By Lauren Gough – 4H Press Reporter
The Ridgetown 4H Beef Club met recently at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph in Ridgetown. The highlight of the evening was guest speaker Mark Clark owner/operator of Highgate Tender Meats.
Mr. Clark spoke about marketing beef and getting the most money for the dressed weight. Beef prices right now are at an all-time high.
It is important to know the approximate weight of your animal to know if it is ready for market. Most cattle go to market between 18 and 30 months.
Cattle are aged by the growth of their teeth but it is helpful to have birth documentation for age verification.
Some breeds grow and mature at different rates. Many times cattle are kept longer than necessary due to market lows.
This extra feed puts on weight in the form of fat. Farmers spend extra money feeding cattle for longer only to have the extra weight put on fat. This fat trimmed off during processing.
This reduces the overall dressed weight.
4H members learned from Mr. Clark that Canada has stringent safeguards in place by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Mr. Clark answered questions asking how BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) or Mad Cow Disease has affected beef production and marketing.
All cattle going to market require a CFIA tag that enables tracebility. If there is a disease or illness an animal is traced back to its place of origin.
It is illegal to transport cattle from a farm without this tag.
Farmers, transporters, and abbatoirs that come into contact with cattle missing the CFIA tag are subject to significant fines.
Abbatoirs have inspectors on the premises from the time cattle arrive until the meat is cut and dressed. Cattle are assessed for health before entering the abbatoir.
Cattle that arrive to the abbatoir healthy but stressed are rare but sometimes it does occur. These are known as dark cutters. The beef is cut and dressed in the same way but due to stress of the animal the beef becomes tough and leathery.
Inspectors are on sight supervising the entire process of cutting, hanging, and dressing the meat. 4H member Elliot Smith thanked Mark Clark for his presentation and information.
Club leaders Phyllis May and Dugal Smith announced to club members that Ridgetown 4H Beef Club T-Shirts have been graciously donated this year by the Kent Cattlemen’s Association.
The 4H Ridgetown Beef Club members held their election of officers for 2015. President Elliot Smith, Vice President Jacob Sikkema, Secretary Hannah Sikkema, and 4H Press Reporter Lauren Gough.
The next meeting on April 15, 2015 will discuss Biosecurity.
– Story by Lauren Gough
– Submitted Photo: Ridgetown 4H Beef Club president Elliott Smith thanks guest speaker Mark Clark, owner/operator of Highgate Tender Meats, at a recent meeting of the club.
