Over the past year, British Columbians have shown a growing commitment to purchasing food from local sources. This trend highlights the importance of supporting local food producers and processors. One family-run abattoir and processing facility in Vernon has embraced this mission by helping local farmers bring their meat to market and serve the community.
Yankee Flats Meats provides high-quality, locally raised meats to the areas of Vernon, Armstrong, and Salmon Arm. The meat they sell is sourced from family farms in the surrounding areas. This system not only benefits the farmers as they can sell their meat locally, but it also benefits the consumer who can purchase high-quality, local meats.
With their business expanding, Yankee Flats Meats recognized it was time to make some infrastructure upgrades, specifically to improve food safety. They applied for funding through the Food Safety Program (FSP) and, after receiving approval, started the process of installing a new walk-in freezer.
The installation of a new walk-in freezer has transformed operations, improving storage capacity and compliance with health regulations.
“Thanks to the support from this [funding], the installation of our new walk-in freezer has made a significant impact on our operations,” said Lydia McKnight, Co-Owner of Yankee Flats Meats. “It has dramatically improved our food storage capacity, allowing us to maintain consistent inventory levels and reduce waste. From a food safety standpoint, the temperature stability and modern design ensures our products are stored in compliance with health regulations, giving us peace of mind and protecting our customers.”
The improvements in food safety have led to additional benefits. “The improved layout and accessibility have increased efficiency for our staff, cutting down on time in the freezer and streamlining our workflow,” McKnight added. This upgrade has truly strengthened our ability to serve our community with high-quality, safe, and efficiently prepared meats.”
Learn more about Yankee Flats Meats at https://yfmeats.ca/.
Funding for the Food Safety Program is provided by provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
