News

Abattoir Birthday Bash Nov 2nd!

Join us Saturday November 2nd to celebrate our amazing community abattoir! With your continued support, Salt Spring’s abattoir is thriving and helping our local farmers feed our wonderful community.

Enjoy live music by Synergy

Bid on tons of awesome silent auction items

Chef Brody Paine is back and ready to whip up a mouthwatering local farm-to-table dinner featuring your choice of chicken or lamb. And don’t worry—there’s a delicious vegetarian option for those who prefer it!

Abattoir Birthday Bash Tickets are $80 and available at The Mercantile or Foxglove (cash or checks only). We’re also reserving tables for groups of 6 to 8—just email Fraser@FalconFarm.ca to secure your spot!

Already, have plans on November 2nd? Why not contribute to our silent auction? Your support makes a difference!

We can’t wait to see you at Fulford Hall!

Reminders:

  • Doors Open: 4:30 PM
  • Dinner: 6:00 PM
  • Cash Bar
  • Auction Items: Cash, Cheque and eTransfers Only
  • Tickets are non-refundable
  • Kindly contact Fraser@FalconFarm.ca for inquiries and booking tables of 6 to 8

Summer 2024 Newsletter : The Composter, Fall Fair BBQ and More!

Please help us reach our fundraising goals by volunteering at the Abattoir BBQ Fundraiser at the Fall Fair, September 7th & 8th.
A huge thank you to Thistledown Farm, Swallow Farm, Byron Farm and Redwing Farm for their donations.



Use this SignUp Genius link or contact annemacey@shaw.ca

The Composter Project

Finally! Community composting is coming to Salt Spring.
Back in 2021 the Abattoir Society purchased an Ecodrum composter.  Originally designed to handle livestock mortalities, we will use The Ecodrum to compost waste from the Abattoir.  We partnered with the SSI Farmland Trust and the CRD, located the drum at the Burgoyne Valley Community Farm and now, after overcoming the various installation challenges, we are ready to begin operations. 

The intention is to be able compost organic waste from the Abattoir, stores, restaurants and institutions, but initially we’ll start with the abattoir waste and material from Burgoyne Valley Community Farm and mix it with wood shavings.  The composter is off-grid, powered by innovative vertical solar panels in the field behind thanks to Kjell Liem and the Salt Spring Community Energy Society.

Funding for this community composter project came from the BC Investment Agriculture Foundation, Salt Spring’s Community Works Fund (thanks Gary), Clean BC, the Salt Spring Island Foundation, The Berman Foundation and individuals. Past abattoir board member Kevin Chipperfield has managed the construction project together with current board members Georg Janssen and Anne Macey.This month we will start taking all inedible offal to theEcodrum. This new service will save the time and cost of a second trip to the abattoir for those who value not having to deal with disposal themselves.

A small fee will be added to the processing bill to cover our handling costs. This year the charge will be $5/lamb, $25/beef, 30c/chicken, 50c/turkey. We will review at the end of the year and welcome your feedback to refine the program.Producers who want to take back their own inedible offal can do so but you will need to provideyour own labelled buckets and pick up by the end of the kill-day.

Bookings

Poultry Bookings

Still room for chickens on Sept 3 & Sept 17. Thanksgiving week is full.  If your numbers change significantly from the number booked, please email ssiabattoir@gmail.com

Water Storage Field Days

Here is some information on some great free workshops to learn more about water storage, led by Bruce Naka of the Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. These will include; key design and operational components, costs and benefits, storage capacity and sizing, site selection, maintenance, and regulatory considerations. 

Bruce Naka has been involved in irrigation design and implementation for over 30 years. His experience covers all facets of irrigation systems from sports fields and golf courses to large-scale agricultural systems. Bruce is certified by the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC) in Commercial Turf Sprinkler & Agriculture Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation, and he is also a certified Irrigation Scheduler. Bruce was also on the North Okanagan Drought Response Committee. Bruce also served as president of the IIABC for the 2017-18 term. Since 2015 Bruce established an irrigation consulting company, Sound Water Advice, focused on efficiency in irrigation design & system planning. 

