1. Could you tell me some background of yourself and the business?

I am a second generation pork producer working with my parents on our family farm. Our
business, Premier Quality Genetics, produces pigs, a portion of which are sold to other farmers as
breeding stock and the remainder are sold to a pork processing plant for processing into pork
products.
The breeding stock portion of our business is primarily females which are used by our customer
to produce pigs for meat.
2. What was it that drew you to this business or making this particular product?
I was interested in running my own business after working in very corporate environment. I
have an entrepreneurial approach to work and enjoy the challenge of being a small business
owner. I also am proud to be in an industry sector that helps provide food for people. Having a
domestic supply of locally produced food is important for many reasons but food safety is a
critical one. Being involved in a family business is also rewarding and being involved in the
agriculture sector has allowed me to meet many other family farms that are multi-generational.
There is a strong sense of family and a connection to the land in the agricultural sector that I
continue to gain appreciation for.
3. Who is your primary customer base?
Our breeding stock is sold to other local family farms. Our customer base for the animals
produced for meat is a local butcher and a cooperative owned pork processing plant. The pork
processing plant is owned by family farms within the Southern Ontario region.
4. Are any of the supplies, equipment, or ingredients that you use from other local businesses?
The feed that is fed to the pigs are primarily purchased from other local farmers. Many of the
repairs and equipment rely on local businesses.
5. How did you decide on packaging for your product(s)?
Not applicable.

6. What methods do you use to fight against pest control?

We vaccinate our animals against harmful diseases and maintain a very strict biosecurity
protocol to prevent diseases from entering our barns.
7. What challenges do you find with the ongoing Organic Food Movement?
Were not directly involved in organic foods. There is a program for antibiotic free pork that
some pork producers are involved in. It is a niche market that provides a value added product
and satisfies a market demand for pork raised without antibiotic use. The challenge of it and
organic food is the increased cost of production. The use of technology can help to increase the
efficiency of food production and therefore feed more people. While we must already be careful
how we employ technology, I view it as an important tool in helpful to feed our global population.

As a livestock producer, it is challenging to not be able to treat animals who are sick, or in
distress. As a result of the limited treatment options, there is a higher mortality rate for
antibiotic free pigs.

8. How long have you been in the farming industry?

I have been involved since I was a child helping with chores in the barn. My parents started
farming in 1975 on the same farm slowly growing the business.

9. What do you think about the Slow Food Movement?

I think the idea of fostering local traditional foods is good and I think people can vote with their
money and support local farms if they so choose. It is also a positive that people from non
agricultural backgrounds try to reconnect the food and good production. As the trend of
urbanization continues there is a real disconnect between the people growing food and those
that purchase it from the grocery store.
However I think the movement does not recognize the reality of the world we live in today
however and does not truly understand what modern agriculture is. Terms that are used like
factory farm are highly prejudicial and highly subjective.
I spoke to a high school classroom recently for career day and asked everyone to raise their hand
if they had a grandparent who was raised on a farm. The majority raised their hand, then I asked
how many had a parent who grew up on a farm, many hands went down. Finally I asked who
lived on farm and only 2 hands were still up. This illustrates that dramatic change of agriculture
in Canada. Gone are the days of the majority of the population living in a rural area raising a few
animals of each species. Just as we no longer have milk delivered to our front door and no longer
use horses for transportation, we no longer have small and inefficient farm operations.
Technology and demographic trends towards urbanization have transformed agriculture into a
modern industry where fewer people are able to raise more food. This is not a bad thing, and it
is what has allowed us to feed a growing population. Over time we as a people have become
better at growing food with less resources. We need to continue to do this while carefully
examining the technological choices available. It would be a mistake to dismiss the options
available to us merely to harken back to a simpler time.

10. At the beginning what were some issues when starting to run the business?
I was fortunate to transition to a business that was already running. However for my parents it
was challenging to start the business when the pork industry was in its infancy in terms of the
industry as it stands today. The issue for any business in agriculture today is the barrier to entry.
The capital required to begin farming is significant and often requires the assistance of family
through a succession planning process where one generation takes over from the other.

11. Does your business use social media to expand?

Our business and industry is small and personal in nature. Personal contact and long term
relationships, referrals and trust is how growth and new opportunities are achieved.