August 14, 2019 Brandon, MB – For the 9th year in a row, the Provincial Exhibition has partnered with six Manitoba Co-op’s and five local meat processors to deliver approximately 1500 lbs. of pork from the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair to several Westman food banks and soup kitchens.
Provincial Exhibition Honorary Director, Stan Cochrane and his family at Cochrane Stock Farms of Alexander, volunteered to care for the pigs from the pig scrambles at the 2019 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. Feed for the animals was donated by Co-op Feeds and western Manitoba Co-op retailers, including Heritage Co-op, Neepawa Gladstone Coop, Valleyview Co-op, and Boundary Co-op.
Oak River Quick Freeze, Prairie Rose Meats in Souris, Jarvis Meats in Gladstone, and Killarney Meats donated their processing costs and arranged for delivery to food banks and soup kitchens in their local areas.
“The direct connection between the meat processors and the organizations receiving the pork is a special part of this program.” Said Ron Kristjansson, General Manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba “All of the processors have their own relationships with the groups in their area providing a direct connection between the feed suppliers, meat
processors and the organizations where the meat is donated.”
Kristjansson noted that it takes multiple partners to make this program possible. “Support from partners like the Co-ops, the Deerboine Colony who sold us the pigs at a very reasonable price, and all the meat processors that allow us to use the pigs during the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair for agricultural education and then give back to the entire region that
supports us and our events. Groups from Portage la Prairie up through Minnedosa, Souris, Brandon, Killarney, Boissevain, Virden, and right out towards Moosomin, Saskatchewan have benefitted from this program.”
(article submitted)
