learning opportunity for cow/calf producers, feeders and any one interested in learning how the beef industry in Canada runs. In my business, we writers are notorious for writing about things we know nothing about. Well, now, for me, a few more pieces of the puzzle are in place. There isn’t an awful lot of information about daily beef herd production issues. But, as they say, this school is a look under the hide. What happens after the animal leaves the feedlot?

So it is about carcass quality, carcass grading, and meat cutting. What are the primal cuts and how are they broken down into retail cuts?  What are the challenges (and options) that packers and retail cutters face in trying to present good quality beef to consumers. (Photo at right, Allan Wilson, beef producer from Bentley, AB gets serious with a primal cut.)

 here was a lot of good information and discussion about factors affecting meat quality and carcass quality on the farm or ranch. What can producers do to hopefully produce cattle with more of those AAA Yield Grade 1 carcasses? And there was also discussion about whether cow/calf men and women should be striving to produce those AAA carcasses. What is the most economical and the most marketable grade?

And it isn’t just classroom time. You’re in there like a dirty smock (not a good analogy to use when we’re talking about cutting meat and proper hygiene), but you can be up to your elbows learning what’s involved in inspecting and grading carcasses, and then wrestling these sides on to the cutting table and getting hands-on training on how to properly cut meat.

There were about 20 of us in the class. Most where cow/calf producers, although there were a couple feeders, one representative from Loblaws  (President’s Choice) foods in Ontario, an animal health company rep, and me.

 Jim Hansen, an Alberta Agriculture beef specialist based in Cardston, came across a similar school in the U.S. a few years ago and brought the idea back to Canada.  Working with Olds College, they developed a course outline, course materials, and lined up well qualified, and knowledgeable instructors to deliver the course.

 Working with Jim to organize and deliver the course is Brad McLeod, co-ordinator and instructor of the meat program at the college. Then over the three days you hear from several specialists like Neil French, college instructor;  Kellie Jackson a food safety specialist; Mick Price, retired beef specialist University of Alberta; Sandy Stafford, a provincial meat inspector; Richard Heninger, with the Canadian Beef Grading Agency; Russ Horvey, a former beef specialist with Alberta Agriculture; Pat Ramsey, a current beef specialist with Alberta Agriculture; Susan Church with Alberta Farm Animal Care; and Duane Ellard, with the Beef Information Centre, to name a few.

 You’ll read more about these and other instructors and their topics in the coming issues of Grainews.

I had thought about going to this school for some time, but every time I got serious, the class was full. This fall, I had the good fortune of being offered a seat in the classroom by the Canadian Hereford Association (CHA). The Canadian and Alberta Hereford Associations were main sponsors of the November 2008 school. The Alberta group supplied the cross bred steers that made the ultimate sacrifice to provide the carcasses the class learned on. And the Hereford associations also covered the costs of some great sweat shirts for the whole class. If you ever need to go to an event that requires you wear an item of clothing with a carcass meat-cutting chart on it, then this is the sweat shirt you need.

It was just by coincidence that we learned at this school that Hereford and Hereford-cross cattle consistently (99.9 percent of the time) produce AAA and Prime carcasses, with an 85 percent meat yield, are the most flavorful and most tender, are the most docile, have the highest feed efficiency, have 99 percent conception rates, do best on plain straw, and can be trained to close the gate behind them when they leave a field. I bet a lot of you didn’t know that. (Actually I made most of that up, but I thought I owed CHA a really good plug).

 The school was great. Unfortunately, unless they start running it on a weekly bases, it will be difficult for many producers to get in because it is so popular, but it is worth a try. For more information on the next course call 1 800 661 6537 Ext. 4677 or visit their website at: www.oldscollege.ca 

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