Values

Sustainability

We look at Sustainability as a three pillar approach:

Environment

At Southern Potato, we believe that each generation that farms the land should be committed to improving the land. This comes from a family culture that instilled in us the utmost respect for the land. Our dedication to this takes shape in many forms. We have invested in drain tile and irrigation; providing clear benefits to soil health and is measurable in healthier plants and increased yields. We’ve recently initiated a multi-year irrigation project; this includes implementing cutting-edge soil moisture measuring technology, and GPS water application enabling us to pinpoint areas of our fields that require irrigation. Our vision with this technology is to enhance our crop production in a way that also conserves water.

Our approach to pest management is an unified approach, known as Integrated Pest Management. This approach includes cultural practices, proper crop rotations to build the soil’s organic matter, and cover crops to reduce soil erosion, as well as both natural and synthetic pesticides. When fertilizer and crop protection products are required, they are applied on a prescription basis with GPS technology to minimize overlaps, as recommended by certified agronomists. We use cutting-edge technology in our storage facilities to maximize quality while minimizing electricity usage.

Additionally, being that we are farmers, we talk to other farmers and industry experts to see what's working for them and conduct research to determine if it lines up with our practices. There are many ways to achieve the same result, but not all of them work in all geographical areas, and not all of them are aligned with our sustainability efforts. We value the importance of due diligence when implementing major changes or starting a new project.

Economic

Economic sustainability includes our commitment to ensure that all levels of the supply chain are profitable. While we certainly need to make a profit, it is critical that our partners can also profit in their partnership with us. We work together with our partners, both in buying and selling to ensure success.

Social

The social aspect of sustainability includes our commitment to treat everyone working with us well and provide for their needs. It also includes a commitment to provide for local, regional, national and global needs. As farmers it is natural for us to partner with organizations that provide food for people locally and globally. We partner with iDE Canada and MEDA develop agricultural solutions for farmers in developing nations.

On a local level, we provide support for local recreation, potatoes for local food cupboards, and through Peak of the Market we provide product for Winnipeg Harvest and the soup kitchens in Winnipeg, MB. People from Southern Potato Co. can be found spending their time serving on boards of various non-profit organizations, coaching sports teams and many other volunteer positions. For us, giving time is just as important as donating money.

Food Safety:

As farmers, our most important consideration is providing safe food to our customers. As such, we are CanadaGap certified. This means we submit to third party audits and adhere to production and handling guidelines set by the horticultural industry and reviewed by Canadian government officials. Audits and certifications are conducted by accredited certification bodies. Our potatoes are high quality in all aspects, from yields and plant health to nutrition and food safety.

We believe that everyone on the planet deserves to have safe and healthy food available