When Co-op members and customers reach for CO-OP GOLD PURE^® Hummus, they’re grabbing a product made in Saskatoon, Sask., with chickpeas that can be traced directly back to Hunter Farms in the southwest of the province.

And while it seems like a snap, that trip from farm to table relies on advanced agricultural practices and trusted relationships between the Hunter family and the local Co-op Grow Team who serve and supply them. It’s a journey that Co-op is uniquely positioned to guide.

Working in harmony

With teams of experts to provide agronomic advice, relationships with food processors, and a network of food stores across Western Canada, Co-op is involved in every step of the hummus journey: From growing the crop, to manufacturing the dip, to selling the delicious finished product at the food store, it’s a local success story through and through.

That’s because supporting people close to home is as important to Co-op as it is to our members and customers.

“It’s something that provides not just sustainability for the farmers or for the local Co-ops, but it’s also providing sustainability for the economy in general around the province,” said J.J. Hunter.

Born and raised

Lorne Hunter is a fourth-generation farmer who shared his love of agriculture with his five sons, J.J., Dusty, Luke, Brock and Ty. The brothers also share a love of community and music and are in a popular band, The Hunter Brothers. Hunter Farms grows a number of crops on their farm near Shaunavon, including lentils, durum, barley, flax and, of course, chickpeas. Their family works closely with the team at Pioneer Co-op to get the latest information and the best products to ensure each growing season is successful, and most importantly, safe.

“Is this something that we would want to eat? And is this something that we feel good about growing for other people that are going to be consuming it all over the world?” are the questions that guide Lorne and his family’s growing practices. Food quality and safety are of utmost importance to them, as is the health of the land. These are questions that Co-op’s forward-thinking agronomic program GROWN WITH PURPOSE^® can help answer.

“It’s important to consumers that their food has been produced safely and sustainably,” said Roxanne Morin, Agro Manager at Pioneer Co-op. “Grown with Purpose is a tool for our agronomy team to coach and train producers, with a goal to adopt and implement sustainable practices."

Planning for the next generation

The importance of growing healthy food is a driving factor behind Hunter Farms’ work. It’s also important to ensure that the farm is viable for years to come, which is a goal Co-op takes seriously.

“When you’re working hand-in-hand with the Co-op, they have agronomists that care about the sustainability of your land,” said J.J. “When the agronomists are out looking and seeking the best practices and applications that we can make to grow the best crop, I think that’s the heartbeat that we can join in together.”

Now, J.J.’s young children are learning how to tell their crops apart, and they’re also learning about their family’s role in producing the food people can buy at their local Co-op Food Store, which is a source of pride.

“I think farmers traditionally are generational thinkers,” he noted. “You invest in the land, you invest in the work that you’re doing, in hopes that it’s going to be taken on by the next generation.”

And when Hunter patriarch, Lorne, loves the work this much, it’s easy to see where that generational thinking comes from: “I consider it a privilege and an honour to be able to look after living things and produce food. It’s been a real fulfilling, joyful life doing that.”

• MORE: Farm to fork stories