Two Cowboys: Olds College Brewery - Olds - Alberta

Every Town Needs One

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When we heard "beer school", we conjured up visions of heavenly aromas, rivers of golden beer, and perfectly valid excuses for consistent intoxication, thanks to an above the norm commitment to beverage quality control.

What we found at Olds College Brewery instead, is a serious business. 

The brewing industry in Alberta and Canada is growing rapidly. It took nearly a hundred years for the impact of prohibition and subsequent corporately sponsored government control of the beer and distilling industries to loosen its grip on enterprising brewers and distilling craft lovers. We are now finally seeing increasing numbers of craft breweries and distilleries, driven largely by strong consumer demand for a greater variety of great tasting, and local craft beers and spirits. Canada is slowly waking up to the realization that we can all have our own beer.

Alberta has the ingredients, the entrepreneurial spirit, and if you go back far enough, the foundational history in alcohol production. It is time we embrace our agricultural assets and our heritage.

Peter Johnston-Berresford is the leading Brewmaster at Olds College Brewery, and a pioneer of Alberta's very own Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management Program. In his words: "Every community and town in our Province has the capacity to support its very own small community based brewery." Olds College is playing its part in ensuring this becomes a reality.

The College has a hundred plus year history in education that supports the agriculture and agriculture value-added sectors. The idea of starting up a teaching brewery was seen by their board as a perfect fit to some of the core agriculture production in the Province. They created a state of the art 2,000 square foot facility dedicated to teaching students the art and science behind brewing the best beer possible. 

Their first student intake was in the fall of 2013, and they began to produce their first commercial brews in January 2014. 

It is a two-year program that covers:

• The fundamentals of beer making and brewery operation.
• Evaluating the consistency and quality of beer while also determining beer styles and characteristics
• Conducting analysis and performing advanced techniques in the beer-making process
• Performing laboratory analysis of beer as required in a brewery.
• Formulating and developing beer recipes for the marketplace.

As you can see, this is serious stuff. The magic of the Olds College program is that it is not all about beer. It is also about the business of beer. Students are inducted into the finer points of brewing commerce and production. This prepares them to be good brewers, good entrepreneurs, an asset to existing industry players and above all, good community members.

Observations

The proof is in the beverage! There is no room for hops-trigger-happy-hipsters in this operation. Everything we tasted was delicious, well balanced and full of character. The beer is simply outstanding.

Every Producer knows that you have to start with a good product to succeed in business. The Olds College Producer took on the added responsibility of not only having a good beer, and an outstandingly well qualified candidate for the industry, but it set itself the target of being self-sufficient. We applaud them for this free-market spirit!

The Brewery is a commercial operation. It may be dismissed by some sceptics to be a novel idea, until you realize that what they turn out is high quality stuff. It is well worth the trip to Olds to stock up on their beer. Who knows, it may even become serious competition for the bigger brands in due course.

As we've exclaimed at the end of the video. This is now also "our beer". 

Peter, Tony and David, are doing fine work. It is awesome to see the core values of production and commerce alive and well at an institution that are preparing future generations for their place in society. Not only do they teach the values. The institution lives by it.

We are proud to have the opportunity to tell their story. We hope to have many more excuses to continue to share their success and work beyond Olds, and beyond their beer. We are having a cold on on them!

Hendrik van Wyk

Olds Brewery Beer Fan

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Who we are: We are a social enterprise. We are funded through donations and sponsorship. 
All our earnings are applied back to covering our costs of marketing and promoting Producers and inspiring local communities. Please support us to bring you more (www.forwardthefavour.com)

Photos

Sophistication

Our Beer

Setting the Standard

Alberta's Barley

Perfection

Two Cowboys on a Journey: Milmeq, Dunedin - New Zealand

Milmeq

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When you are far, far away from everyone else in the wold, then innovation becomes a necessity. You cannot rely on other's knowledge, or what people are doing elsewhere. You have to make do with your own plans and innovations for common everyday challenges.

This is one of the reasons why there is an above average number of innovative and creative Producers in New Zealand. Even more so at the remote southern tip of the South Island, in the tiny city of Dunedin. Here we find a Producer that's been leading the world in refrigeration and protein processing innovations.

The world became smaller over the last few decades. At the same time, the New Zealand innovators and makers entered the world stage. These Producers now realize that in many cases, thanks to their isolation, they actually came up with an even better solution to a challenge, than what most of the world could muster. As Mike Lightfoot, the CEO from Milmeq puts it: "This is the Kiwi way!"


Milmeq specializes in capital plant equipment for food processing operations around the world. They provide a turn-key service, including design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance. Their areas of expertise include primary food processing, chilling and freezing and materials handling. They provide performance-enhancing solutions to clients across the meat, poultry, dairy, seafood and horticulture industries. Having already established themselves as industry leaders in their homeland, New Zealand, which is renowned for its meat and dairy exporting industry, they are now recognized globally for offering world-class technologies and support systems.