Register for 3 different free workshop opportunities:

Salt Spring Island (Aug 13th)https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/agriculture-water-storage-field-day-tickets-971442690237 9:00am- 12 pm Night Owl Farm- 2100 Fulford-Ganges RdDugout pond for livestock and forage and restored wetland pond12 pm lunch1 pm Burgoyne Community Farm- 2232 Fulford-Ganges RdDugout pond for row crops and greenhouses3 pm Apple Luscious Organic Orchard- 110 Heidi PlaceRainwater storage in cisterns for apple orchard 

Duncan (Aug 14th)https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/agriculture-water-storage-field-day-cowichan-tickets-972379020827 9:00am- 12 pm Unsworth Vineyard New site- 5889 Menzies RdDugout pond for grapes 

Merville (Aug 15th)https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/agriculture-water-storage-field-day-comox-tickets-972384667717 6:30 pm- 8:30 pm Fireweed Farmstand- 6669 N Island HwyDugout pond for row crops and greenhouse

Climate Resilient Livestock Production Workshop and 2024 AGM

Please join us on Sunday May 12th from 10am-3pm for a Climate Resilient Livestock Production Workshop with Tristan Banwell and Julia Smith at the Ruckle Heritage Farm Barn Workshop fee includes lunch provided by Southend Sausage.

$25 Abattoir members / $40 non-members

Pre-registration required by May 10th

E- transfer workshop fee to ssiabattoirpay@gmail.com Please put your full name in the memo box.

Haven’t renewed your membership yet?  Please e-transfer $55 for membership & workshop.  

  • Program
    • 10:00 Welcome & introductions
    • 10:15: Pastured Poultry – best practices for maximizing profits
    • 11:30 Abattoir Society AGM
    • 12:00 Lunch by Southend Sausage
    • 12:45 Pasture management & rotational grazing for cattle, sheep & pigs  

Please carpool and park in designated areas. There is no parking along the road in Ruckle Park. Indoor sessions & outdoor demos. Indoor presentations in the barn with seating on benches and chairs – you might want to bring a cushion! Please bring a water bottle.  

For more information, please contact ssiabattoir@gmail.com Sponsors: Salt Spring Abattoir Society Island Natural Growers Small-Scale Meat Producers Association   We hope you will join us for an informative day of coming together to embrace sustainable agriculture and strengthen our climate resiliency with these wonderful presenters

 

Tristan Banwell runs Spray Creek Ranch, a regenerative, organic, diversified farm in the Northern St’at’imc Territory near Lillooet where they raise cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry on pastures alongside the Fraser River and operate a Farmgate Plus abattoir. Tristan is the President of the SSMPA and a grazing mentor with Farmers for Climate Solutions and the Canadian Forage & Grasslands Ass programs. He and his wife Aubyn were recently named BC & Yukon’s Young Farmers of the Year.  

Julia Smith, Executive director of the SSMPA has experience raising hogs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys & geese. She previously operated a butcher shop to direct market meat from her farm and other local producers. She now owns Blue Sky Ranch in Nlaka’pamux territory near Merrit where she practices rotational grazing completely off-grid.  Julia is a grazing mentor and a director of Farmers for Climate Solutions.  

Abattoir Society AGM 2024 

Abattoir Society AGM 2024  will be held after the first session and before lunch. We will present the annual reports and appoint directors for 2024/25. Thanks to those who have already put their name forward:  Fraser Baldwin, Abey Scaglione, Georg Janssen, Elsie Born, Mark Whitear, Anne Macey.  If you are interested in joining the board, please contact Fraser Baldwin: fraser@falconfarm.ca  

The SS Abattoir is a essential resource for providing local food and ensuring food security for our community. Having a local processing facility is better for the environment and animal welfare and it is crucial keeping animal agriculture on Salt Spring Island. Your membership is vitally important in keeping the abattoir going.  

Winter 2024 – SS Abattoir Bookings, Membership and More

We have bookings available for lambs on Thursday, February 15th and for poultry on Tuesday, February 20th. Our 2024 regular season will begin March 21st. This date will allow you to have lamb available for Easter.
Poultry bookings are already filling up so please get your bookings in for June and beyond.

Please submit your booking requests by clicking here or visit our website at https://saltspringabattoir.ca/booking  

Memberships renewals for the 2024 season are due and can be submitted by e-transferring ssiabattoirpay@gmail.com. Please remember that membership is required for those producers processing animals. We appreciate your business! We also appreciate the tremendous support of those who recognize the abattoir as a vital community resource supporting farming and food security on Salt Spring Island.  

