WILLOWS — Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that RW Organic does not own the elevator at Willows. It was not part of a purchase made by RW Organic.
RW Organic of Mossbank, one of the biggest organic grain storage and handling facilities in Canada, is getting even bigger. It has acquired the loading site beside the Willows elevator just outside of Assiniboia as of January 25, owner and president Ron Wells confirmed. Wells has been in the organics industry for the last 20 years, but now he is branching out to non-organic crops.
The new site will be called RW Grains and it will be aimed at purchasing and shipping non-organic conventional grain from local farmers to ship to B.C. flour mills, he said.
The Willows facility has several advantages for farmers and the company with proximity to the Red Coat Trail rail line and easy access from the road. The facility can now handle about 25,000 bushels, but will be expanding in the future. Wells says that the next step will be preparing the site and hiring full-time employees to run the facility.
Wells' company currently deals in organic grains including wheat, oats, peas and lentils. This is the company’s fourth facility in Saskatchewan.
Wells founded R.W. Organic Ltd. in 2000 to assist farmers in becoming organic producers.
It began as a family-run business that aided 194 producers in obtaining organic standing. The company is currently focused on finding and maintaining markets, supplying the end user with organic product and making sure the producers receive top dollar for their product. R.W. Organic is certified through Pro-Cert Organic Systems.
