The Ehrenholz Family recognizes the importance of connecting to our food and has been selling meat to friends and family members for decades.  Now we want to offer our high-quality beef to others.  

​

Frequently Asked Questions:

​

What breed of cattle does your beef come from?

We raise Charolais- and Angus-cross cattle and are carefully selecting our herd for both a superior beef product and cattle that thrive in our climate.  As we search for cattle with traits that work for our farm, we have added bulls with Gelbvieh and Galloway genetics to the herd as well.  

 

How is your beef raised?

Our beef is raised at home on the farm from birth to slaughter.  In the summer, the cattle eat grass from the pastures and are moved regularly in a rotational grazing system.  In the winter, they are fed good-quality hay.  Calves are born in May and stay with their mothers until it is time for them to be weaned in the late fall.  We use fence-line weaning techniques for lower stress for the cows and calves.  Steers (castrated males) are kept for butchering.  They are butchered between 22 and 36 months of age.  This allows the animals to grow to full size (not maximum fatness), which allows for increased intramuscular fat (the stuff that gives beef its flavour and tenderness).    

​

Is your beef organic?

Our farm is not organic, but we believe in raising high-quality beef while treating the animals right and caring for our environment.  The meat is free of all antibiotics and chemicals at the time of slaughter, as per Canadian regulations.  We are not certified organic and we do not claim to be "unofficially organic."

​

Do you use hormones in your cattle?

All cattle naturally produce hormones, which help them to grow and function properly.  We do not give added hormone injections to our cattle, as we do not believe that to be necessary.

​

Do you vaccinate your cattle?

In consultation with our local vet, we have developed a vaccination program that works for our herd to protect our animals from relevant diseases.  We follow appropriate withdrawal times to ensure that all vaccines have cleared an animal's system before it is butchered.  

 

What do you feed your cattle?

Our cattle are mainly grass-fed but are sometimes fed grain in the winter because our winters are hard and they need the extra energy.  We also occasionally use grain as a stress-free bribe to get them into the corrals if we need to sort them for any reason.  In all of our management practices, we put the well-being of our cows first.

Our animals slaughtered for beef are now exclusively grass-fed unless we need to bribe them into the corrals.

​

Do you slaughter and butcher the beef yourself?

We have neither the time nor the expertise to butcher our own beef.  Our beef is slaughtered, cut, and wrapped by Barrhead Custom Meat Packers Ltd. 

All of our beef is inspected for sale within the province of Alberta.

​

Will the price of your beef be going up soon?

The price of our beef is re-evaluated annually, as we determine the costs associated with raising our beef cattle to slaughter size.  We do not want our prices to be prohibitive, but we do want to reflect the value that is in our food.

​

Can we visit the farm?

Since we are a working farm and do not engage in agritourism, you are welcome to request a visit to see how our cattle are raised.  Depending on the time of year, we may be too busy to accommodate your request, but would be happy to answer any questions you may have.  If we are able to host you for a short tour, please understand that this is a working farm.  Things may be messy, muddy, dusty, icy, or gross.  The animals may not be close to the farm yard (we can drive out to see them) and may not be willing to come close to you for feeding or pictures.  There will be rules to follow to keep you safe and any broken rule will result in an immediate request that you leave the farm.