Keep Calm. Carry on. Cut meat.

We’re doing what we’ve always done — making clean, safe, healthy meat for Saskatchewan. But now, we’re doing more ...

I can’t really remember life before March 12, 2020. That’s the day when the sh** started to hit the fan with Covid-19 in Saskatchewan.

It feels like everything has changed. Yet really, amidst the chaos, the things we do in our shop every day, our reason for being, all remain the same. In fact, I think we’re getting better because of this pandemic.

Our whole mission for the last 22 years has been and always will be to make clean, safe, healthy and delicious meat for you.

We want you to feel good about the meat you eat — whether that’s because of how the animals are raised and handled, how the meat tastes, or because buying from us helps support the local community, we strive to earn your trust.

I talked to a customer earlier this week to confirm her home delivery. She specifically asked me “And what are you doing on your farm to minimize the risk of Covid-19 to your customers?”

That’s a great question. Here’s what I told her:

• As a food business, food safety is our #1 concern. We have daily cleaning protocols that include pressure washing and disinfecting walls, floors, and all equipment.  
• We’ve always worn protective clothing (butcher coats, aprons, hairnets, gloves) to work in the shop. Masks are available for our staff.
• We always wash hands upon entry and exit of each workstation. Everyone walks through a disinfectant boot dip when they exit or enter a room to minimize any cross contamination.
• We have also physically distanced our staff in the shop. This was a big change:
  • For example, our chicken processing staff now have their own staff room, breaks are staggered and chairs are set 2 metres apart.
  • Workstations are distanced 2 metres apart as well. This has made us less efficient but that’s the way it is for now.
  • Our customer service staff log in on their own time clock, have separate washrooms and coffee station from everyone else. They don’t cross paths with poultry staff.
• All high-contact surfaces are disinfected three to four times per day and/or in between each order. We’re wiping down phones, computers, workstations — you name it, it gets wiped!
• When supplies enter our shop, we disinfect the boxes in the receiving area before opening and putting things away.
• Perhaps one of the biggest changes came when we closed our retail storefront and moved to Porch Pick Up service in addition to our longstanding home delivery option. We did this to limit vectors of infection coming into the shop.
• Delivery protocols include physical distancing as well.
• And then there’s Kevin, . . . constantly reminding us to wash hands, clean, disinfect, and stand 6 feet apart ALL THE TIME!

We do all these things for the safety of our staff, our family, our meat and YOU. Staying healthy and working is the ultimate goal. I think we are making meat better than ever!

Now more than ever, we believe that a community needs to have the capacity to feed itself. Maybe that’s a conversation for another time — but definitely worth some thought.

Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, we have seen you come out BIG TIME to shop at local businesses like ours in the last three weeks. You are amazing! We are humble, grateful and happy to serve you. Even though we are physically distanced, we stand together!

In the last two weeks, we’ve worked hard to catch up on inventory after nearly running out of meat in the middle of March due to a surge in demand. Our staff worked double time to refurbish our inventory levels and now we’re getting into a good groove.

For that reason, we will be closed Easter weekend, April 10 – 12, 2020 to give our staff and family a rest.

P.S. Oh yeah, and one more exciting thing that will make us better —- we have a NEW WEBSITE launching sometime in the next month. We’ve been working on this all winter long we can’t wait to launch it! It will significantly improve your shopping experience with us.

P.P.S. Oh yeah, and now we offer DOOR TO DOOR HOME DELIVERY to Regina and Prince Albert to make eating local even easier!

P.P.P.S. This is it! We are now offering HEARTH PROVISIONS in our online store so you can order restaurant quality food from some of the best local chefs in Saskatoon. We’re happy to collaborate with Hearth!

More news next week ... if you’ve got questions, please let us know.