Bedford, PA – The Pennsylvania Beef Council (PBC) and the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) partnered to provide a unique “Farm To Grocery Cart” beef and veal immersion experience for representatives from the Ahold Delhaize group. Those in attendance specifically represented the Giant Martin Brand which has 172 retail locations within the northeast.
The event took place on Tuesday, June 11 where retail professionals were able to get a closer look and deeper understanding of the beef and veal industry in PA by meeting the faces that are dedicated to providing quality care and a consistent end product.
The group spent the morning at the Bow Creek Farm & Cattle Company located in Hershey PA. The family-owned and operated farm and small retail store shared their passion and pride for the industry. The Hess family works hard daily to provide quality care to their cattle which ensures a wholesome, nutritious and delicious beef product for customers to enjoy.
Tour attendees then traveled by bus to Marcho Farms located in Souderton, PA. Marcho Farms’ story began in 1969 when company founder Wayne Marcho purchased his first calf at a local livestock sale. In the years that followed, he and his family have seen their small, 2-person veal farm grow into a fully integrated, forward-thinking organization. Each step of the way, from selection, housing and feeding to transportation, processing and delivery is undertaken with the same sense of pride and unwavering commitment to quality and ethical behavior that began the business over 46 years ago.
“Opportunities like today really put into perspective what it takes to produce safe and wholesome beef and veal and the journey it takes from farm to fork. We look to help answer consumer questions about production through the information that my team and I saw first-hand today,” said Patrick Sanagursky, Meat & Seafood Category Manager- Giant/ Martins. “We want consumers to know even when they shop at a retailer like Giant that there is still a farmer working hard to produce that product.”
The beef and veal immersion event engaged the retail community by allowing them to experience first-hand how beef and veal is raised today. Much has changed over the years and with continuous improvements, both beef and veal have great stories to tell from nutrition to animal care to sustainability.
“Our mission is to be a unified voice for our beef and veal partners by sharing their legacy of commitment with the families enjoying dinner with us, “ Nichole Hockenberry, PBC Director of Marketing and Communications, remarked, “We feel that there is no better way to share the beef and veal story than to connect the dots from farm to plate. Meeting the faces and shaking the hands of those that raise the quality protein- beef and veal, has really made the most meaningful impact over the years of those that make future beef purchasing decisions in the retail sector.”
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Beef Council, visit www.pabeef.org.
The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.
