A confidence booster

[grassfarmer]

On the contrary Dave an email running down XL foods
and doing nothing else would be as meaningless to
my consumers as the generic assurances of safety
coming from Ritz and the cattle organisations like
ABP and CCA.
My email was an explanation of the bacteria involved,
why it was in the headlines, the steps that the
processor we use takes to prevent it being a problem
in the meat that we sell. As such it was a personal
email between me as a food producer and our food
consumers and that relationship is one build on trust
and personal connection. I don't need to be spreading
that conversation to the general public because it's
nothing to do with you or them.
If it satisfies your idle curiosity the 2 lines in a 32 line
message that could be construed as negative towards
XL Foods/NB were as follows:

"XL Foods has a history of being a low
quality/maximizing profit outfit and that is reflected
throughout their organisation (they also own ranches,
cattle, feedlots, auction markets etc) where their
facilities are generally in run down condition and they
employ the lowest wage immigrant workers they can
find."

Rush to their defence if you like but I believe these
facts to be correct and they are my opinion and we
are all allowed those the last time I checked.

Dave, I seem to remember you sending me a thank
you message a few years back when, in conjunction
with the NFU, I had a cow slaughtered to expose the
level of profiteering that was going on in the beef
processing sector at that time primarily due to NB's
influence. But I guess with your tactic support you
weren't really running anyone down then (well not
publicly anyway.)

[BFW]

For all you armchair quarterbacks out there I hate to burst your bubble but ecoli originates in cows at the ranch. certain cattle carry it and shed the bacteria allowing it to spread. As for dirty cattle in the feedlot yes, keeping them as clean as possible helps but it is not the source of the contamination. Do you think the cattle were carrying tag this August and September when the problem occurred?

[grassfarmer]

Jeff, Did they test some cattle for ecoli 0157 in your
feedlot to prove that it exists in my cattle on grass?

[BFW]

We have done fairly extensive tests over the years (collection of manure samples) and at certain times of the like the fall in particular find at times a low incidence of infection. this is not a feedlot exclusive problem. Ecoli 00157 exists that is why we take the food safety measures that we do.

[kato]

E coli is everywhere. So is salmonella. Which is why reducing the level is the goal. No one expects to eliminate it completely, but every effort should be made. In this case, that came up short.

From what I've read, the first line of defense was to wash those cattle before they were skinned, and the hot water hoses used to do it were not working properly.

Why weren't they working? Why weren't they fixed?

[ASRG]

Kato: I think they are washed before they go in the cooler...not before they are skinned?
I'm no expert on this Ecoli contamination, but I though it was inside the stomachs/intestines? Would there have to be a leak onto the carcass, from a cut in the stomachs/intestines?
I suspect that sort of thing can happen at just about any plant? Maybe it is how well you deal with after the leak?

[kato]

I would think E coli on the inside translates to e coli in the manure. And taggy animals are coated in it. If they're not washing them beforehand, IMHO they should be.

Maybe someone with more experience on this could enlighten us?? I've been through a hog plant, but not a big beef plant.

[gcreekrch]

Grassy, there are a few of your capabilities and accomplishments I am very impressed with.

Your willingness to discredit those who do not fit your philosophy is not one of them.

You yourself have bragged about buying cheap bred cows and turning a dollar on them when no one else was buying. Isn't that somewhat the same as NB did with culls?

I don't know what you tell your customers about "grassfed beef production" but I have read your posts about wintering your cattle on barley silage and worrying about losing the "fines" without having a floor in the self feeder.
In my simple little brain "grassfed" and "barley fed" is two differnt things.

I have never met either of the Nillson brothers but have met several of their staff. I think you would have a tough time convincing me they were cheap immigrant workers!
I am aware of where a lot of the plant staff comes from but I doubt they would be there if Canadians were hungry enough to work.

I am not an advocate of bailouts for anyone and not in this case either. It is just damned unfortunate that what could have been fixed with a good mopping has turned into a beaurocractical, media enhanced fiasco.

Nuff for tonight....

[grassfarmer]

Thats rich Dave, you don't like my willingness to
discredit anyone .... then you proceed to try and
discredit me and all that I do. A bit hypocritical.

Yes, I've bought cows when they were cheap - but
there were hundreds and thousands of other ranchers
competing in the same marketplace. Thats free
enterprise business, just the same way as you operate
under. Thats a big difference from being one of two
companies buying over 90% of the cows in the
country.

[gcreekrch]

Didn't realize I was discrediting you when I was only consolidating your own words from internet discussions. You expect the Nilson's to publicly explain their actions, why not explain your own?


There was nothing stopping you, me or anyone else from buying those cows. In fact, you could ask Blair Vold about a guy that wanted to partner up with an Albertan with grass for 1000 young cows to breed back about 2005-6. Plenty of guys that would have rented me $1 a day grass but none with enough intestinal fortitude to share profit a deal. Those $200 cows were worth $800 as breds that fall.

I am a somewhat negative soul myself at times, a contributor such as yourself makes me look inward and ask what can be done to make me less so.



FWIW,I tried not to let the cow buyers profit from this operation during BSE, local burger market used a lot of what we had at a good dollar. Did get caught a couple of times when supply was bigger than demand but I'm still glad someone was there to use them instead of just making wolf bait.