We hope you will join us for our Annual General Meeting in April- date to be announced soon. This is a chance for farmers to come together and have their voices heard so the abattoir can continue to improve. It’s also a great chance for the community to learn more about what we do and get more involved.

We are excited to have Andrew Campell join the team in a management role. He will be handling day-to-day operations including processing and butchering.

2023 Birthday Bash – Saturday November 4th

On November 4th come help us celebrate our community abattoir! With ongoing support from the community, Salt Spring’s abattoir continues to provide a service to farmers to help feed our community.

Tickets for the Abattoir Birthday Bash are now on sale at The Mercantile and at Foxglove (Cash or Cheques only). Table reservations available for parties of 6 to 8 (please email Fraser@FalconFarm to reserve).

Chef Brody Paine will once again be preparing a delicious local farm-to-table dinner with a choice of Turkey or Lamb and, if someone in your party doesn’t eat meat, there’s a vegetarian option.
Already have plans for November 4th? Why not buy a ticket for someone else or donate to the silent auction!

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday Nov 4th at Fulford Hall

Doors Open 4:30
Dinner 6:00

Summer 2023 Newsletter

Poultry –After a slower than expected start to the season, poultry days booked up quickly for August through to November. If you have, or will be getting, more chicks but have not yet booked a slaughter day, please let us know immediately and we will try to fit you in.  Turkey dates for Thanksgiving are FULL.

We have a new rotary scalder which allows us to process chicken feet for human consumption.  This will be done only if specifically requested.

Haidee Hart (Woodshed Provisions) is looking to buy local chicken fresh or frozen ($6:50/$7:00lb). If you have birds to sell, email Haidee: haidee@woodshedprovisions.com

Red Meat – With the new addition we have lots of capacity to hang more carcasses. Unfortunately, the numbers we can process in a week are limited by staff availability & the lack of rental housing on SSI!  If you have lambs you want to bring in before Christmas and haven’t booked yet, please send us your numbers and we will add you to the wait list. We hope to add a few more slaughter days in Nov/Dec. 

Housing staff & potential new staff – finding a place to live is an ongoing struggle. If you know of a rental situation where a couple and their 4 goats would be welcome, we’d like to hear from you.  

Help Wanted:  We have a great team but need more help to accommodate all the bookings requested.

  • Do you know of a skilled butcher (retired perhaps) who might be willing to assist for a few days this fall?
  • Currently we are looking for another meat wrapper for regular work 1 or 2 days a week until Christmas.
  •  someone with experience slaughtering pigs to work 1 or 2 days this fall.
  • Someone with experience eviscerating chickens Sept 5 & Sept 26

Membership Drive: Many thanks to the 80 of you who signed up as members to support our community Abattoir. 

Fall Fair Fundraiser – we’ll be selling lamb burgers again at the Fall Fair Sept 9 & 10 and looking for more volunteers to help out both days.  If you don’t have time to sign up for a shift, come by anyway and buy a burger! To sign up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FADA62DA0F49-fall3

SAVE THE DATE11th Abattoir Birthday BashSaturday Nov 4 –at Fulford Hall with meal prepared by Chef Brody Paine, live music and silent auction.  Tickets on sale beginning of October.

March 2023 Newsletter

2023 Booking Calendar

Poultry slaughter days in 2023 will be Tuesdays with pick-up on Wednesdays.

Red Meat slaughter days in 2023 will be Thursday with pick-up of frozen meat on the following Friday.

Please note that we need a minimum number of animals (~150 Birds / ~15 Lambs) to open a day so please be aware that at less busy times of the year we might have to move a booking back or forward a week.

Please look at the on-line calendar and book well in advance to ensure you get the dates you want.

May & June Poultry Bookings

If you have already ordered chicks for early in the season, please send us your preferred processing dates now.  If you were hoping for the end of May or early June, we are already starting to fill up. It may be possible to add a day if we can find the staff but there is no guarantee. Please remember to book well in advance – as soon as you order your chicks.

March & April Red Meat Bookings

The expansion project is wrapping up (and looking fantastic) and will have an update on March 21st as to opening dates, but for now we are targeting opening the week of March 27th.  Let us know if you want to bring in lambs or sheep early in the season.

Latest news:

Membership drive

The Abattoir needs your support!  In the past, the number of paid members has dwindled.  

