How to start up an elk farm?

People often come visit our elk farm to get an idea of how Cervidae raising works so they can get started. This is why we decided to write a little post on the subject.

If you want to get started with the raising of these animals you can refer to the Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ) which will provide you with a Quick Start Guide. It’s also possible to ask your questions to the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) concerning the laws in force in the province of Quebec.

The Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA) is an association offering services to agricultural producers from Quebec. The UPA offers various services, depending on your administrative region. Here are a few: a credited contribution is granted to the low income farms, information concerning the employment of foreigners as temporary workers, an advantageous group rate for CSST contribution, and personalized accounting services.

Once you bought your first animal, it’s possible to become a member of the Association des Éleveurs de Wapitis du Québec (AEWQ), which offers support and advice to all elk breeders in the province of Quebec. AEWQ members occasionally meet throughout the year to discuss and bring solutions to the concerns of each member, sharing ideas as a help group. Moreover, the Association recently signed for the members an exclusive agreement with a distributor in the province of Quebec who buys all the available fawns of the year (between November and May of their first year) for restaurants. This helps greatly the producers to make more profit.

The Fédération des Éleveurs de Grands Gibiers du Québec (FEGGQ) is a group where the 4 big game animal farming associations join into one. Those associations thus can share their resources to progress toward success. This could lead to meetings between meat sellers and restaurant owners, for example. You will find in their website several game recipes (boar, bison, red deer, elk), and a list of producers, together with the information regarding products transformation and a list of the buying restaurants.

Apart from those resources, here are 4 tips you should read, if you truly desire to acquire an elk herd:

1. Take time to visit several farms, and ask your questions.
Quebec elk breeders are not numerous, but far from being competitive, they enjoy helping each other out. Seeing what other farmers do and how they do it could help you deciding what you want to do, and asking your questions will help you get to the right resources and help you defining better your project. Take advantage of the others’ experiences and avoid repeating their mistakes.

2. Make contacts in the targeted field. (restaurants, natural products, etc.)
Participate to networking events to meet people, talk about your products and services at each occasion, you never know when those contacts will become useful for your company. For example, talk to restaurant owners and grocers about your meat, discuss with your pharmacist and natural product sellers about your capsules, and talk about your farm tours to everyone around you. It’s an excellent idea to talk about your projects before they are completed as it may bring you clients sooner.

3. Advertise.
Subscribe on various social media; get known by talking about your passion. If you have time to keep a blog updated, that’s even better! Neglecting to have your company on social media could harm the future of your farm!

4. Make sure you have another income.
Your farm may not be cost effective in the first few years, so be brave, be patient, and get a second job meanwhile. This will allow you to survive without investing all your personal savings in your company. You will feel less stress, and will be able to make better decisions.
Come back soon as we will have more tips for you in a few weeks!