Beef Less Travelled

Beef producers are always looking for ways to maximize their product and angle to market demands. Most often genetics and the likes are top of mind. The road less travelled is offering direct-to-consumer. This is where Dave and Kim Perry decided to showcase their product in a storefront setting. Enter Local Family Farms - Food Less Travelled in Verona, Ontario where the Perry family strives to offer locally-sourced options to the community.

The Perry family were generous enough to share their story, in their words.

We raise and finish our own black Maine-Anjou beef cattle, those that are not retained for breeding stock are all marketed through our store Food Less Travelled.

We started cross-breeding using Maine-Anjou semen in 1973 and gradually converted to purebred and full bloods and then in the late 90’s we started MAINE MAIL | VOL. 11 ISSUE 2 20

concentrating on black polled purebreds. Our herd is currently 100% black. We like the Maine-Anjou breed for its ease of handling, its conformation and carcass qualities.

Kim started the Frontenac Farmers Market in 2003 in the midst of BSE, consumer interest quickly grew in purchasing locally produced food products. Our customer base outgrew the farmers market (one day per week) so we opened a retail store with a large commercial kitchen which is open six days a week.

Some people were concentrating on organic products but Kim was able to see that local products were going to resonate with a larger consumer base so she decided to name the business Local Family Farms -Food Less Travelled (tagline) because we wanted to support other family farms not factory farms. Ultimately many suppliers ended up being organic growers but not all.

We supply the store with beef, Berkshire pork, meat chickens (6-7 lbs), turkey, Muscovy ducks and some produce from Perry Farm. We source products from several hundred other local producers mainly from Ontario and occasionally Quebec but always as close to home as possible.

We offer products from a substantial number of producers from Northern Ontario who we have met over the years while attending the trade show at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

Kim and her staff make a wide variety of desserts and savoury dishes in the commercial kitchen such as: chicken, turkey and beef pot pies, jambalaya, shepherd’s pie, Mexican pulled beef, baked pork & beans, tourtiere, Irish stew with lamb and approximately ten soups.

Pies, the store is well known for the pies. In the summer months, the staff make over 100 pies per week with inseason fruit or local frozen fruit. Among the mix: strawberry-rhubarb, raspberry-rhubarb, blueberry, peach, peach-blueberry, grape (new to most people), raspberry, apple, maple syrup, pumpkin and mince meat is offered as well although the mincemeat is made offsite by another Ontario company. We also make 1000’s of butter

Famous Famous shoppers

American actor, Curtis Armstrong is a return customer to Local Family Farms - Food Less Travelled. His go-to from Kim’s list of homemade entrées is the Cajun Jambalaya.

tarts, with or without raisins and on special occasions black forest tarts made with chocolate pastry, butter tart filling with sour cherry centres. Oatmeal and peanut butter cookies made with Ontario grown oats and peanuts alongside four other cookie varieties are baked fresh in our kitchen.

Our area is well known for fresh fruit and vegetables, honey and maple syrup products and a variety of different cheeses. Our store boasts cheeses from three Ontario cheese factories and locally processed milk from a local organic creamery. Canadian and Ontario wildcaught fish fill our freezers and we also carry many niche diet items: Canadian made vegan products such as pea milk, tempeh and other items made using Canadian grown ingredients. We have had great community support over the years and we also try to support our community. We support 4-H beef and pork clubs by purchasing animals at the 4-H auction. We have them processed and market them through our store.

We sponsor awards at several local country fairs, we sponsor the Verona lions Club Garlic Festival, the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market Butter Tart Competition. We make joint donations of ground beef with the Beef Farmers of Frontenac (who Dave has been President of for many years) to food banks, soup kitchens and the afterschool meal program with The Boys and Girls Club of Kingston. We have also been involved with cosponsoring food related events with the Rotary Club of Kingston.

The Perry family with their award winning Maine-Anjou. L to r: Dave, Mason, Jenna, Kaitlyn, Kim and Grant. Missing: Justin and Ashley.

We have been in retail for 15 years. When you open the door in the morning you just never know who you might meet throughout the day. We have had several celebrities over the years, some who come to mind are Mike Smith of the Edmonton Oilers (Goalie), Rob Baker from the Tragically Hip and regular seasonal visitors are Curtis Armstrong and his wife Elaine Aronson. Curtis played Booger on Revenge of the Nerds, acted in Better Off Dead and Risky Business. His wife Elaine is a producer and writer, well known for Cybill among many other shows. Curtis’ top pick from Kim’s list of homemade entrées is the Cajun Jambalaya.

Those who wish to start farming either on its own or along with another business should first check their inventory on their ambition because you are never able to say, “I don”t have anything to do today.” There is always an unfinished job starring at you. Have family and neighborhood support even if it means only having someone there to open and close a gate as you sort cattle.

Support your community and you will get their support tenfold in return. Farming is a great life and great atmosphere to raise a family in. It is a place where you can take pride in your work, whether you are growing crops or breeding and improving the genetics of livestock. Our grandchildren are the 8th generation on our farm, it’s a family tradition at Perry Farm / Local Family Farms / Food Less Travelled. Be sure to stop in if you are ever through Verona, ON. A girl and her Maine man. Granddaughter Charles showing Perry’s Mr. Farm Boy at Napanee Fair. Below, store employee Hannah Hayes dishes freshmade potato salad.

Aged to perfection, mennonite summer sausage is a great addition to any meal.