Vineland Growers Co-operative has the distinction of being the longest continually run co-operative in Ontario. Vineland Growers was established in 1913, and since then has been owned and operated by Canadian farmers. For over 100 years, we have distributed peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, grapes and pears, all grown on family farms. Vineland Growers has always been committed to the family farm and sustaining the industry for generations to come. Vineland Growers has continuously upheld the highest standard of safety and handling practices through our commitment to our customers and growers. We have fostered innovation and worked to continually improve services and processes. Over the years Vineland has made significant advances in its cold storage technology, packaging innovations and fruit varieties. As a co-operative we provide transportation and logistics, storage and packing services for local farms. Our two retail stores also offer a full line of crop protection, nutrients and tools for farming and growing businesses.
1969 Up until 1969, Max Underhill was selling fertilizer as an agent for C-I-L from his farm warehouse in Port Burwell, Ontario. This fertilizer was all handled in 100kg sacks and shipped from a central blend plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. Farmers were forced to handle these large bags and pick from only 2 or 3 common blends. C-I-L's new initiative was to partner with local stakeholders, like Max, and build fertilizer plants in the countryside, close to the end user. 1970 in March 1970, Max Underhill's Farm Supply, a 50/50 joint venture between C-I-L's Agromart Group and Max Underhill opened it's doors. The business model was simple, supply bulk and bagged fertilizer to the local farmers who mainly grew tobacco and corn. 1978 By 1978, the business had grown to a point where Max wanted to concentrate more on farming and trucking, so Max sold his 50% stake to John Sebok. John and his wife, Marnie continued to build Max Underhill's Farm Supply for the next 21 years. Through these years, the crop mix evolved from tobacco and corn to a more diverse mix of soybeans, fruits and vegetables. Complimenting corn and tobacco, these new crops flourished in our climate and on our Norfolk sand plain soils. As our customers diversified, so did Max Underhill's Farm Supply. The business soon evolved into other products and services, not just dry fertilizer, such as fumigation, custom application, soil amendments, seed, sucker spraying, liquid fertilizer and delivery units. 1999 In 1999, John and Marnie Sebok sold their shares to the current owners, their sons, Jonathan and Andrew. Since 1999, the business has continued to evolve along with our customers needs and because of that our offering has expanded to include geo-referencing, remote sensing, soil mapping, variable rate prescriptions, Certified Crop Advisors and custom fumigation. 2017 In 2017, Aaron Dyck became a partner in the business alongside Jonathan and Andrew. 2023 In 2023, Troy and Kristopher Sebok became Partners alongside Jonathan, Andrew and Aaron. Now employing 31 full time staff, Max Underhill's Farm Supply supports our community through outreach programs, sponsoring community events and respecting the environment by being a good neighbor utilizing safe practices. The Norfolk sandplain has become known as the bread basket of Ontario. Thanks to the resourcefulness and dedication to grow high quality crops, our customers have succeeded. It is because of this success that Max Underhill's Farm Supply has grown to be the business we are today.
1932-1963: Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd. 1963-1990: Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd. Joint-venture with CIL 1991-1992: Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd. Joint-venture with ICI 1993-1999: Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd. Joint-venture with Terra International Since 1999: Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd. Joint-venture with The Agromart Group (formerly known as The Agronomy Group of Canada).