$30 Membership fee accepted via eTransfer ssiabattoirpay@gmail.com  [Please include your full name and email address in the comments box].

BECOME A MEMBER BEFORE MARCH 3rd AND YOU COULD WIN A FREE TICKET TO OUR BIRTHDAY BASH

Livestock Producers Meeting – 7:30pm April 12th Farmer’s Institute

We are inviting all livestock producers whether you raise 10 birds or 1000, 5 lambs or 50, for a discussion on the future of our community Abattoir.   It’s a challenging time for farmers and processors – increasing costs of feed & supplies, lack of availability of skilled staff or lack of housing if we do find someone with the skills we need.  

What needs to change if the abattoir is to serve the community for another 10 years? What services do you want to see offered?  Please help us figure out the best way forward.  We have some ideas and proposals, including only allowing members in good standing to process animals at the abattoir. Please come and share your thoughts – we want to hear from you. 

7:30pm on April 12th at the Farmer’s Institute, followed by the Abattoir Society AGM at 8:30 pm.  We hope to see you all there.

Directors Wanted for Abattoir Society Board

Some long-standing directors are retiring, and we need a new treasurer. Please consider joining a team of committed volunteers to ensure the abattoir continues to provide a vital service for livestock producers.

Potential new Butcher for the abattoir

We are in the midst of trying to bring an amazing butcher originally from Germany to Salt Spring, however finding stable 2-bedroom accommodation for a young family is a challenge.  

Does anyone know of anything available?   If you do, please reach out directly to annemacey@shaw.ca and we can discuss the details.

Canada Summer Jobs Program

Do you know anyone who wants a summer job? Under the Canada Summer Jobs Program, the Salt Spring Abattoir is hiring a young person (age 15-30) for 4 days a week) from the end of June to September 3. Work includes assisting with poultry processing, cut & wrap, facility maintenance and other tasks under direction of our regular staff. 

Country Grocer Receipt Program

Reminder, if you are at Country Grocer, please put your receipts in box 27.   Country Grocer generously donates a portion of sales of those receipts.   It takes no time (once you know where box 27 is) and it helps out the abattoir.

10th Annual Abattoir Birthday Bash

Come help us celebrate the 10-year anniversary of our community abattoir!  

Chef Brody Paine will be preparing a delicious local farm-to-table dinner with a choice of Turkey or Curry and, if someone in your party doesn’t eat meat, there’s a vegetarian option. 

Tickets for the Abattoir Birthday Bash are now on sale at The Mercantile and at Foxglove (Cash or Cheques only).  Table reservations available for parties of 6 (please email Fraser@FalconFarm to reserve).

Already have plans for November 12?  Why not buy a ticket for someone else or donate to the silent auction!   

With ongoing support from the community, Salt Spring’s abattoir has provided a service to farmers for the last ten years, but it’s not been easy!  These days with staff shortages and inflation it’s a challenge to run a community food-based business but it’s more important than ever. The Covid pandemic brought home to a lot of people that we need to produce and process more of our food on island rather than being dependent on ferries;  and increasingly people are becoming aware that local food production has a significant climate benefit.  

Join us to celebrate all the food producers on Salt Spring Island.  

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday Nov 12 at Fulford Hall

2022 Birthday Bash Poster

October 2022 Newsletter

Good and Bad news to report – lets start with the good news!

Fall Fair Fundraiser

Our burger sale was a great success!  Thanks to all volunteers who helped flipping burgers, slicing tomatoes, selling tickets, and serving the burgers.   Thanks also to Country Grocer for their support and to those of you who donated meat.

Save the date! Nov 12 for the Abattoir Birthday Bash & 10 Year Anniversary

Yes the event you have all been waiting for after missing the last 2 years! We’re celebrating 10 years in operation with a local farm to table dinner, cash bar, entertainment, and a silent auction. 

Tickets will be $75 and tickets are limited this year.   We will be seating 6 at a table – if you want to reserve a table for 6 people, please send an email to Fraser@FalconFarm.ca. 

If you have objects or services to donate, please contact Fraser [Fraser@FalconFarm.ca].  Only limited by your imagination: an hour of with an excavator; a cord of wood; a garden consult; dinner for 2 at your home; that piece of art you never really liked; the new jeans that didn’t fit; a special pie; a dance lesson; 3 days at your winter getaway place; or…

Expansion Project Update

So far, the Expansion Project buildout has gone smoothly and the work to join the new addition to the existing building will begin the first week in January.  We plan to open again in April 2023 if not before. 

