Outstanding in the business of farming

At a time when many producers have been expanding farm size, Kevin and Melanie Boldt of Osler, Sask., decreased their acreage and started a meat company.

Pineview All Natural Meats Inc. includes processing, seasonal employees, sophisticated marketing strategies, and an on-farm store that takes the product from the farm to the fork.

“Although we’ve downsized our cropped acres, we’ve actually intensified our agribusiness,” says Melanie Boldt, a “town girl” with a Bachelor of Commerce, who had no experience in farming until she met and married Kevin, and moved to the farm. She subsequently worked in agricultural marketing and acquired the professional agrologist (PAg) designation.

“Our meat sales volume has tripled in size over the six years as have our chicken flocks and cattle herd.  We are still primary producers who chose to vertically integrate our business in order to move our products from mere commodities to branded consumer food products,” she says.

Selected as Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2004 during the Canadian Western Farm Progress Show in June, the Boldts describe their business decisions with words such as partnerships, alliances, models, goals, labour and capital. And their modesty is disarming when they freely admit, “We know we can’t do everything ourselves.” They ask for advice, network and build relationships.

Both graduates of university business programs, the Boldts have applied their training to their farm. Their company, which markets meats free of antibiotics, growth hormones and animal by-products, as well as free-range eggs and cheese imported from British Columbia, has proved successful. And it’s winning awards: the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Achievement in Business Excellence (ABEX) Marketing Award for 2003 and the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce SABEX Award for New Product in 2003.

“There are different ways to achieve success in farming,” said Kevin, whose basic training in agriculture, acquired while growing up on a dairy and grain farm, was enhanced by a Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan. “Some people succeed by going bigger, some by going smaller. It depends on your management style, skill sets, and what farming model works best for you.”

In the last six years, the Boldts reduced their cropped acres from 2,000 to 500, sold their large machinery and hired custom operators to farm the land. The Boldts produce just enough grain to feed their cattle and 25,000 to 30,000 chickens.

The farm’s small poultry abattoir is a domestically inspected poultry plant, which means the product can be marketed throughout Saskatchewan. The Boldts contract other producers to raise turkeys, pork and lamb according to an all-natural protocol, and the Boldts have alliances with meat processors for the large animal processing and co-packing. The Pineview All Natural Meats brand of smoked meats, deli meats and sausages are prepared at Drake Meats in Drake, Sask.

“All our farm activities are focused around producing and marketing our brand,” said Melanie.

The Boldts’ focus on an all-natural product struck a niche market.

“I believe that people want to know where their food comes from and want to know how it’s produced,” Melanie says. “Customers purchase our product because we sell meat that is free range and free of additives. All of our animals have access to the outdoors, to sunlight and the fresh air.

“We have created our own value chain by vertically integrating and partnering with other producers,” Melanie said. “We are able to capture incremental margin at each step of the production chain, ensure consistent and fair returns for our partner producers and deliver excellent value to the customer.  Most importantly, we deliver what the customer asks for!”

About 75 per cent of the business is conducted at the on-farm store, which attracts customers from the surrounding district. Other sales occur at grocery and health food stores, and butcher shops across the province. The product is also featured in a number of restaurants listed on the Web site www.pineviewfarms.com.

Pineview All Natural Meats also contributes to employment in the rural district. About 20 employees are hired during processing periods three times a year. The employment opportunities reflect the Boldts’ philosophy about agricultural and rural sustainability.

“To us, sustainability has three components,” says Melanie. “First is environmental stewardship. Second is economics ? providing a fair return to the primary food producer and good value to the consumer. Third is the social aspect ? creating jobs locally helps to maintain vibrant, rural communities.  We have created this definition for ourselves, and we try to measure our business decisions against these sustainability pillars.”

In November, Melanie and Kevin will espouse their philosophy to judges at the National Outstanding Young Farmers Program in Winnipeg. Sponsored by numerous agricultural organizations and businesses, the OYF Program is designed to recognize Canadian farmers between the ages of 18 and 39, who exemplify excellence in their profession.

The program is also a rigorous and exacting examination of participants’ farming operations, and the Boldts are up to the challenge.

“When we got married,” says Melanie, “one of our goals was to own a business together. Farming is a business that lets us use all our skills.”

For more information, contact:
Kevin and Melanie Boldt, Pineview All Natural Meats Inc., Osler, Sask.
(Please note: the company is Pineview; the farm is Pine View.)
Phone: 306-239-4763; FAX: 239-2138; e-mail sales.info@pineviewfarm.com