A Story of Local Beef & A Game of Ultimate Frisbee

What	Beef
Where	Westman
Who	Tyler & Dorelle

How a Game of Ultimate Frisbee Led to a Bigger Story About Local Beef

It all started with a challenge. Local beef producer, Tyler Fulton had heard that our host, Chef Anna liked to play Ultimate Frisbee. Anna took him up on his challenge and we headed to his ranch in Birtle, Manitoba for a game. Between visiting the herd, enjoying slow-smoked Brisket and a little friendly competition, Anna got surprising lessons about how local beef and native prairie conservation work hand in hand.

From Downton Lofts to Open Prairie Skies

Tyler and Dorelle’s ranch is a family farm in the truest sense of the word. Tyler was born and raised on his land, his parents are still on the farm and are still very involved, and his kids pitch in when they’re home from university. 

Funny thing is, Tyler and his wife Dorelle didn’t always live on the farm. They met while playing Ultimate Frisbee in Winnipeg while competing in a weekend tournament. After a decade of urban life with jobs in the Exchange District, they felt the pull back to the farm. Trading brick lofts for open skies isn’t for everyone, but for them, it was coming home. It’s a full-circle story, much like ranching itself.

The farm runs about 650 mother cows, and as Tyler puts it, “they’re the engine of the ranch.” It’s a full-circle rhythm with cattle, natural native prairie, and family all moving in sync. “We’re really fortunate,” he says. “We get to be stewards of the land and work in the natural environment to make our living.” That sense of meaning isn’t just in the work. It’s in the quiet time Tyler spends reconnecting with the land.

Where Cattle and Conservation Meet

Before the Ultimate game, Tyler takes Anna to his “spiritual home”. The Birdtail Valley is a stretch of native prairie that feels almost untouched.

This valley isn’t just beautiful, it’s also a working biodiverse ecosystem. Tyler explains that grazing cattle here actually helps maintain biodiversity. “Seventy-four percent of the habitat that’s important for breeding and reproduction of wildlife in Canada exists on land used by cattle,” he says. Without the cattle, much of those native grasslands and wetlands would disappear, taking the insects, birds and wildlife that depend on it, with it. 

It’s a reminder that farming and conservation aren’t opposites. They’re partners. The land feeds the cattle, the cattle maintain the land, and Manitobans get high-quality local beef.

Supporting Beef Producers

By the time the game wraps up and everyone sits down to enjoy some brisket, Chef Anna has the look of someone who’s learned more than they expected. What started as a friendly Ultimate game turned into a whole new appreciation for the people who raise local beef.

We hope you enjoyed this story of land stewardship and the interconnected story of food and farmers. And this is just one story from the farm. Season 36 of Great Tastes brings you a full year of fresh content with new YouTube videos every Friday.