Ranch Covey Hill Earns Canadian Commitment to Excellence Award

By Miranda Reiman, freelancer for Certified Angus Beef

October 10, 2022

“To have cattle on a hill.” That was Emmanuel Chenail’s dream. In 2015, after a career as president of the family’s construction business, the Havelock, Québec, dreamer sold his company and Ranch Covey Hill was born.

“My wife Brigette and I were out on a drive when the name came to us, just like that,” he says. “It’s perfect for this hillside.”

That’s where a winding driveway leads through front pastures and up to the well-appointed ranch headquarters. Bits of history mix with modern buildings and their completely remodeled home. Off to the west, the maple forest or “sugar bush” flourishes with more than 20,000 taps ready to produce syrup come late winter. Near the sugar shack sits the carefully planned salebarn.

“What inspires me every morning is, we’ve started something that isn’t over yet. It’s just beginning,” Emmanuel says. 

The family saw potential in what was a run-down country estate.

“When we first bought this place, I don’t think anybody would believe it looked that way, compared to now,” says eldest daughter Sabrina. “We couldn’t get through the main driveway, couldn’t even tell there was a pasture there – no fences, rock chains everywhere, no barns – the house was not habitable.”

The family, which includes daughter Camille and son Raphael, checked projects off the list one by one, dedicated employees providing steady support.

“One day we might be done, but we’re always working on it,” Sabrina says.

That continual pursuit of the best and finding the right people to get there caught the attention of the world’s premium beef brand. Their eagerness to support the Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB) brand mission earned Ranch Covey Hill the 2022 CAB Canadian Commitment to Excellence award.

Their first 10 Angus females came from neighbor, mentor and friend David Sample, Mac Angus Ranch.

“One thing I’ve learned about Angus breeders is they’re always willing to share what they know,” Emmanuel says. “That’s a huge advantage that I really appreciate.”

Quickly growing the herd to 75 cows, the family hosted their first annual Hillspride Sale in February, along with Mac Angus Farm and PJ Ranch from nearby Hemmingford.  

The three operations have separate programs but similar philosophies.

“The ideal cow is moderately-sized, good-tempered, not too demanding and maternal—easy to look at,” Emmanuel says. “You can’t overlook how important the cow is in terms of herd continuity, easy keeping and ultimately marbling.”

They had to learn basically everything, but that had its advantages, too—no preconceived notions about carcass being at odds with maternal traits.

“Customers want quality. That’s not negotiable: you need to get it right the first time. It’s a priority,” Emmanuel says. “Customers come to us to buy a good breeding bull and maybe to produce cows for their operation. They’re looking for sound legs, calving ease, healthy teats, and meat for Angus steers is known for its marbling.

“At the end of the day, we do it to put food on people’s tables,” he says.

That enthusiasm led the family to CAB in search of educational resources.

“They don’t want to keep the secret of quality to themselves as something only they can be good at,” says Kara Lee, CAB director of producer engagement. “They want to help their customers understand how they can continue to excel at the ranch, and from the perspective of consumer eating satisfaction”

This spring’s salebook included materials from the brand, and Ranch Covey Hill invited CAB staff to participate in their fall customer event.

“They had a very fresh set of eyes in terms of the value in pursuing maternal and carcass traits in the cow herd. They realized there are tools and diversity in the Angus breed that let us achieve improvement in tandem,” Lee says.

Sabrina started doing the registrations as the conduit between the English-speaking Canadian Angus Association staff and her French-speaking father. She got hooked.

“Sabrina looks after the genetics and calving. She likes to find which bull will provide the best genetic mix,” Emmanuel says. “Camille is responsible for sales and marketing. She works with cuts of meat to imagine very creative dishes. Brigette takes care of everybody and makes sure we’re all happy.”

Raphael is away at school right now but comes back as he’s able.

“I like working with my family because we’re all kind of the same, and we’re intense people,” Camille says. Each has a unique skill they bring to the table. “So when we work together, we balance things up and make things work out.”

A little at a time, Emmanuel’s dream is coming true.

“It’s like I imagined,” he says, “but I didn’t think it would be this beautiful.”

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