|
The Canadian Angus Association has two awards
for the commercial side of our business, the Auction Market of the Year Award
and the Feedlot of the Year Award.
Auction Market of the Year Award
The
Auction Market of the Year Award
was introduced in 2006 to recognize and honour those auction
markets that work hard to promote Angus cattle. The first award
was presented to Mankota Stockmen's Weigh Co. at Mankota,
Saskatchewan. The 2007 award was presented to B.C. Livestock
Producers Co-op Williams Lake at Williams Lake, BC, the 2008
award was presented to Saskatoon Livestock Sales Ltd., and the
2009 award was presented to Provost Livestock Exchange of
Alberta.
The 2010 Auction Market of the Year Award was
presented to Assiniboia
Livestock Auction.
Assiniboia Livestock
Auction is an affiliate of Heartland Livestock and has been in
business for 25 years. Roy Rutledge and his son Ryan operate the
auction and promote Angus cattle, the Canadian Angus Association
and its members year round. They trade more Angus cattle in a
year than any other auction in Canada. In 2010, Assiniboia
Livestock Auction held 5 designated Angus calf sales that
consistently sold 3,000–5,000 head, an increase of 20% over last
year.
Feedlot of the Year Award
The Canadian Angus Association introduced the
Feedlot of the Year Award in 2011 to recognize feedlots
that promote Angus to their customers and that feed Canadian
Angus Rancher Endorsed tagged cattle.
For 2011, we
chose to present awards in Western and Eastern Canada. The
Western Canada recipients are High Ridge Feeders and Shannondale
Farm of Manitoba, and the Eastern Canada recipient is Ferme
d’Anjou et Fils.
Western
Canada recipients High Ridge Feeders and Shannondale Farm of
Manitoba
High Ridge
Feeders and Shannondale Farm started as Corn Belt Feeders,
operated jointly by the families of Harry and Ed Dalke. In 1991,
with both families growing, Corn Belt Feeders split into High
Ridge Feeders operated by Ed and Glori Dalke and family and
Shannondale Farm operated by Harry and Brenda Dalke and family.
Both operations remain near Morden, Manitoba.
High Ridge Feeders has capacity
for 2,500 head and Shannondale Farm has capacity for 3,000 head.
Shannondale Farm reports that 90 percent of the animals in the
feedlot are Angus influenced, and about 75 percent are black.
Harry and Ed
Dalke travel together to purchase their cattle, but buy them
separately. They mostly buy from southwestern Saskatchewan, in
particular Mankota and Maple Creek. Sometimes they purchase
cattle from Swift Current, Brandon and Ashern.
Eastern
Canada recipient Ferme d’Anjou et Fils of Quebec
Ferme d’Anjou et Fils is located
in Saint-Agapit, Quebec and is managed by Guy D’Anjou. He built
a feedlot that currently finishes between 4,000 and 5,000 head
per year. Guy’s oldest son Jean-François
manages the feedlot.
The feedlot finishes mostly Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed
tagged Angus and Angus-influence cattle for shipment to Ontario
and American markets. Guy prefers to buy Canadian Angus Rancher
Endorsed tagged cattle. The cattle are sourced mainly in Quebec
but also in the Maritimes and Western Canada. Guy is a huge
supporter of the Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed program and his
restaurant, Angus Zone, became a licensed participant shortly
after the program launched. Guy believes it is critical that the
cattle he purchases are identified with an Angus tag that
certifies the animal has at least 50% Angus genetics.
Ferme d’Anjou et
Fils is a comprehensive enterprise.
In addition to the feedlot, Guy
operates a cattle transport company in cooperation with one of
his sons, and operates Angus Zone restaurant and Les Viandes
Chez Nous butcher shop with his family. Angus Zone and Les
Viandes Chez Nous both offer Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed
beef supplied by the Ferme d’Anjou et Fils feedlot. Guy also
works as a feeder calf buyer, a career he established prior to
buying the farm, grows grain and helps organize an annual
professional rodeo in Saint Agapit with his family. |
