Collide
Now there are some exceptions – preg checking, semen testing – where one of our large animal veterinarians is met with smiles when they drive through our gates.
Otherwise that request comes with a frustrated shrug. From me, from my family, from anyone who’s reached their limit of what they can do for a particular cow, admitting it’s time to call “Doc.”
So when the request came from CAB, I happily obliged. It’s pretty special, let me tell ya, when work and friends collide.
The brand hosts these all over our pretty country. We call them Ranch Days and they’re really just a time for togetherness, for learning and observing in a natural setting.
It’s ranchers inviting people they’ve never met to their homes, into their lives and out to their pastures.
It’s chefs and foodservice salesmen and women getting a chance to ask the questions they’ve wanted to for some time.
It’s an opportunity for both ends of the beef chain to ask those who live it, “why this” and “why not that,” instead of trying to read about it somewhere on the Internet.
Because you can memorize the facts and hear the stories but there’s nothing quite like seeing it for yourself.
So instead of heading to the airport, I drove a couple of back roads and through the gates of Country Oaks Angus Ranch, near Weirsdale, Fla.
Not far behind me were 45 others – potential customers and chefs, distributors and employees of Sysco Central Florida and Sysco Jacksonville – anxious to step off the bus and onto the green grass of the Freel family ranch.
It was a warm Florida morning as the cattle grazed in the shade. The veterinarian/rancher shared his life story with his wife Megan and daughter, Erin, adding their perspectives along the way. Even his granddaughter, Riley, spoke of her commitment to quality and brought her steer out to show.
A few days later I talked with Alex Grimmond, CAB specialist for Sysco Central Florida, and he was happy to share one example of the impact.
“One of the chefs who attended on behalf of a big hotel here in Orlando, we’ve been working on that account for a while but they’ve never bought from us,” Alex explained. “We visited the ranch on Wednesday, and on Thursday our sales rep walked into their corporate office and the whole office was talking about CAB.”
“We sold it to them for the first time ever, so it did work. It made a lasting impression.”
As did the memory of two of my worlds colliding.
Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,
Laura
PS – Thank you to Sysco Central Florida’s Executive Chef Luis Reyes (L) for taking photos of the day as well as grilling for 45 people.
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