nutrition or simply the weather, but Fieldstone has become a place where organic growers can come together, learn from each other, share new ideas – and old ideas, for that matter. In fact, we have a grower meeting this evening where everyone will get together and share stories and eat soup!” “Without our local organic growers,” Paula continued, “Fieldstone would not exist. Our relationship functions very similarly to a cooperative. In the spring we have a good idea of the products that we will need for next 12 months and put together a producer plan with suggested crops for each organic farm. There are no contracts or pressure for the farmer to grow what we suggest, it’s simply a sugges- tion that gives the farmer confidence that we will be looking to buy his crop at harvest time. We’re able to supply seed to our local growers at discounted rates and also provide any support they may need along the way. For those without storage we offer a guaranteed place to deliver your crop at harvest time, which is a huge bonus for the smaller farms.”
“For many of our customers these grains have been hard to come by in the past, so we are thrilled that our local growers are so good at producing them. We also sell locally-grown flax seed, buckwheat, corn and a variety of peas and lentils – these crops are always in high demand.”
Paula explained that some of Fieldstone Granary’s biggest customers are organic flour mills.
“These flour mills take organic grains by the truck load. We have many long-term relationships with artisan bakeries that mill their flour onsite and produce the most fabulous European style breads, cakes and cookies. Our other whole- sale customers are wheat grass growers, restaurants and retail stores. We’re also more than happy to supply direct to consumers in their homes. Our webstore is easy-to- use and we ship our products all over Canada. We also have a general store here at the granary and it’s great to have a chance to meet our customers because they are always so dedicated to buying local and organic. I’ve lost track of how many times we have been thanked for doing what we do and that’s pretty special,” she said. One of the granary’s biggest areas of growth over the last five years is the craft distillery market in BC and beyond. “It’s such a unique industry with some amazing people,” Paula explained.
When it comes to organic grain handling, Fieldstone Granary really is all things to all people.
They offer a wide variety of organic whole wheats and commonly used grains such as oats, barley and rye – but they’re best-known for their ancient grains. “We pride our- selves on offering some of the best quality organic Spelt, Emmer, Khorasan and Einkorn,” Tony explained.
“By choosing organic there’s a reassurance that your food is safe to eat and reduces the risk of getting sick later down the road.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2018
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