My father-in-law (Henk Sr.) and mother-in-law Sibylla (deceased) started their wholesale farm roots together in 1971. Henk gained his farm knowledge from his father in the Netherlands and decided to venture to Canada to begin his farming career. Together Henk and Sibylla created Pioneer Flower Farms Ltd. in 1972, and recently celebrated 50 years in business.

Henk’s initiative to purchase many innovative systems throughout the years revolutionized flower production and slowly, Henk added on new greenhouse structures to maximize growing his operation to capture a larger flower market. Henk instilled this growth mindset in his two sons Henk Jr. and Peter, who now oversee the greenhouse operation; and as a trifecta, have created one of the largest bulb forcing farms in North America.

Due to a tragic fire in August 2019, Pioneer rebuilt its infrastructure using their father’s foresight for automation and efficiency production. Investing in sophisticated automates of the 21st century have far surpassed those of the late 20th century and have saved efforts in labour, harvesting, cutting, grading and packing. These practices allow Pioneer to remain competitive and chain customers can be assured that they are getting the best quality, service and price possible.

Pioneer’s legacy has been powered by a strong workforce of dedicated offshore employees from Mexico, Guatemala, local residents and team leaders; which now includes the boy’s sister Anita, a chartered professional accountant. As a team of over 150 employees, Pioneer has been able to increase production to growing over 70 million blooms per year.