Natural Born Entrepreneurs

Setting the Table with Premium, Quality Beef

Peace Country Wagyu | Northern Sunrise County, AB

Paul & Hannah Olivares & family

For Hannah, 29, and Paul, 34, Olivares of Northern Sunrise County, entrepreneurship is in their blood. Their journey is as rich and as marbled as their premium Wagyu beef.

From Paul selling cellphone minutes in the Philippines to a business plan born in the family group chat, Peace Country Wagyu is new on the scene and packing some serious sizzle.

“We saw a big gap in the quality and grade of meat offered,” said Hannah. “Typically, AAA or Prime are the highest grades of beef you’ll find in Alberta. With our Wagyu, AAA is the lowest quality we produce.”

Recently launching their business in 2024, Hannah’s family laid essential groundwork generations prior. Even today, the Olivares rely heavily on their extended family, and others. It means they can focus on the business—rather than in the business—right from the jump.

Hannah and Paul manage the meat side of the operation—purchasing the cattle, butchering and marketing the meat—while their family takes great care in raising the cows, even growing the grain that feeds them.

Hannah’s farming roots grow deep in her family tree. Her grandfather, Harvey Hodgson, started the family farm in the Red Deer area, and Hannah’s father, Duey, took over.

Years later, Duey, his wife Anne, and their children moved to Northern Sunrise County where the family still farms today.

“We’ve been raised on banks of the Smoky River. I was five when we moved here from Red Deer,” said Hannah. “We were the only cattle farmers we knew in our area, among a lot of grain farmers.”

Eventually, Duey was able to purchase additional land about 20 km from his original farm, which is where Hannah and Paul and their children now hail from.

“There are quite a few siblings in the mix, and we also have hired farm hands,” said Hannah. “They feed the cattle and tend to them daily. On the bigger days, like during processing or tagging, we all pitch in.”

Hannah’s brother Eli and his wife Kianna take care of the herd. Hannah’s sister Sandi and her husband Peter work on the farm as well. Hannah’s brother Jacob, his wife Sarah and their company grow the grain for the cattle. And, Hannah’s parents are still very involved in the farm—it’s truly a family affair.

Growing up in the Philippines, Paul had the entrepreneurial gene.

“When I was about 12, cell phones were a bit of a newer technology. I was selling minutes to my classmates and teachers in school. The income I made was basically my allowance for the week,” said Paul.

Moving to Canada at 14, his first job was in the food industry. After high school, Paul completed his training through NAIT and SAIT to become an electrician and to start his own company, PRO Electrical Services.

Hannah clearly also has entrepreneurial genes. In addition to growing her own herd on the farm at 16, she went into business with her sister-in-law Cass.

“We started an upcycle clothing business. We bought thrifted clothes, styled them and took them to markets to sell,” said Hannah. “This business gave me my first real experience with marketing.”

Fast forward to a few years ago—when the family farm started breeding a herd of Wagyu bulls—and Paul and Hannah saw a delicious opportunity.

“We saw a door open for us. These ideas had been running through our family group chat about how cool it would be to actually bring our high-quality beef straight from the farm to people’s plates,” said Hannah.

“We found a gap in the market. Our herd’s genetics are of high quality. The beef is of higher grade than one can typically find in most grocery stores,” said Paul.

Free of growth hormones, GMO feed and antibiotics, their beef is ethically raised.

“We like to know exactly what is in our animals. We grow them longer and slower, so we can get that fine marbling we see in the meat without adding growth hormones,” said Hannah.

Wagyu beef has a higher ratio of healthy fats—monounsaturated fatty acids, like oleic acid—than is found in most other beef. These are the same “heart-healthy” fats found in olive oil, which can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Plus, the taste and tenderness are widely preferred.

“We are very blessed to have the opportunity to pursue something we enjoy and love, and it helps and serves people,” said Paul.

As every entrepreneur knows, a lot goes on behind the scenes. While some believe no one else can do it as well as they can, the Olivares’ opt to delegate to specialists.

“We recognize there’s a lot we don’t know,” said Paul. “We implement what we learn, but we start by finding people who are way better at something than us. We outsource bookkeeping and some of our admin, so we can focus on offering better service. Doing everything ourselves is just not a reality.”

Learning how to delegate and being humble enough to know when they are in over their heads has been a key ingredient in their secret sauce.

“Business reveals your tenacity,” said Paul. “When most people would give up, you’re still there trying. You may not see it in the moment, but you certainly do in hindsight.”

“We’re growing a business and a family, so part of it is modeling our values. As entrepreneurs, if we set it up right, we can create a learning environment for our children to grow up in,” said Hannah. “We genuinely love the challenges and are having so much fun.”

Hannah and Paul spend a lot of time with logistics and serving customers—taking calls, email and online orders and, of course, ensuring they have inventory.

“We coordinate everything with our admin person Charles, who has been a huge help in all areas of our business,” said Paul. “We are freed up more to work on the business, as opposed to in it.”

On the marketing front, the focus is to educate people about the benefits of Wagyu beef.

“A lot of our customers ask their friends and just people they know if they’ve tried our beef yet. It’s a huge help, and it’s an honour to know our community is rooting for us,” said Hannah. “I don’t think business owners elsewhere get that in the same way.”

As an immigrant, Paul remembers the culture shock of arriving in Peace River.

“People would just open the door to you. Strangers would stop and have a conversation with you. It’s such a warm, welcoming place,” said Paul.

Recognizing the importance of local support, the Olivares make a point to shop locally for both their family and their business. It’s even embedded in their company name.

“As Peace Country Wagyu, if our company were to ever go global, we would want to highlight where it all began,” said Paul.

Already branching out, Hannah and Paul have started selling tallow from their Wagyu cows. They are calling it Grease n’ Grace.

“Sometimes when opportunity is at your doorstep, you have to take it,” said Hannah. “I think it’s just in our blood.”

To learn more visit pcwagyu.com or connect via social media.

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Words by Siobhan Kennedy | Photography by Sharon Krushel and submitted