Manitoba’s only meat processing plant is currently changing the market as they are in search of grass-fed beef. A vast majority of Manitoba beef is grain fed, making it hard for large farmers to switch to a grass-fed diet and thus leaving the opportunity for smaller farms to begin producing grass fed beef.
A request from a retailer to True North foods has created this spike in demand for grass fed beef, the company is currently working on an incentive program to get more grass-fed cows into their doors. True North is looking to get 40-50 cows in the first week and grow from there, because the animals are more rarely grass fed, they are looking to producers in surrounding areas and provinces. The travel involved would make it hard for small farmers in other provinces but those near the plant in Manitoba could look to supply 10-15 or more cows at a time to the plant.
Manitoba’s small farmers can keep a look out for True Norths grass-fed program over the coming months to see if they will be a good fit for the new increased demand the processing center is receiving.