Big Marble Farms Inc., located in Medicine Hat, Alberta, has added Pik'n'Pak group from Lacombe, Alberta, to their network of growers.
Big Marble Farms recently signed a 5-year marketing agreement with Doefs Greenhouses Ltd, S4 Greenhouses East, and Gull Valley Greenhouses, the three members of the Pik'n'Pak Group.
The Pik'n'Pak group adds 50+ acres of production to the rapidly expanding production area of Big Marble Farms. 26 acres of pepper, as well as additional LIT winter acreage of Long English Cucumbers, Mini Cucumbers, and TOV, will fit well with the existing mix of products that Big Marble Farms already supplies throughout the prairies.
Jonathan Schow, VP of Sales & Marketing at Big Marble Farms, had the following to say about the new partnership. "We have seen many changes taking place in the greenhouse industry over the last few years. Consumer buying habits are changing. Sustainability is top of mind across our country, and competition is constantly growing. To keep pace with these changes, it takes a great deal of strategic planning, forward thinking, and growth. The Pik'n'Pak group are excellent growers with exciting expansion plans in their future. We were seeking out like-minded growers to complement our expansion plans, and the Doefs, S4, and Gull Valley are a perfect fit. We are honored to have them on board with our team."
The addition of the Pik'n'Pak Group to the Big Marble Farms family will further solidify the presence of the local growers in the prairie region supplying local produce to the residents of western Canada.
Ryan Cramer, President of Big Marble Farms, spoke to the benefit of local growers uniting in the prairie region.
"We're very excited to welcome the Pik'n'Pak family into our own! They're a fantastic group of growers who carry the same family farming values as we do at Big Marble Farms. This unification will strengthen our position as the main greenhouse producer for the Canadian prairies."
As one of the largest greenhouse producers in the prairies, Big Marble Farms supplies all the major retail chains with fresh local produce year-round. Their focus on sustainability in both growing practices and packaging has made them a standout in the industry and a primary source of produce in their region. At 250 acres of growing area, Big Marble Farms is poised to change the way greenhouse produce is grown in the prairies.
Joe Doef, President of the Pik'n'Pak group, describes the new marketing partnership as a coming together of two long-standing fixtures in the industry into one cohesive unit.
"I am excited about the new amalgamation between the Pik'n'Pak growers of Central Alberta and the growers of Southern Alberta under the Big Marble label. We are Albertans growing and marketing our greenhouse vegetables for Alberta and beyond. It seems to me for 50 + years, each of our companies have been traveling on a monocycle. Now we got together and have a bicycle!! Just watch us fly!"
Eric Doef, Partner at Doef Greenhous Ltd, echoed his father's sentiment speaking of the collaboration of two legacy growers in the prairies.
"Pik-N-Pak Produce Ltd is very excited to begin a new marketing chapter partnering alongside the quality growers from Southern AB! The Big Marble brand is well-recognized and respected in our industry. This collaboration of two legacy growing groups will do well to protect and enhance our growing provincial industry!"
This new partnership is the first of its kind in Alberta. These two Alberta growers are set to show what the prairies can do when they come together for a unified goal.
For more information:
Big Marble Farms
www.bigmarble.ca