Some days we wish we had more hours in them. Day one of our North American Study Tour this wish granted and then some. Starting with a 4:30AM meet at the Toronto Pearson International Airport and arriving in Calgary, Alberta at 9:30AM local time, marked the start of our exceptional day 1.

Our first magic moment was found while standing at the baggage carousel. A few of our class were talking about agriculture, and a woman nearby overheard and asked to share more. Learning about the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program made her day. She lit up with a huge smile and incredible infectious energy that was appreciated by our sleepy jet lagged group. We discovered she is also passionate about agriculture and is from Tanzania now living in Canada. She had us create a video shouting “Hakuna Matata for Canada! Hakuna Matata for Tanzania! Hakuna Matata for Africa!”  Hakuna Matata is a way of expressing a relaxed, positive outlook. Letting go of stress and trusting that things will work out. What a great way to start our study tour! AND I believe this sentiment must be part of the Price family’s mindset. Our entire day 1 was spent touring what this agricultural based family created from the ground up.

Our first Price family business visit was a pork processing facility. Soleterra. This branch of the family business processes pork into a wide range of products such as salamis, pepperoni, bacon and hams. From the Soleterra website:

“In 1927, the Simonini family set up a small processing plant in Modena, Italy and became purveyors of superior Italian cured pork products. In 1970, the Price family founded Sunterra in Acme, Alberta, which grew to become a fully integrated family-run food company with farming, meat processing and retail operations.”

The family started with and still are pork producers. Imported Prosciutto is sliced and packaged and sold under the Soleterra brand. The family business vibe was apparent from the family and farm photos in the office and meeting areas. Our still-feeling-the-jet-lag class appreciated the central location of a large kitchen area stocked with coffee and tea where we also sampled the cured meats produced here. The employees that toured us through the facility spoke of the family run aspect of the business often and we saw that family values were also a part of the staff. Ready to sell packaged products, as well as every step of the process, were showed to us with pride. We were also challenged with wearing different coloured smocks depending on where we were in the process and stepping in numerous footbaths throughout the facility. We had fun with the balaclava style hairnets! We learned about the clear systems to keep raw, cooked, and packaged products separate both physically and from human interaction. Soleterra products are mainly sold in Alberta. They also export to the US and Japan.

Next stop, also owned by the  Price family, the SunTerra Greenhouse. 20 acres of tomatoes grown under glass and ripened on the vines Last season, this greenhouse also grew strawberries. A decision was made to focus strictly on tomatoes as they are the more profitable crop. This common type of farming decision is not always easy. The strawberries were much loved by all and as we discovered over our time in Calgary, many are waiting for the delicious SunTerra strawberries that won’t appear this year.

Hakuna Matata.

For this greenhouse to succeed, focusing on tomatoes is the right choice. During our tour we noticed some striking similarities to the Truly Green facility we visited during our AALP Sarnia seminar and learned the people who manage these greenhouses are friends! The more experienced Truly Green mentors the less experienced growers at SunTerra. Calgary has less water and more sunshine than Ontario and the greenhouse industry is still young in Alberta. Learning about how the western greenhouse collects water and snow melt and their water recycling and treatment systems was very interesting. Two ground wells and the municipal water system fill in when water reserves run low.

We also visited RimRock Feedlot, owned by…you guessed it, the Price family! A public perception of feedlots exists that doesn’t always match what feedlots are. What we saw were healthy cattle displaying the fun, feed consuming, carefree behaviour one expects to see from young cattle. We also met passionate people who know cattle and genuinely want these animals to experience the best life possible and who fully understand these animals exist to feed people. Cattle are watched closely and often. Daily checking of pens on horseback, working alongside veterinarians and a solid veterinary program keeps animals healthy and in good living conditions. Cleanliness was mentioned often and is a dominant focus of the livestock management team. The managers giving our tour talked openly about the reality of what these animals are raised for and at the same time, we could feel the care responsibility and pride in producing Alberta beef.

And then we ended the day at a Calgary location of the Sunterra Market, also owned by the Price family! One of five locations that serve Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.

Wow. What an incredible story and vision that all started from one small family farm.

From the Sunterra website:

Today, the Sunterra Group is run by the Price children, grandchildren and a family of 1,200+ team members who uphold their passion for innovation and legacy of quality.

Located at the bottom of a condo building, residents can ride the elevator from their home directly into a food store that feels like a part of home. Tomatoes from the SunTerra greenhouse turned into sauce. Cured meats from Soleterra available right there in the store. Bread baked in one location and brought into another. Fresh juices pressed daily and a smorgasbord of prepared home-cooked style meals all available in one place.

We finished the night upstairs in the Sunterra Market with a cooking class. As a class, we prepared our meal and sat down to eat together.

Simple, good food. Shared.

Hakuna Matata.

A positive Outlook. Moving forward with a knowing that all will work out. No need to worry.

Passionate people creating and holding impactful visions.

Courageous people making hard decisions.
Disciplined people showing up to do the work.
Joyful people celebrating what they create.

What tremendous lessons in leadership. Vision, mission, passion, commitment, unity, and the clarity and purpose necessary to keep moving forward. Innovation and marketing at it’s finest.

This extra long day was an outstanding start to our North American Study tour in Canada!

HAKUNA MATATA

Click here to learn more about the SunTerra Farm to Fork Story