by Stuart Harrison
Monday, July 25, 2005

Welcome to The Business Beat.

We're marching to a slightly different beat this week as I'd like to focus on an agricultural theme, the Kawartha Choice initiative, and a few of the many businesses that are taking advantage of it.

What is the Kawartha Choice Initiative?

Kawartha Choice Farmland Foods is a Chamber of Commerce Committee. The intent is to create a local brand or symbol that producers can use to inform consumers that the product they are buying was produced in this area. It could be Kawartha Choice Beef, Kawartha Choice Chicken, pumpkins, corn, eggs, honey, you name it. You might see the Kawartha Choice logo on a farm gate, on a booth at the Farmers Market, on a Restaurant menu, or on a table at a local fundraising barbeque.

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Local Beef

A few companies have really picked up the concept and run with it this year, including Jason McIntosh, a local beef farmer who has a freezer full of steaks, roasts, hamburger and meat pies at Rural Routes at the Coop on Lansdowne Street. Just last week Jason added another freezer to Craftworks on George Street. Jason's farm is at 2460 Burnham Line, Peterborough, ON (705) 743-7417.

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Local Dairy and Legendary Chelsea Buns at Craftworks

Darrell Junkin of Craftworks now has not only Jason's beef but Empire Cheese, Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream, and a bake shop. Some folks up in Bobcaygeon might remember Junkins Home Bakery, known for miles around for their Chelsea Buns. Well, Idena Junkin is Darrells Grandmother and she's helped him capture the magic, and he's now baking Bobcaygeon Chelsea's every morning at Craftworks! Craftworks is located in Downtown Peterborough at the corner of George and Sherbrooke. Look for the big rocking chair out front.

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Traynor Beef Farmgate Sales

Greg Traynor of Traynor Beef farms recently set up a retail outlet on his farm, selling corn fed, hormone free beef. The store includes steaks, roasts, ten flavours of sausage, beef jerky pepperettes and hamburger. The store is open 12 - 5 Thursday, Friday and Saturday or by appointment. Just take the Old Keene Road south until it stops, turn right and you're there. The address is 2193 County Road #2. Call 705-876-0044, or check out www.traynorbeeffarms.ca.

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Holiday Inn Taking the Kawartha Choice Challenge

The Holiday Inn has great concept in their Kawartha Choice Challenge, which features a different dish each week in their Riverside Grill and Gazebo. They have everything from beef to chicken, berries, even elk and emu! At the end of summer the favourite dish will be added to the menu permanently, a great idea.

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Otonabee Meat Packers is Retailing

Otonabee Meat Packers is a local abattoir. Joe Taylor tells me that they are getting an increasing number of inquiries from restaurants and consumers. Otonabee Meats is also a retail operation, they're located just east of Peterborough, then south to 2043 Drummond Line, call 705-743-8547.

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Barbeque in a Bag

The Kawartha Choice Barbeque in a Bag concept encourages local community groups who are having fundraising barbeques, to buy their beef patties locally. There are more than twenty major events this year that have signed up and received their Kawartha Choice BBQ in a Bag kit, which contains a list of local retailers, signage, aprons, hats and buttons, and fundraising barbeque tips. There are still kits available at the Chamber of Commerce, just call Anne Arnold at 705-748-9771 ext 200.

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The bottom line is that there are an increasing number of ways for you to buy locally, from retailers, restaurants, bake shops and barbeques, to farm gates and farmers markets - dozens more than I've mentioned in this article. All the information is available online at www.kawarthachoice.com or just call us at the Chamber of Commerce at 705-748-9771.

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