Circulaire actuelle Co-op Food - Valable à partir du 17.07 au 16.10 - Page n° 21

Les produits de cette circulaire

chicken egg ground water home

Arelationship that spans two decades is something tobe celebrated. When it's a full circle, farm-to-fork relationship that benefits a locally owned business, a second-generation farm and many customers throughout B.C. it's a homegrown story to be shared Nestled in the heart of the Fraser Valley is Country Golden Volks, an egg farm run by Jeff and Joleen Bisschop. Started by Joleen's parents in 1989, the Bisschops took over more than 20 years ago with the goal of producing the highest quality eggs for their consumers. Feed, fuel and producing Local food It's also been over 20 years since they became members of Otter Co-op, which has been supplying them with fuel to power their business and high- quality feed to help keep their chickens healthy, happy and productive. Working together for so long has enabled Co-op to understand their business and meet their unique needs. “We’ve been able to tailor our services to support them as best we can,” said Vafa Alizadeh, AVP of Ag Solutions at Otter Co-op. “in return, they've been very loyal partners for both our Feed and Petroleum divisions. We Look to continue that relationship for years to come." The Bisschops aren’t only customers of Otter Co-op —-they are also suppliers. Their Country Golden Yolks free-range eggs can be found in Otter Co-op Food Stores. Free-range eggs are produced by chickens that can roam freely within the barn and have access to the outdoors to feed on ground cover during the day and have a warm, safe place to roost at night Along with providing a cage-free environment for their hens, they start each day checking everything in the barns - feed, water, lights, air - to ensure the comfort and health ofthe birds. “We make sure that the animals are happy; they've got their feed and they're comfortable," Jeff said. “If we don't have a comfortable hen, we don't get eggs." Birds of a feather Both the Bisschops and Otter Co-op see the value of working with and supporting local businesses. “Working with local producers helps us bolster the local economy and agriculture within our trading area," said Alizadeh. “it also helps us offer fresher andhigher-quality products and gives our customers the opportunity to support hyper-local and Western Canadian businesses as they seek to keep their dollars close to home." Jeff and Joleen agree. “When you buy from local farmers, processors, businesses, et cetera, you're supporting a sustainable B.C. economy. Think globally, act locally," Joleen said. “We appreciate Otter Co-op and the work they do to help us supply the public with healthy and nutritious eggs." From left to right: Colin Terpstra, Corney Luteyn, Joleen Bisschop, Lauryn Bisschop, Braden Bisschop. Front: Jaxon Bisschop. Empty nesters Jeff and Joleen's four kids may have flown the coop and have their own homes, but they're all still involved with Country Golden Yolks. Their son manages the farms and his wife and the Bisschop's eldest daughter pick eggs. Their younger daughters help with paperwork and marketing and their sons-in-lawhelp wherever needed. The Bisschops also have a young grandson who loves the chickens and helping Grandpa and Grandma in the barns. Helping out with the farm business is obviously something the whole family finds joy and pride in. As Jeff said, “Egg farming is a 365-day-a-yearjob, butwe are fortunate enough to be able to workwith our family through all of this. It's just an awesome Lifestyle." Always Local The next time you grab a carton of Country Golden Yolks eggs at an Otter Co-op Food Store, you'll know where they came from. And if you aren't close to Otter Co-op, you can be confident that the CO-OP GOLD Eggs you are buying in your local Co-op Food Store are sourced from a local farmer in Western Canada. DUT ET O1)