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w Everything’s ducky at King Cole Sat.l\lo.20~1 r 9 Stanley Cup Gila Mayor Sue Shaman . .s‘I‘N'In-tluuwn 'I'ORON’I‘O s" ‘ - Mllhe served hFITAI nlh'l'nl The company isn't exactly shy; a large sign on the corner ol the larm's thousand acres at Woodbine and Aurora celebrates- me ~ Colefi ‘-‘ (Olden anniversary, But although most of us in Whitchurchâ€"Stouffville might be lamiliar with the name. it's safe to say that most of don't know how remarkable an operation the Murby family farm truly is Were you aware, for example. that. 0 King Cole is by lar Canada's largest duck producer. annually processing over two million Pekin ducks for markets all over the world? 0 that King Cole is a totally integrated farm - it breeds its ducks at a separate farm on Kennedy Road; where each ol about l0,000 Pekin females (accompanied by a‘ fifth that number 06 drakes) produces an average of live eggs per week: it hatches them. it grows them. about seven weeks later it kills and processes them, and it “chases all the variousproduasrlghtonsite? 0 thatitevenyowsitsowncom-based duckleedandmills‘rtat itsownmill in Queenevllle? The word‘play begins as soon as you walk on the property at King Cole. the amazing “duck factory" on Warden Avenue-north of Aurora Road. Patty Thompson. marketing director of the company. says as we head out on a tour that she‘s going to give me the whole “duck and pony show". lackie Fisher. Patty's sister and the manager of the farm that produces hundreds of thousands of ducks every year. inevitably comments on the drizzly weather that it’s a “fine day for ducks". A receptionist in the office says to a walk-in retail customer that she'll give him the “Cole's notes" version of all_ the nutritional benefits of the company's product. These responses come quite naturally to women who have spent the greater part of their lives with the beautiful white Pekin duck that is the company's sole focus. Patty and lackie. after all, are the grandaughters of lim and Margaret Murby. who founded King Cole over 50 years The company was well established when they mme into the world. and they've worked here since they were young children King Cole is still a Murby family business. and although Margaret passed away a few weeks ago. lim still woris every day on the property at the age of 92. surrounded by the members of his extended family. and many others among the company’s I30 employees who have worked at King Cole for decades. - WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE THIS MONTH - See us on 'www.5loiuflvllleonh‘nuom' 0 that King Cole Is the epitome o! the recycling tanner? The company doesn't just pvoduce dud meat. it packages and FOUNDING FAMILY - marketing King Cole farm manager Jackie Fisher (bottom, left) and director Patti Thompson (bottom, right) show off a couple of fine specimens of their favourite breed of bird, the Pekin duck. Their father, Bob Murby (centre), was lust a teenager when his father llm founded King Cole back in 1949. Top left. eggs from the breeding farm are inspect ed for Imperfections; and at right, long- time empioyee lim Barron shows off some fine duck down. Photos by Conrad Boyce. sells virtually every part of the duck. including tongues (at S20/litrell. livers (for paté). gimrds and feet, which each are considered delicacies in various parts of the world. Duck manure is collected. dried and sold to landscapers as some of the best fertilizer on the market. The feathers. of course. are cleaned and packaged in their own plant. and shipped by the truddoad to clothiers and bedding manufacturers Even the offal. the entrails of the ducks which are taken out as one of the first steps in the butchering process. are sold for use in soaps and a multitude of other products. And some of the over-large eggs are sold to a Hungarian craftswoman who paints them for Easter! 0 that King Cole ships over 4,000 ducks a day for consumption in the restaurants of Toronto? The ‘lbronto market. in fact. was what inspired Margaret Murby to specialize in ducks back in l949..The company also recently won a competition. over several American processors, to supply ducks to one of the U.S.'s largest Chinese food chains, P.F. Chang. "We're not the biggest duck producer in the world." says Patty, "there’s a farm in the US. that grows 18 million ducks every year. But we're proud of the fact that our products are all natural. totally grain-fed. And that gives us a big advantage with buyers who are looking for top quality," Although most of King Cole‘s largest customers continue to be Asian markets. both here and across the Pacific. they also sell a lot to Quebec â€" the French have always appreciated duck â€" and even the local meat-and-potatoes consumer is slowly being converted. "We're not principally a retail operation." Patty says. "but we have a lot of great products for the barbecue, the stir-fry wok. even for piua!" 30 drop in to King Cole. and try a great alternative to chicken or turkey. lust watch out for the duck puns. Although most of King Cole's largest customers continue to be Asian markets. both here and across the Pacific. they also sell a lot to Quebec â€" the French have always appreciated duck â€"-and even the local meatâ€"and-potatoes consumer is slowly being converted. “We're not the biggest duck producer in the world." says Patty, "there’s a farm in the Us, that grows 18 million ducks every year. But we're proud of the fact that our products are all natural. totally grain-fed. And that gives us a big advantage with buyers who are looking for top quality." "We're not principally a retail operation." Patty says. “but we have a lot of great products for the barbecue, the stir-fry wok. even for pina!" NOVEMBER 2%