Alberta Lamb was created to promote lamb and to increase consumption and awareness within the province, thus benefiting the whole industry. Our consumer focused website www.albertalamb.ca provides information on where to find local lamb (farm-direct, retail and restaurants), recipes and other useful information.
Alberta Lamb has been very successful in its objective to increase consumption. The current market presents a shortage of supply of prime local lamb, so emphasis is being shifted to increase efficient quality production. As you will see from our business plan, the focus of Alberta Lamb will be reviewed and likely changes made. In the meantime, promotional materials are still available on request, while stocks last and we are pleased to send out a display and materials for your local promotions.
Promotional items can be ordered by downloading the request form, completing and e-mailing it to the office. It may also be faxed or mailed in.
The Future of Alberta Lamb
It is time for us all to take a look at Alberta Lamb and set some direction and strategy—what would you like to see in the future?
Remember Alberta Lamb promotes all lamb, not just direct marketers. It has provided a great opportunity to speak directly to consumers and provide taste samples
Direct Marketing
There’s a great market for farm direct sales of lamb. Consumers like to know the person who has produced the meat, the production practices, and location. It can provide a higher and more consistent return for producers, but marketing takes time and effort. Lambs sold privately to consumers must be processed in provincially inspected plants. It is illegal to sell meat processed on-farm or to allow buyers to process the animals on your property. Distribution of uninspected meat can result in adverse food safety and adverse public relations issues, which would be devastating for the whole industry.
Alberta Lamb supports producers with direct marketing initiatives designed to increase the amount of high quality Alberta Lamb available from farm-gate, farmers’ markets and in retail stores and restaurants. In addition to a full size or table top display, Alberta Lamb has an array of promotional materials to hand out, and many opportunities for producers to promote their product.
For more information on direct marketing meats and selling lamb at Alberta Approved Farmers’ Markets, please visit the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry website.
Agri-Facts handouts include:
- Direct Marketing Meats: Selling Freezer Lamb
- Selling Lamb at Alberta Approved Farmers’ Markets
- Organic Lamb
Hosting Farm Visits:
Hosting farm visits can help build relationships with customers, educate the public about sheep production and promote the sheep industry.
Anna Cairns, a producer in the M.D. of Willow Creek, has hosted farm visits for many years. Read her 'How to' article on hosting farm visits during lambing.
The materials listed above are also available by request from the ALP office.
For more information about Alberta Lamb, please visit www.albertalamb.ca, or contact the office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (403) 948-1522.