Clear Creek Organics Ltd.
Barriers to Small Food Companies
Gene and all and Pat Kessler
Certified Organic Mixed Farm
Since 1997
Pangman, Saskatchewan
Formation of CCO June 2008
• Established a formal structure Ltd Co..
• Producer owner through “A” Share
• Must be certified organic
• One Share per operation
• “B” Share open to anyone with a common vision
The Vision
• Number One Supplier of Organic Fresh and Processed Meat in Canada
How to Accomplish This Vision?
• Value from the whole carcass
• Keep all players in the value chain profitable and sustainable
• Meet consumer demand.
Value Added Products
• Organic Beef Jerky• Organic Beef Sticks• Organic 3 Pepper Smokies• Organic Cheddar Cheese
Smokies• Organic Farmers Sausage• Organic Breakfast
Sausage• Organic Dinner Sausage• Organic Adult Franks
New to Canada
• CCO was the first to receive approval for the process that does not use nitrites in their processing.
• No MSG, Gluten, Sulfides added as well.
• Researched through the Food Development Centre.
Introduce New Deli Line
Labels and Recipes
Approved for 9 new
Deli sandwich meats.
Launch 6 spring of 2011
Deli Meats
• Bierwurst
• Summer Sausage
• Thuringer
• Pastrami
• Lynor
• Krackauer
Launch Retail Outlet 2010
Up the Value Chain
Barriers to Expansion and Development
• MONEY …………………………
• Regulations…regulations…regulations
• Time it takes to work through the system
• Capacity within the system
• No Federal abattoir in Sask.
• Provincial borders
• Etc.
Regulatory Bodies
• Designed for Food Safety????????
• Dept of Health
• CFIA
• Etc.
Example
• Use of a ”Canadian” red leaf
denied on Label
Example
• Transfer of federal product from one facility to another – Set up for large companies.
Inspectors Have Local Power
Federal/Provincial
Why is it OK for Sask.
residents to eat our meat
but no one in the
rest of Canada
I Feel Like This
?
Federal Capacity
Deli Meats and Slicing. Problem
created by a major federal
plant impacts
all processors.
Capacity within the System
Closest Federal abattoir to us is Lacombe Alberta.
Capital
Every step of the
process cost and the
primary producers
struggle to invest
in an idea.
Capital
• Our Goal: A million people investing 1% of their assets in local food systems...within a
decade.
Principles
• 1. We must bring money back down to earth.
• 2. There is such a thing as money that is too fast, companies that are too big, finance that is too complex. Therefore we must slow down – not all of it of course but enough to matter.
More principle
• 3. We must learn to invest as if food, farm and fertility mattered. We must connect investors to the places where they live. Creating a vital relationship and a new source of capital for small food companies.
• 4.- 5
Paul Newman’s Quote
• I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer who puts back into the soil what he takes out. “Recognizing the wisdom of these words, let us begin rebuilding our economy from the ground up, asking:
What If?
• What would the world be like if we invest 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?
• What if there was a new generation of companies that gave away 50% of their profits?
• What if there were 50% more organic matter in the soil 50 years from now?
Who Gets the Share
Value Chain Share $8.99
Producer 1%
CCO 7%
Broker 5%
Distributor 20%
Retailer 67%
Warning Signs
Made in”“
The First Step
Clear Creek Organics
Thank you for the Opportunity to
provide “Food” for thought!!