Circulaire actuelle Co-op Food - Valable à partir du 10.08 au 19.10 - Page n° 15

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now light program crop plan prairie

The latest pr e-grown and prairie-made beers are on Co-op Liquor Store shelves now! Inspired by our local communities, Co-op is adding a Pilsner and Light Lager to complement the previously released CO-OP® GOLD Lager. Together, they provide the lager drinker a line up of refreshing, crisp and clean beers — uniquely Co-op products made with environmental and community sustainability in mind Darren Antos, a grain farmer from Killam, Alberta, is a participant in Co-op's Grown with Purpose program, andone of the farmers supplying malt barley for the Co-op Gold beers. À fan of the end product, Antos says he greatly values the opportunity to support these beers with sustainably produced, prairie-grown grain “Both my wife's family, as well as my family, have been farming for close to 100 years. Supporting local is à proven business model that benefits everyone,” said Antos. “It's important to support local communities to ensure they continue to thrive, and maintain the products and services we have come to appreciate." Environmental stewardship is central to both Co-op's Farm to Fork strategy and its Grown with Purpose agronomic program. For Antos, the latter encourages his family to focus on the 4Rs of nutrient management, as well as good chemical management, building soil health and other agronomically responsible strategies. They also maintain an Environmental Farm Plan, and work with the Grow Team at their Local Co-op — Wild Rose Co-operative Association in Camrose, Alberta — to improve continuously. “The service has been exceptional, and they provide a variety of other equipment and agronomic services. | like the fact that staff can advise on all my input and grain handling needs: fuel, fertilizer, crop protection products, grain bins, augers and parts — we can get all of it at our local Co-op." Community connection has always been important for Wild Rose Co-op. The Antos family have been members for more than 35 years, while Darren's daughter, Lexi also works as a Grow Team agronomist at Wild Rose’s location in Viking, Alberta. With the brewing of the Co-op Gold beers, Carol Rollheiser, General Manager for Wild Rose Co-op, says the Antos family can now access unique products brewed from malt barley they/ve grown “It's exciting to have a Local grower to whom we provide inputs, sell their crop back, and then have the ability to buy Co-op Gold beer made from the crop they produced. We talk about being able to connect the dots, and this is a very cool way to do it" said Rollheïser. Sue Grant, Co-op's Liquor Marketing and Operations Manager, expresses the same sentiment. Like Antos, she also emphasizes how pairing the company's beer offering with Grown with Purpose and Farm to Fork supports both environmental and community sustainability. “Our beers are produced using as much malt barley grown by Co-op farmers in Saskatchewan and Alberta as we are able to use in the recipes. It's really a full circle story. These truly are uniquely Co-op beers," Grant said. “The growers of the malt barley genuinely believe in being good stewards of the land and are passionate supporters of keeping small communities alive and well. Co-ops are a part of the fabric of these communities. Our beers provide another opportunity to produce and sell quality local products and keep profits in the communities.” For Antos, Co-op's commitment to local investment and programs supporting sustainability practices also supports succession and the longevity of his family's farming legacy. “Farming is continuously changing and evolving. We strive to keep up with the technology, science, what to plant and the best way to do it. We keep records and research the best alternatives to ensure a successful harvest, and make conscious choices with the environment in mind. It's important to maintain a healthy ecosystem for future generations." Growers like Antos, along with the Co-op's Grown with Purpose program, make it possible for Co-op to continue to work towards their sustainability goals while meeting the desires of consumers for high- quality products that they can count on. Cheers! NU RO TIR)