Story by Aric McBay and Trudy de Ruiter
Photo above by Suzy Lamont
Trudy and her husband Case run de Ruiter Black Angus Beef on Wolfe Island. On their farm, the land is used solely to pasture cattle and grow hay to feed the animals during the winter months.
Case and Trudy’s families immigrated from Holland after World War II; Case’s family bought a farm on Wolfe Island, while Trudy’s parents settled in Joyceville.
Growing up, Trudy wasn’t sure farming was her path. “When I was a teenager I didn’t want anything to do with it!" But she met Case and started helping on his family farm, right away she knew this is where she should be. The farm continued dairy production until 2005. “Our kids loved growing up on the farm, working with the animals did not seem like a chore for them, haying was like a competition to see how much we could get in the barn by the end of the day or more importantly before the rain!" Farming is hard work and a big commitment, eventually the kids grew up and pursued their own careers.
Trudy and Case decided they could still enjoy farming by transitioning to beef, which is less labour-intensive than dairy. Now they exclusively raise grass-fed Black Angus beef cattle. "Grass fed was not initially the plan, but after doing some research on the added nutritional value we decided this was the best choice”
Cattle are ruminants, their stomach is divided into four compartments that produce a diverse flora of microorganisms to aid digestion. Cattle are not evolved to digest corn and other grains.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Grass-fed beef can be healthier for you than grain-fed. It has less total fat, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, (a type of fat that is thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks), and more antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E.
“Understanding what you’re eating is essential to healthy living; there is no ingredient label on beef sold at grocery stores”
In the spring, summer and fall, the beef graze on pasture, and in the winter, they eat hay (dried grasses) and haylage (fermented grasses).
“Our cows are healthy and happy eating grass in the sun, The farm is not certified organic, but we do not use chemicals and growth hormones. Antibiotics are used very seldom, only if a cow has an injury that leads to inflammation or infection”
In the fall of 2019, Case and Trudy retrofitted their 1880s granary building to turn it into an on-farm store. The store has a vintage look, it is filled with equipment used on the farm in the past 70 years. The display brings back memories for customers who grew up farming. For others, it is a great opportunity to explain the elements of farming past and present.
“Wolfe Island is a wonderful place to live and farm. The ferry makes it a tight knit community full of diversity. We feel grateful to have had the opportunity to raise our children on the farm and be involved as one of the many businesses providing local food right here on the island”
Where to find de Ruiter Black Angus Beef:
- Grass-feed beef can be ordered directly from the de Ruiter farm via email (deruiterbeef@rogers.com) or Facebook.
- You can also find de Ruiter beef at Pig and Olive in Kingston, and on the menu at The Wolfe Island Grill.
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