Impressions

Dunedin is a short flight south from Auckland. Dunedin airport is probably the most iconic airport in New Zealand because you are landing an aeroplane right in the middle of a cow paddock. I cannot think of many places in the world where you hear the bleating of lambs as you walk to your hire car in the airport carpark. When I land in Dunedin, I like being in New Zealand. This is the place I came to love as an immigrant from South Africa in 2001.

I must confess, our story with Milmeq goes back a little longer than the short trip we did on the 16th of February to go an interview the makers and fabricators of this great business. We've been doing video production work for them before, so we know the people, and we know the business. Their CEO, Mike makes use of every available opportunity to tell the company's great story, and to show the world what they can do. We've been lucky to be a part of that.

Milmeq makes protein processing equipment. Yes, if you eat steak, pork or chicken in Australia and New Zealand, the chances are that it was touched by Milmeq ingenuity somewhere along the line. The business is that phenomenal and that iconic within the industry. They invented plate freezing.

What stood out during the interviews was that the people of Milmeq are trades people with a dedication to their craft. Many of them have been in the business over twenty years. As one gentleman put it: "If I didn't like it, I wouldn't be here. I've been here more than twenty years, so I must like it." This statement stands out for some subtleties that speak volumes about the Kiwi culture, but also shows how Producers are substantially set apart from other people.

There is a no-nonsense, get-on-with-it attitude, amongst these people. They are modest about their achievements. They have a substantial dedication to quality and loyalty to their company and colleagues. When you build and make big things, you do it within a team. Working as a team is important. They also investing and grow young apprentices, so that they can strengthen the group. 

The people of Milmeq are producers. They are vested in their work.  They love what they do. They do it for decades because every day at work they get a chance to leave a bit of themselves behind in what they make. Every day they make it a bit better. They also grow, because every thing they touch delivers value to others, and make our world a better place. Yet, in the end, it is about the beauty of the craft. The value in knowing: "I made this." 

Producers are privileged people. 

It is an honour to have spent time with Mike Lightfoot and his team. He is an inspirational and enthusiastic leader. It was a spectacular experience to do it in Dunedin. 

We hope you like what we've produced about Milmeq.

Hendrik van Wyk

Producer.

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers. Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys.

Who we are: We are a social enterprise. We are funded through donations and sponsorship. 
All our earnings are applied back to covering our costs of marketing and promoting Producers and inspiring local communities. Please support us to bring you more (www.forwardthefavour.com)

Photos

Strong as steel.

Turning the world of industry.

It should last for a lifetime.

Upside down, and right side up.

Two Cowboys on a Journey: pure delish, Auckland - New Zealand

Christmas Cakes

(Learn: * Inspire: **** Amaze: * Live: ****)
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How do you take charge of your own destiny with two small children and no money? You make something!

This is the first producer we profile in New Zealand. It is also a huge success story showcasing just what is possible with determination, unwavering commitment, and a great team of people. Breakfast cereal in New Zealand, will never just be Weetbix and milk again. Now you can upgrade to something healthy and delicious, with the knowledge that you are supporting a maker, making a difference. Meet Karen Staples and pure delish.

For more than a decade pure delish has been creating quality products that are real, delicious and anything but ‘ordinary’.  Their brand is synonymous with mouth-watering excellence, and they have carved a solid reputation for innovative, category-challenging and award winning products.

They started out small with Karen, owner of pure delish, wanting to make some extra cash for her family at Christmas.  She decided to roll up her sleeves, follow her passion for baking and set out on a mission to make a Christmas Cake that had a bit more of a modern twist than that offered at the time. This modest beginning has led her to where they are today, an innovative and passionate company producing a wide range of products including, 7 different breakfast cereals, snack bars, cookies, slabs and last but not least the famous pure delish Christmas Cakes!

Impressions

A visit to pure delish is not a normal visit to a food factory. The first thing that strikes you when you arrive is Karen's energy and passion. It is contagious with smiles from her staff everywhere. The second is the aroma of freshly baked cookies. Purely delicious cookies! It is a busy place. You need to know where to stand and not be in the way.

We arrived on a hot mid-Summer's morning at their factory in Mt Wellington, Auckland. Pure delish just moved into a brand new warehouse and company offices. "We've outgrown our space again!" is how Karen greeted us. The demand for pure delish's products keeps increasing, and recently they've started shipping product for export to Australia.

There aren't enough space on the shelf for all the awards that Karen and her people have received over the last few years. Not only did they manage to break into the cereal market, but they've succeeded in creating a whole new category of product that focusses on supporting people on the more natural paleo diet. There is almost a religious following of the pure delish products. I've brought some of the paleo bars home, and never had one. My teenage son (who avoids healthy food at all cost) annexed it, and that was the last I've seen of it.

Pure delish makes everything by hand. At first, this sounds like a less than profitable idea. Especially in fast moving consumer goods. Mechanisation and automation create margin in this category which is notorious for razor-thin profits and huge volumes (i.e. a lot of work for little money). In Karen's case, she decided that she would rather this profit end up in the pockets of her people. It is a differentiator, but also a commitment to employ people that equally benefits financially with her in her business. They all share the satisfaction that comes with making something.

