The South Cariboo Meat Co-op is full steam ahead with its plans for a red meat abattoir in 100 Mile House.
The board members say they will be ready to break ground on May 1 and hope to be open for business by this fall with a slaughter-and-chill facility.
Meat co-op chair Gus Horn explains that the current meat facility, Findlay Meats, will continue to operate as an abattoir until Dec. 31, 2011, and by then, the co-op should be in operation.
Horn says what the project needs now is fulfillment of the community support that was promised.
“The next six weeks is critical as far as people who have committed to buy a membership but have not yet paid, or haven’t yet committed, now is the time.”
The community shares are $50 each and producer shares are $1,000 each, but individuals may purchase up to $5,000 worth of these redeemable and interest-bearing shares, Horn explains.
The local ranchers’ associations have committed through producer memberships and are also encouraging all their members to buy individual shares.
A total of $12,800 in shares has been purchased by the South Cariboo Regional Cattlemen’s Association (SCRCA), Bridge Lake Livestock Association, Canim Lake Livestock Association (CLLA), Green Lake/North Bonaparte Stockmen’s Association, Lac la Hache Livestock Association, and the Lone Butte Farmers’ Institute & Livestock Association.
Rancher Tal Pincott is SCRCA chair as well as a member of his local association, and his family has been ranching in the Forest Grove area since 1954.
The continuation of local abattoir services is critical to the survival of the community’s animal agriculture industry, he explains, as well as providing employment.
Pincott notes the costs ranchers would otherwise face to drive a five-ton truck or stock trailer up to two hours each way to either Big Lake Ranch or Barriere, make a return trip to pick up the meat, plus the time and animal stress involved, aren’t viable or practical.
The meat co-op will be run by the membership with producers forming the majority of the board directors, Pincott says, adding there are financial benefits associated with membership.
Horn notes the availability of locally raised, untreated red meat for consumers in the community, as well as for stores and restaurants, allows for expanded, healthier choices beyond the meat turned out by corporations.
Noting the processing of value-added products, such as sausage, also depends on having government-inspected meat, he says the potential for expanding that market is huge.
Community support will ensure the slaughter facility goes forward and maintains the service that has been provided for more than 40 years by Findlay Meats, Horn says, adding he’s putting out the challenge to local businesses to invest in animal agriculture in the community through memberships.
“We are really hoping our elected representatives on all three levels of government will also step up to the plate and show real commitment to the project.”
The co-op will operate under a new Class B licence, he says, and then the product can go for further processing to any cut-and-wrap facility from there, including Findlay Meats.
He adds the potential to expand the co-op’s capacity for further processing is still on the table, and won’t be affected by its initial plans for a slaughter-only facility.
