August 30, 2010
Urban Meets Rural: BC Ranchers Connect With Surrey Consumers

SURREY – From their ranch to your plate, B.C. ranch families conduct in-store beef promotions and consumer education in Surrey to help connect urban consumers with the people that grow and raise their food.

“People are curious about where their food comes from,” says Surrey-Panorama MLA Stephanie Cadieux. “The ‘Meet a Rancher’ event allows consumers to learn about their beef so they can make the best buying decision for them. If you’re a foodie, a fan of food TV or just enjoy eating, it’s was a great opportunity.”

Through a partnership between the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association and Overwaitea Food Group, the “Meet a Rancher”: event educates consumers on their beef selection and helps identify which beef products and cooking methods meet their needs. The presentations were held at Lower Mainland Overwaitea Save-On-Foods outlets over the weekend, including two in Surrey:

South Point Save-On-Foods: Al and Brooke Madley, father and daughter from Alexis Creek, visited with customers, handed out recipes and beef information, and gave away beef samples from the meat counter.

Newton Save-On-Foods: Taylor and Tamara Grafton, a young third generation ranch family from Prince George, spoke with consumers, answering their questions about ranching and production.

“’Meet a Rancher’ is a good reminder of the locally grown produce and farmer’s markets we can take advantage of just minutes from our front doors, including the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, White Rock Farmers Market and  Belle’s Market,” adds Cadieux.

To learn more about farmers markets in Surrey and across the province, visit the B.C. Association of Farmers Markets website:  http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/

For more information on Stephanie’s constituency work, visit her website www.stephaniecadieuxmla.bc.ca and follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MLACadieux

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