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Upper Canada Heritage Farm
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Barbara Schaefer
11351 Miller Road, Elizabethtown, Ontario
(613) 924-1234
Website: http://www.uppercanadaheritagemeat.ca
Upper Canada Heritage Meat raises heirloom
breeds of livestock - exclusively -
using both traditional and modern farming
methods on our 100 acre farm south of
Merrickville. Our animals live well
- roaming outside year round, getting
plenty of play and exercise, fully expressing
their natural instincts and socializing
with the other animals and people on
the farm. They are free of hormones,
steroids, antibiotics, growth stimulants
or chemicals of any kind. The result
is a pure product that is safe, nutritious
and absolutely delicious!
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Why Eat Heritage Breeds?
The Principle of Eater-Based Conservation
The best way to ensure the survival
of rare and endangered livestock is
to build consumer demand. Unlike endangered
animals in a zoo, farm stock has to
pay its way. These animals need a market
to encourage farmers to keep them. The
more demand, the less rare they become.
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Why are heritage breeds at risk?
Mostly because they do not fit with
modern, intensive systems of confinement
production. They are more suited to
the outdoors and to a natural diet without
artificial growth promoters. This means
that they mature more slowly and are
not so profitable for agribusiness.
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How bad is it?
In North America, over one-third of
all breeds of livestock are considered
rare or in decline. In Europe, half
of the breeds that existed at the turn
of the last century have become extinct;
a third of the remaining 770 breeds
are in danger of disappearing over the
next 20 years.
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Your food lives a happier life.
Rare and traditional breeds are well
suited to small family farms and receive
more individual care and attention.
They are more likely to be treated as
something special than as a commodity,
enjoying sunlight outdoors, grazing,
rooting and expressing their natural
instincts.
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Why are traditional and rare breeds
important?
Modern agro-industry relies on a very
small number of genetically very uniform
breeds. The population is so inbred,
that they are likely to react to any
problem, say, a new disease, in a similar
way. Traditional breeds constitute a
vast gene pool that we risk losing at
our own peril.
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Support the Small Farmer
Traditional livestock breeds remain
in very few numbers on very few farms,
championed by a dedicated breed of farmer
that believes in the importance of genetic
diversity. These farmers recognize the
value of breeds that may produce fewer
offspring or take longer to reach market
weight. But these farmers need to survive.
When you choose to eat heritage meat,
you support the traditional small farmer.
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Buying Local
Recognizing that the typical Canadian
diet has traveled on average 1,500 miles
from field to table, Upper Canada Heritage
Meat sells its products locally within
a 100 mile radius of our farm near Ottawa.
Our customers not only appreciate our
naturally raised product, but also place
value on the environmental benefits
of avoided fuel consumption.
You can find us every Sunday at the
Lansdowne Farmers Market from 8:00 to
3:00, May through November. We also
do a weekly delivery directly to the
homes and businesses of our customers
in Ottawa.
Produce: Heritage meats only
- pork from the Large Black Pig, beef
from the Lincoln Red, and chicken from
the Chantecler and Silver Gray Dorking
Delivery
to These Areas: Ottawa and area
Area of Coverage: Kingston, Brockville,
Smiths Falls, Merrickville, Athens
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