RAINIER, Alta. – At the entry of South Slope Feeders, a bold black-and-white sign reads “Eat Beef.”
It’s a promotion that’s taken seriously by Jim and Joan Graham. The family livelihood depends on it.
It’s a busy place. A jumble of sons, daughters, grandchildren, pets and trucks crisscross the yard. More than 25,000 head of cattle are fed to slaughter weight at this southern Alberta farm each year and it takes the entire family – the elder Grahams, their five sons, two daughters and in-laws – to keep the operation running smoothly.
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All five sons are married and live close to the operation, and their wives are involved to varying degrees in the family operation.
The Graham family moved to the outskirts of Rainier in 1967 where Jim became manager of South Slope after some local farmers decided to feed their cattle in one place for more efficiency. Now it’s a total family enterprise.
“Basically, we’re farmers where we raise as much crop as we can … and then, in order to market it, we put it through this custom feedlot. We do a number of things, but basically, we only sell live butcher cattle,” said Jim.
South Slope lies in the heart of cattle country where more than 100,000 cattle are on feed.
While irrigation for feed crops supplied by the Eastern Irrigation District is partly responsible for the success of the feeding industry here, weather is the dominant factor. Summers are hot and dry; winters are generally easy.
“I don’t know of any place in North America that is as good as it is right here (for feeding cattle),” said Jim.
In fact, it’s so good, the Grahams have applied to the local county to increase the size of their feedlot to 25,000 head and plan to build a lagoon for drainage.
Right now, they have a one-time capacity of 12,000 to 14,000 head, marketing about 25,000 head per year. They keep 450 cows of their own and own about half the calves going through the feedlot each year. The rest are custom fed for clients.
The Grahams raise a lot of their own feed and try to buy the remainder from local suppliers. All the feed is tested and mixed with the aim of giving the cattle the best possible diet.
“We test every load that comes in … because we have to compete with every custom feedlot in Western Canada.”
Calving occurs in March or April with early weaning in August to beat the hectic fall feeder run. Mostly Charolais-cross, these calves gain about 1.4 kilograms each day, which Jim’s son, George, attributes to a “good program.”
Quality is a big factor
The pens at South Slope are cleaned four or five times a year to keep the cattle clean. Concrete pads are now being poured in processing areas to further ensure cleanliness. A hydraulic chute is used to treat and immunize cattle to minimize chances of broken needles and tissue damage. Little branding is done and if an animal comes in with horns, they stay on so the calf doesn’t go through unnecessary stress, said Jim.
When the cattle are ready for slaughter, George sells to processing plants in Alberta, Ontario and in the United States.
Although feedlot operators keep hearing packers and processors want smaller carcasses, cattle prices haven’t reflected that, according to Jim.
“As long as they (the packers) pay top money for heavy cattle, that’s what they’re going to get.”
“They have not been hurting us hard enough on an overweight animal for us to start selling a 1,200 pounder and that’s why you’re seeing feeder prices where they’re at,” said George. A lot of exotic crossbreds are shipped out at about 590 kilograms and British crosses at 560 kg, he said.
Free enterprisers
A free enterprise spirit prevails on this farm, where they live by markets and close margins. The last three years have been good to the feeding industry. On the Graham farm, rather than pouring money into structures and machinery, funds were set aside to help them weather declining prices these last two quarters.
“The newest tractor on the place is 14 years old,” said Jim.
In this family, everybody has a job. Of the five sons, George handles inventory including buying, sorting and selling cattle. Mike is general manager, Ken runs the farms, Gord looks after equipment, service and the silage business and John manages the stock cows. Their mother Joan is the office manager. Daughter Susan Chomistek is the principal of nearby Rolling Hills School and the other daughter, Marie Hutchison, works in a Taber bank. Jim and Joan boast 19 grandchildren.
In total the family enterprise covers just more than 4,000 acres, including the original homestead.
Each family has a farm, a herd of stock cows and a home close to the feedyard. While each of the sons has a job on the farm, George attributes most of their success to their father.
“Dad built up this business by the way he can deal with people and he’s been an integral part of our success,” he said.
Beef industry leadership
Having a competent crew at home allowed Jim time to enter cowboy politics where, as past-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, he’s become a beef ambassador. He’s also on the board of directors for the beef export federation.
He’s concerned that many people, including politicians, don’t understand the important role beef plays in the national and international marketplaces.
“Our commodity is bigger than wheat. If we weren’t exporting all these cattle and we hadn’t won these countervail cases (against subsidized European beef imports), what would we do for the feed grain producers in Canada, because we’re the largest single market for their feed grain,”said Jim.
According to Jim, the beef industry needs a nonrefundable national checkoff to support beef promotion, with all provinces paying their share.
Their major competitors, the United States and Australia, have mandatory levies where the importance of beef promotion is no longer an issue.
“That’s one area where we can work and improve our industry,” Jim said.
