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$content = "<p>Niko Sopow and his wife, Cressida Sanderson, anticipated Kettle Valley Ranch to Table would do well but they had no idea it would be so successful.</p>
<p>“It took off like a shot,” Sopow said referring to the store at 3012 Skaha Lake Road in Penticton.</p>
<p>The store specializes in quality meats from animals raised ethically, on a strictly non-GMO diet, and without the use of unnecessary antibiotics, hormones or growth implants.</p>
<p>The couple tapped into the large potential market of customers who want to know in detail about the food they are eating -- the type of information usually only available from local producers.</p>
<p>From his experience on the family ranch, LastFandango Cattle Co. in Faulder near Summerland, Sopow knew there was a solid customer base for frozen meats.</p>
<p>“Some potential customers wanted our beef which we sold as halves or quarters but had no way of freezing such large amounts,” he said.</p>
<p><img alt="<who> Photo credit: Susan McIver, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter </who> Niko Sopow and wife Cressida Sanderson opened Kettle Valley Ranch to Table at 3012 Skaha Lake Road last year." src="/files/files/images/thisfolks.png" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Kettle Valley offers frozen beef in smaller portions, such as individual roasts, steaks, and packages of ground and stew meat.</p>
<p>Today, the store carries not only beef but also chicken, lamb, pork, and water buffalo from small to medium-sized producers primarily in the Okanagan.</p>
<p>Customers can also choose from a variety of other local grocery items, ranging from honey and pasta to cheeses and beverages.</p>
<p>Helping people to learn about their food and community-driven sustainable agriculture is important to Sopow and Sanderson.</p>
<p>In fact, the store was designed with a long bar-like counter with stools to encourage customers to relax while asking questions and offering opinions.</p>
<p>“We’ve had a lot of discussions—some pretty heated—at that bar,” Sopow said.</p>
<p>Kettle Valley is a family affair.</p>
<p>As director of operations Sanderson handles the administrative side of the business while Sopow is at the store when not tending cattle at his parents’ ranch.</p>
<p>Sopow’s daughter, Sawyer pitches in when needed.</p>
<p>“It gives her a chance to learn about customer service,” he said.</p>
<p>For years the Sopow family has produced Speckle Park, the only Canadian heritage breed of cattle.</p>
<p>Speckle Park cattle are environmentally hardy and produce a high percentage of quality meat for the size of animal.</p>
<p>They are also a size compatible with local abattoirs.</p>
<p>Sopow uses FarmHouse Butchery in Rock Creek to process his cattle.</p>
<p>A shortage of abattoirs is a bottleneck for local meat producers.</p>
<p>Kettle Vallley’s success has come at a time of high meat prices, especially the price of beef.</p>
<p>Sopow explained how several factors caused this increase and why prices are likely to go even higher.</p>
<p>Due to the COVID pandemic which caused fewer people to frequent restaurants and restricted household budgets for food eaten at home, the demand for beef dropped which in turn caused a reduction in the total number of cattle.</p>
<p>In certain areas drought compounded the problem and some producers did not survive.</p>
<p>Since COVID the demand for beef has increased significantly faster than production.</p>
<p>The high cost of land is a critical, perhaps the most critical factor.</p>
<p>“A lot of young people want to have a ranch or farm but simply cannot afford to do so,” Sopow said.</p>
<p>Even if there is land to be inherited there can be serious problems.</p>
<p>“How can parents be fair to several children if only one wants the land and can’t afford to buy out the others’ shares?” Sopow asked.</p>
<p>And that leads to fewer producers because as ranchers and farmers age and leave the business, fewer young people are replacing them.</p>
<p>Sopow predicts beef prices will continue to rise.</p>
<p>“Buy beef now,” he advises.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Visit: <a href="http://kvranch.ca/" target="_blank">kvranch.ca</a>, text: 778-531-2333 or email: <a href="mailto:info@kvranch.ca" target="_blank">info@kvranch.ca</a>.</em></p>
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