FORT KENT, Maine — Northern Maine ranchers Erin Parisien and Richard Nielsen know a thing or two about raising beef cattle.
For the last three years the couple — former Nebraska ranchers — has been growing a herd of prime black angus cattle on their New Canada Aroostook Beef Company farm just south of Fort Kent, and they want to get that meat onto as many dinner plates as possible.
This weekend they are opening their first store-front operation, after selling freezer beef and individual cuts directly to customers from their home and local farmers markets, and last year offering a monthly beef CSA.
Located in a former sandwich shop on the corner of Main Street and Charette Hill Road in Fort Kent, the beef company’s store will hold its grand opening celebration this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We are going to be selling our local beef along with local vegetables, eggs and Maine-made products,” Parisien said. “The beef will be all black angus raised on our farm without growth hormones or antibiotics.”
She acknowledges opening a store is a bit of a risk, but feels the popularity of local food will make it worth the effort.
“It’s surprising how many people don’t know we sell individual cuts of beef,” Parisien said. “And the sign we have by the road at our farm makes people think we have a store there so by opening this store, we are making the beef more accessible to people [and] they won’t have to try to catch us between haying and calving.”
The farm currently has 150 head of cattle and they welcomed an additional 120 calves this spring.
Parisien is very up front that the local beef can carry a bigger price tag than what can be found at larger supermarkets, but said that cost reflects what goes into raising healthy, flavorful meat.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle to get people to realize local beef is going to be superior to what they get at a grocery store with commercial beef, but they are beginning to figure that out,” she said. “Everything we sell was born and raised solely on our farm [and] the hamburger is single source.”
Hamburger from many larger stores, Parisien said, is often from many different animals with no indication where they originated, their health or how they were raised.
“When you buy our beef, you can talk directly to us about how it was raised and know that it comes from our farm,” she said. “We welcome those conversations.”
For anyone interested in checking out Aroostook Beef Company products, Parisien said she will be serving samples of burgers and sandwiches during the open house on Saturday.
“Once people try it, they tell us it’s some of the best beef they have ever had,” she said. “Opening the store is just one more way for us to get in into people’s hands.”
