CHESTERVILLE – Three farming businesses have come together to purchase Tom Henderson Meats & Abattoir Inc. in Chesterville. One of the remaining abattoirs in the region, it completes a production circle so necessary for a healthy agricultural industry in Eastern Ontario.

Betty and Tom Henderson have operated the abattoir for the past 40 years. The time finally came when they wanted to retire.

They wanted to sell their business in such a way that it would continue to serve Eastern Ontario and have a healthy future. They have been looking for just the right time and people to hand their operation to. Three separate entities came together to take over the abattoir.

Beef and dairy farmer Eric Patenaude owner of La Ferme Gillette Inc., located in Embrun; Golden Rail Farm specializing in hogs owned by Beatrice and Devon Hakvoort from Finch and Ottawa Valley Meats, (OVM) have come together to ensure Henderson Meats remains a viable part of their industry.

When Tom and Betty decided to retire, the concern for many farmers in the area was that they would lose access to an indispensible part of their industry. With the purchase and transition taking place this past May, the future of the abattoir seems to be secure.

They will still be accepting custom beef and hog orders.

Tom Henderson said, “It will change some because they will be handling more meat because they are really growing. We are selling meat to anybody who wants to buy meat.”

In the past, Henderson had worked with all of the new partners in one way or another, and now that they have taken over he is confident they will continue the tradition he started.

 “It’s a good thing,” he said regarding the future of the business within the agricultural industry.

He said his wife Betty was relieved and happy to have made the decision to sell.

“It was getting harder and harder. It was getting too much for me. You need younger minds,” he said.

Henderson has agreed to continue working with the new buyers for the next few months until they get on their feet. His son will continue to work there as well.

The couple moved into a new home and are busy setting it up and they have plans to take time off for a cruise when the world opens up.

Ottawa Valley Meats will be looking after the day-to-day operations at the abattoir. The meat distribution company located in Ottawa is a perfect choice for the business deal, providing the necessary distribution know-how complementing the beef and hog operations of the other two partners.

The idea to form a partnership has been hanging in the air for some time.

“Me and Golden Rail have been playing with the idea for two years and finally we matched up with Ottawa Valley Meats. It was a good match. It is a way to secure your market,” said Patenaude.

“We are ramping up production over there. The demand is there. We are trying to meet that demand. Right now, every abattoir around is booked a year in advance. So we are trying to clear up that waiting list,” he said.

The group has been managing the place now for three weeks, and without any interruptions in operation.

Patenaude said, “We kept the same staff and hired more and created a second shift and we are looking forward to the next couple of weeks bringing in a third shift.”

Both La Ferme Gillette and Golden Rail have more than enough on their respective plates to try and manage the abattoir. That’s where OVM comes in with their business and distribution experience.

“When we were looking for the right partners we new we could not manage the place on our own. As we are busy enough running our own farming operation,” said Patenaude.

Patenaude looks after a 650 head dairy herd and Devon and Beatrice Hakvoort of Golden Rail Farms has about 3,000 pigs on their farm.

The two farms accounted for the lion’s share of the abattoir’s business.

Patenaude, a fifth-generation farmer said, “We were probably the largest supplier of beef for Henderson’s per month and when we started hearing there might be another buyer it motivated us even more to pull the trigger on this. We did not know what was going to happen. It was too uncertain.”

Devon and Beatrice Hakvoort took over their farm in 2001.

“Securing our market place is a big part of the reason why I did it,” said Devon.

“Beatrice is doing all of the accounting and paper work,” he added.

Because of the pandemic it has been a challenge from time to time to find a place to send his hogs.

“I first talked with Eric Patenaude of Gillette Farms. I approached him and got his thoughts on it. I had just started doing business with OVM at that time,” said Hakvoort.

“A long story short, several months later here we are.”

“Not all of my hogs are going through there yet but that is my end goal. It just takes time, and I believe we have the right people to get to where we want to go,” he said.