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Niagara fruit co-op celebrates 100 years
July 10, 2013 By Fruit & Vegetable
Jul. 10, 2013, Niagara, ON – Vineland Growers’ Cooperative recently celebrated 100 years of operation, with a celebration that drew over 900 people, including Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
The co-op began in Sept. 12, 1913 when four fruit growers met to discuss the formation of a co-op. Through the years, it has expanded and diversified its role in buying and selling the fruit from members and non-members.
According to Don Fraser at the St. Catherines Standard, it assembled and marketed more than 1,145,000 cases of fruit and reached gross sales of fruit and supplies of more than $33.8 million in 2011. Essentially, the co-op bulk-buys from growers and markets the produce, said Michael Ecker, the president of the cooperative and Virgil.
“By the growers working together, they can supply the needs of these large organizations like Loblaw, Walmart, Sobeys, Metro, Costco.”
For more information, visit www.vinelandgrowers.com.
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