Bookings

All dates are full for the rest of the season.    If you are still wanting to book animals or birds in 2022, please let us know immediately.  We will add you to the wait list in case of cancellations or possibly add an additional processing day if inspectors and staff are available.   Please provide as much notice as possible if your numbers change or you intend to cancel a booking. 

Crates

Don’t forget to pick up the crates you used to bring birds to the abattoir. We’re getting quite a collection. 

Now for the not so good news…

Avian Influenza on Salt Spring

A PCZ has been declared onSalt Spring Island following detection of avian influenza in a flock on the island. This means everyone moving birds to and from the abattoir needs a general permit. The requirement is expected to last until the end of November, but the actual date is unknown at this point. If you require a permit the BC Ministry of Agriculture will assist you – contact Debbie at 778 405 3954.

Please note if you show up at the abattoir without a permit, we cannot accept your birds.

Finally:

Did anyone borrow the very small kill cone? We had it custom made a few years back to handle those very small birds, but it’s been missing for a while. No questions asked if it appears again.

June 2022 Newsletter

Everything is underway for the 2022 season.   It has been a challenge with staffing this year, and we are doing our best to manage the number of bookings

Some important key dates:

• Next available date for Lamb bookings August 4th

• Poultry Bookings full until August 16th

Please look at the on-line calendar and book well in advance to ensure you get the dates you want.

Pigs

Regrettably we no longer have staff qualified for pig slaughter and cannot confirm bookings until we have trained people available. If you know of anyone with experience in pig slaughter who might be interested in occasional work please tell them to get in touch. 

Poultry

Last year we had a successful introduction of parting poultry.  Unfortunately, due to staffing challenges, we can’t guarantee that we will be able to cut birds in half this year.  We can still offer vacuum packing for whole birds up to 8lbs – please let us know if you would like this option for an additional fee.

Latest news:

2022 Fall Fair Fundraiser 

Salt Spring Abattoir Lamb burgers will be back at the Fall Fair this year!   And we need your support.

The abattoir is looking for donations of cull Ewes.  Please reach out if you have culls to donate or at a discount. Processing date will be Sept 1; if you need to send them earlier we can freeze the meat.

We are also looking for volunteers to run the ticket table, the serving station or BBQ – the Fall Fair will be on the weekend of September 10-11, 2022.   Volunteers always have a fantastic time, please consider joining the fun.

 10th Anniversary Celebration

If you would like to join the organizing committee for the Birthday Bash on November 12 please get in touch.

The Abattoir is Hiring

We are still looking for new members for the red meat team this season for kill days and for cut & wrap.   If you know of anyone who has the skills, please tell them to contact us by email: ssiabattoir@gmail.com 

Canada Summer Jobs Program

Do you know anyone who wants a summer job? Under the Canada Summer Jobs Program the Salt Spring Abattoir is hiring a young person (15-30) for 4 days a week (Tuesday – Friday) from the end of June to September 3. Work includes assisting with poultry processing, cut & wrap, facility maintenance and other tasks under direction of our regular staff.  We are also looking for housing for an 8 week period if there is an interested applicant from off-island. Can you help?

Waste Management – Important please read

The abattoir is not able to handle the disposal of inedible offal and feathers this season. We need you to pick it up and take it back to the farm for composting or burial.  While we are in the middle of construction, we cannot even store it overnight.  The composter project at Burgoyne Community Farm is stalled pending arrangements with the CRD and we do not yet know when it will be operational. All producers must pick up their offal on the day of slaughter; preferably bring your own containers.  If you take the abattoirs containers, please return them rinsed within 24hrs.  Thank you for your understanding.

2022 Annual General Meeting 

At the 2022 AGM May 18th at the Farmers Institute the following 2022/23 board members were elected.

  • Anne Macey – President
  • Matthew Delumpa  – Treasurer
  • Fraser Baldwin – Secretary
  • Mark Hughes
  • Kevin Chipperfield
  • Margaret Thomson
  • Mariah Hutchinson
  • Mike Lane
  • Mark Whitear
  • Krystel Saunders (non-voting staff rep)