Annual Beef BBQ
We have been beef farmers in the Stewiacke Valley since 1989. In the summer of 1993, at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition, the Cattlemen’s Association was promoting local beef by selling a beef barbecued meal.
We, at the time, were selling beef off the farm through our store, however, the beef industry was in a slump, so in order to promote locally produced beef, primarily ours, we held a farm beef barbecue. It was early October when we had our first barbecue; a very cool day with very little advertising outside of our own community. Since we just wanted to promote our beef, we gave all net sales ($300.00) the first year to the I.W.K./Grace in Halifax.
In 1996, our father Donald O’Connell had a massive heart attack and as a result became a patient at the Heart Function Clinic at the Q.E.II Hospital, Halifax in 1999. In the last six months of his life, he was attending the Clinic on a weekly basis, sometimes even twice a week. The family therefore became very close to the staff who, we feel, were helpful and supportive beyond their job titles. Donald passed away in Feb. 2000, and the Clinic staff has continued to keep in contact with the family. It is for these reasons that the net sales from the barbecue for 1999 to 2007 totalling $7150.00 have been given to the Congestive Heart Function Clinic.
The meal is set up in a buffet style line. People are free to go through the line and take as little or as much as their plate will hold. Our guests are served barbecued shaved steak on a Kaiser roll, garnished with their choice of the regular sandwich condiments as well as onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. There is also cucumbers, homemade pickles, coleslaw with homemade dressing, and potato chips or homemade French fries. To finish off the meal, we offer a choice of three homemade desserts; chocolate cake, blueberry cheesecake, or strawberry shortcake, using strawberries that we grow poured over a homemade biscuit. Of course we also provide tea, coffee, or a cold soda. All of this for $10.00 (less for children). Sometimes we think this is a lot of money, especially for a family, however, I don’t know of anyone who goes home hungry. Many people have even had enough to take home for another small meal.
But this is not just the beef we want to promote. We are trying to promote a way of life. We try to get as much of the produce from our neighbours gardens, if not, than at least N.S. produced,and any food that can be made in our kitchen on our farm is. There are visual displays put together, mostly on past barbecues, but others on agricultural awareness information. In the recent years our daughters have had their 4-H animals available for people to view and ask questions. The barbecue is held in our field, eating at picnic tables, so you get the country/ farm atmosphere. We have become a society that is used to going to the grocery store and not knowing, or worse, caring about where our food comes from. As a result, many of our traditional ways of producing food is being lost, making way for the large industrial sized “farms” or being imported from other countries such as beef coming from Brazil.
Another attraction is the live entertainment. People now bring their lawn chairs to stay for the afternoon to enjoy the music that area musicians voluntarily provide. We try to add something new every year. One year we had a neighbour bring their team of oxen and gave free cart rides. Last year we changed the meat that we served. Instead of barbecued roast beef we served barbecued shaved steak. This was a very good change for the guests and for us. We’re not sure what the next addition will be but I hope it will be significant.
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Contact
Randy and Shelley O'Connell
4180 Hwy 289
Upper Stewiacke, NS,
B0N 1C0For more information call our store at:
902-671-2148