Alberta Verified Beef

Melissa Downing
Provincial Coordinator
Ph: 1-866-242-7404
Fax: 1-866-641-6580
melissa@albertaverifiedbeef.com

Josie Pashulka
Training Coordinator
Ph: 780-787-0077
training@albertaverifiedbeef.com

Ricki Fleming
Renewals Coordinator
Ph: 403-795-3294
Fax: 866-641-6580
renewals@albertaverifiedbeef.com

Check out the details about  Verified Beef Production Plus in Canada at the new national website:

www.verifiedbeefproductionplus.ca

Calgary, AB - Alberta Beef Quality Starts Here (ABQSH), the delivery agent for Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) in Alberta, is pleased to welcome Melissa Downing as the new Provincial Coordinator for the VBP+ program. Along with her husband and their children, Downing raises cattle in the East Central area of the province near the hamlet of Metiskow. Downing is a Professional Agrologist with a strong background in the beef industry encompassing all aspects of the production chain from cow-calf to consumer. Her experience provides insight into the high priority areas of the program that need focus and how issues can be approached in a practical manner.

“I’m excited to be stepping into this role at such a pivotal time in the industry,” says Downing. “Consumers are asking more and more questions about the food we produce and VBP+ is a valuable tool we can use to demonstrate that Canadian beef producers have a premium, safe and sustainable product to offer. This program has the potential to establish Canada as a leader in sustainable verification and result in increased demand for our beef.”

The original focus of the Verified Beef Production™ (VBP) program was On-Farm Food Safety, with the newly-launched VBP+ including additional modules addressing environmental stewardship, biosecurity and animal care. The program has been working closely with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) to meet criteria developed through collaboration with industry stakeholders and retail partners. Industry involvement is instrumental to ensuring Canadian beef claims its rightful place on consumers’ plates, and VBP+ is positioned to facilitate that connection.

Cecilie Fleming, Chair of ABQSH, believes in the strength of VBP+ and how it can help producers demonstrate to the end users of the value chain that they are committed to sustainable beef production.   “We are extremely pleased to have Melissa as our VBP+ Provincial Coordinator,” says Fleming. “Melissa brings a wealth of industry knowledge and is a vibrant livestock producer herself.”

For more information, please call Melissa at 1-866-242-7404 or email melissa@albertaverifiedbeef.com.

Thanks Sheri Monk for this article that explains so well why we do what we do.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, by Sheri Monk.
Alberta Beef Magazine, July 2015 - Vol 25, No. 7

Thank you go Alberta Beef magazine for allowing us to post this article.

www.albertabeef.ca