Raising better meat for better living
A growing number of Canadian meat consumers are not only concerned about the quality of the meat they buy, but also want to know where and how the animals are raised.
The Canadian meat industry in general would want to reassure consumers that the quality of product in Canada is at a high standard, and stress that animals are mostly well cared for, but it is the negative stories that garner the most attention.
After news outlets and social media sites broadcast stories and videos about a few cases of on-farm animal abuse, the public’s emotions around animal welfare are stirred, and reflected in their food choices—and rightfully so.
Add to this the general decline in meat consumption per capita, and a younger generation demanding ethically raised meat (according to Statistics Canada), and meat producers know it’s time to make room for change.
Some farms and food processors aim to share more positive stories about their industries and be more transparent around how they do business, providing consumers with information and quality products.
Maple Leaf Foods is one company that understands the shifting market and, in 2016, launched the Greenfield Meat Co. brand. Based in Landmark, Manitoba, the company is actively telling their story, educating consumers about their ethically raised pork products, and providing sustainable meat options.
With just over a year as Vice President and General Manager of Greenfield Meat Co., Domenic Borrelli is proud to speak about the difference his company is trying to make when it comes to taking animal care and sustainability to the next level.
“At Greenfield we raise and process meat in a compassionate, responsible way,” says Borrelli. “There are daily, weekly and monthly animal welfare audits in Greenfield barns throughout the Greenfield Meat Co and we implement high standards of care for the animals.”
Greenfield owns their own farms, and works with partner farms across Canada, raising vegetable grain-fed meat without any antibiotics, hormones or anything artificial.
“Our relationships with farmers are extremely important,” Borrelli states, “and we provide ongoing training and development for our partner farms.”
In many of Greenfield’s barns, the pigs are in open pens where they socialize in small groups and are provided with an enriched environment. They have access to feed so they may eat whenever they choose to, up to a daily maximum. Fresh drinking water is available at all times.
“When an animal is sick, it is treated under veterinary oversight, to maintain health for the animal, and removed from the Greenfield program,” assures Borrelli.
Canadians are looking to meat producers to maintain a higher standard for animal welfare, meat quality, and sustainability, and Greenfield Meats is certainly welcoming that responsibility.
Even Greenfield’s ad campaigns are aiming to leave less of a carbon footprint. The company recently carved out their logo into a 70 acre field – the largest natural billboard in the world.
Greenfield products are found in select retailers across Canada, and more information can be found on their website.
Greenfield’s philosophy is simple: “We exist to make a better world by making meat right.”
