SAINTE PERPETUE. In 1995, Raynald Roy and his wife Nancy Therrien decided to convert the family business from traditional dairy cow breeding into an elk and red deer breeding farm. A twist that turned out to be a win. 28 years later, Ferme Le Roy du Cerf is one of the few companies that controls every stage of production, from breeding to the sale of the processed products.
Raynald Roy grew up on his parents’ farm in Sainte-Perpétue and took over from them. He says that in 1995 it would have been necessary to invest heavily to build a new barn and increase the number of cows. Financial institutions were unwilling to finance this expansion. Instead, Mr. Roy decides to sell the cows and start an unusual breeding business, namely breeding red deer and elk.
“It started in the ’90s. Several producers have started breeding. Many have given up because they have to market. »
200 animals live on the Le Roy du Cerf farm. Despite its name, there are only moose today, as Mr. Roy explains. “We started with red deer and have always bred to a bull moose. We crossed animals, we ended up with females and males that are 95% or more elk blood. The animal is very similar to the moose. »
The mating season extends from September to November and births take place from May to July. Each female can only have one baby.
Elk meat, like many game meats, has less fat compared to beef. Nancy Therrien describes his taste: “Meat is tastier and more gourmet. The taste is finer. Some say it comes close to caribou. Elk meat is rich in iron and protein.
From the farm to the table
The Le Roy du Cerf farm produces approximately 15,000 pounds of meat per year. The producer believes that the key to the success of his company is that the company markets and processes its products itself.
“We started marketing ourselves. We have no choice but to drive like this. We absolutely need to raise and sell our meat. You can’t have one without the other: the shop doesn’t work if the farm isn’t there and vice versa. »
Nancy is responsible for the boutique, which has been based in Drummondville since 2010. Since she and her daughter Karolane suffer from gluten intolerance, all of the boutique’s products are gluten- and allergen-free. “We specialize in food allergies. Moose do not contain beef protein. Most menus are prepared with elk. »
In the store you will of course find pieces of elk meat, but also sausages, cold cuts, pies, homemade dishes and desserts. The elk sausages prepared by Ms. Therrien contain fewer preservatives. “I use less nitrites. The shelf life is shorter, but I prefer to make it often and have a fresh product. It is less harmful to the stomach because it contains fewer nitrites. »
The store moved to a more commercial area of Drummondville almost five years ago. The presence of a SAQ nearby ensures an influx of customers who are open to discovery and increasingly loyal, according to Ms. Therrien. “There are more and more customers who want to eat better. The products aren’t really more expensive than what you’d find with beef. »
The store also offers non-traditional meats from other Centre-du-Québec producers, including wild boar, ostrich, alpaca, bison, horse, duck, rabbit, guinea fowl, quail and lamb.
Some supermarkets sell Roy du Cerf products in Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke and Quebec. “Grocery stores will not have all the cuts that we have in store,” specifies Mr. Roy.
Le Roy du Cerf also has a number of restaurants among its customers, including the resto-bistro l’Entracte in Drummondville and the gourmet restaurant Au pasture in Sainte-Perpétue. Ms Therrien says the number of restaurants they supply is limited. “We don’t take many because we won’t be able to meet the demand if we want to sell some in the store. »
Another market the farm is tapping into is elk antlers, called velvet antlers because of the down that covers them. The wood harvested before calcification is sold to processors who grind it into capsules without any additives. Previously, some production was carried out in Quebec, but the number of buyers of this raw material is decreasing.
“It’s all going to Alberta. They turn them into powder. We still have something to sell in the store, but we buy it from another producer,” explains the couple, who produce around 500 pounds of wood per year. According to Mr. Roy, this material has positive health properties. “It’s good for blood circulation, arthritis and osteoarthritis. »
And the next generation?
The couple’s three children are involved in life on the farm, but it is too early to conclude that their son or one of their daughters will take over as the two owners approach retirement. As Ms. Therrien mentions, each child has their own area of expertise.
“Our son (Anthony) is an electrician, one of our daughters (Rachèle) is studying animal production and she is a mechanic at Nicolet in New Holland. Karolane is in the final year of her design studies at Cégep de Trois-Rivières. She takes care of the management and the train, she is the one who knows the animals with Raynald, she also takes care of the births. The three are still a little involved. At some point they want to take over. But they are still young. »
The Le Roy du Cerf farm in Sainte-Perpétue operates its store at 349 rue Janelle in Drummondville.
Some animals from the Le Roy du Cerf farm. (Photo: Stephane Laroche)
