Our story...

Wapiti Valley Natural Beef Co. 

The philosophy for this company started in 1993. As a Science teacher in a Red Deer middle school I had developed a program introducing kids to agriculture in central Alberta.  The program involved visits to local grain farms, a grain elevator, cow-calf farms, hog farms, the Lacombe agriculture research center, and a local cattle feedlot.  I had some experience and knowledge of agriculture in Alberta with our small Black Angus cow/calf operation, working on my uncle’s grain farm, and many visits to the farm’s of relatives….BUT...my view of the agriculture industry changed that day in large part due to the innocent curiosity of a group of intelligent, inquisitive middle school kids.  

While at the grain farm we saw a hired hand putting “chemical”, probably a herbicide into a sprayer tank.  He was wearing a white protective suit with a mask and rubber gloves, of course the kids asked Why is he wearing that suit?  The farmer explained that the chemicals were toxic and could not touch your skin, and you would get very sick if you breathed the fumes in…..the next question was obvious, but one I had never thought of, “Don’t we eat the things you spray that on?” The farmer was quick to answer that the chemicals did not affect the humans or the animals that ate the grains, it only affected the weeds and the insects...It was like magic!  I do not claim to know enough about the herbicide and pesticide industry to argue effectively either way on this issue…..but there is something about this that just does not sit right in my mind.

Later in the day we visited a local feedlot, the feedlot was owned by a college classmate and friend’s family, so we got the “premium” tour!  I of course knew of feedlots and their purpose, but had not thought much about them...except that they were a necessary part of the cattle business especially because it was mostly feedlots that purchased our precious Black Angus calves every fall when we took them to auction.  This is how cow/calf operations make their money.  The feedlot was efficient and well-operated by the family and many hired hands. Pens full of animals(100’s upon 100’s of animals), efficient feeding troughs continually being refilled, feed that was enhanced with growth promoting “agents” and medicine “antibiotics” to keep the animals healthy, a vet doing autopsies on deceased animals trying to establish cause of death….It was by far the most exciting site we had visited during the tour! 

But, I left that feedlot with one question….Why do cattle have to finish their lives in a confined space almost being force fed feed they are not designed by nature to eat? I asked several cattle farmers I knew this question.  The answer I got was always the same, “The meat has to be “fatty” or people wouldn’t like it, or buy it”...period.  I didn’t believe that then, and I don’t believe that now.  My family had always enjoyed and respected the lean purity of harvested wild game, as hunting was a integral part of our protein food source.  I have thought about this long enough!  The herd is in the pasture, they are calm, happy and healthy...Wapiti Valley Natural Beef Co. wants to share these animals with your family and respectfully make them part of your family’s source of pure, natural, and healthy protein.