Factory work can be soul crushing boring and repetitive. Karen showed us how employees at pure delish move from role to role, acquiring new skills and helping her to innovate the products as they grow. The ingredients they use are sourced from all over the world. Every nut and every raisin are checked to assure it meets the quality standards of the products that leave this kitchen.

What do you do as a producer when you achieved your goals? You find new ones.

Karen is slowly shifting her focus away from day-to-day production management and business survival, in a very competitive market, towards mentoring and growing her people. Her son recently joined her in the business, and this gives her an opportunity to take stock, reprioritize, and spend more time developing her people. She is now mentoring others to make something.

They all eat lunch together every day.

With this much energy, I cannot wait to see what Karen and her team is determined to do next. Once a maker, always a maker. As she said it: "It is in your bones!" Enjoy!

Hendrik van Wyk
Producer.

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers. Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys.

Who we are: We are a social enterprise. We are funded through donations and sponsorship. 
All our earnings are applied back to covering our costs of marketing and promoting Producers and inspiring local communities. Please support us to bring you more (www.forwardthefavour.com)

Your Knowledge is Valuable

Ever Thought of Training Someone?

The Producer: The Trainer

Producers should train others. By becoming trainers, they can change society.

You are a successful producer. You make things. You've built a business through hours, days, and years refining your craft. Do you realize other people would love to know what you know, and do what you do? 

Our society depends on people like you, and businesses like yours. The more producers we have, the better our world becomes. Producers are proud people, hard working people with a passion for what they do.

There is a problem: What our children learn in school today has nothing to do with being a producer, or making something. After graduating from high school, many of them still do not have the necessary skills to work in our businesses. Most secondary education is expensive, and pushes it out of reach even further. 

Where can they go to learn how to become a producer? Where will our future generations learn how to be the best best bakers, farmers, chocolatiers, builders, carpenters, winemakers, cheesemakers, and more. Is there a way that they can learn from the best?

What if they can learn it from you?

The explosion of Online Video Training is an opportunity to invest in ours and their future. With good quality online training, accessible from anywhere, learners can bypass the institutions and go right to the source - you. It is now possible to be trained by the experts directly. Your expert knowledge as a producer is valuable and can unlock this training opportunity. There are thousands of learners that will jump at the opportunity to be tutored by those that do it every day.

Here is the marketing message: With our online video training production services, our mission is to train more producers and turn them into entrepreneurs. We want to place good quality video training within reach of every person with an Internet connection and an eagerness to learn. 


If you help us with your expertise, we hope to restore the ethics and value of work. By training future producers we make people productive, and restore their sense of purpose. By encouraging aspiring producers to become entrepreneurs, our goal is to restore the value of production in a misaligned consumption driven society.


We propose to work with Producers like you, to develop online training, and change the world.

What's In It for You

You are the Producer with the expertise. Most probably, training people is not something you've had in mind, or have time to do. You may have considered it, but didn't know how to do it.

We produce online video training. We deliver and distribute it. Our business is to take your expertise, and turn it into online video training.

By combining our efforts, we can create great learning experiences for future producers and entrepreneurs.

Value to You: The Producer

• Market Exposure for Your Business: Training enhances your brand. Your business stands out from competitors, because of the the contribution you make in the development of your craft, industry and your community. More people will know about your business, and the value you have to offer. 
• Recognition for Your Expertise: Being a trainer immediately distinguishes you. By showcasing your knowledge and experience, prospective students can recognize the contribution you make in developing your craft. No one knows exactly what you know. Every Producer's experience is unique. By sharing your knowledge, you create more opportunities for yourself, and for others to work with you.
• Revenue: We carry the risk of the production investment, and share the revenue with you after the initial cost is recovered. There could be scope for multiple courses, and each offers its own earnings opportunity. Earnings is determined by the demand for your training.
• Staff and Customer Development: The training we produce can be valuable if for your own staff. It can also add value to your customers. For example: "How to?" training is used in many industries to help customers make the most of their product purchases.
• Training Product: We commitment to produce an above the standard training product, that is associated with your business and enhances your brand. It is something you can be proud of, and share with your current and prospective customers.

Your Investment: Mostly Your Time

• Your Time for the Production: We need to record you training. This we do, in many cases while you go about your regular work day. We need your input and feedback on the course materials we produce on your behalf, such as presentations, documents, etc. This is included in the course to enhance the learning.
• Ongoing Student Feedback: We take care of the day-to-day student feedback, discussions and administration. However, some times the expert (you) will have to weigh in on a topic. We must be able to call on you for this contribution, occasionally. 
• Refreshers: Training works well when it is regularly updated and improved. Depending on the course materials, some of your time will be required to produce additional material, or to help us refresh older items.

Express your interest here: www.profiledproductions.com

Lake Louise, Alberta, on a Summer's Day 2015

Lake Louise Summers Day

I had a lot of fun recording some of the action at Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta Canada. See the crowds, some of the selfie slaves, the blue waters, and the beautiful flowers around the lake.