Costco Connection Cover Story - December 2022

Home grown

Costco warehouses are known for their selection of national brand-name products, but they also stock locally produced items that might be offered in only a few provinces or a handful of warehouses. These items help Costco buyers respond to local and regional tastes, and help set Costco apart from its competitors.

Stories by Mark Cardwell, Sharon Chisvin, Naomi Hansen, Dan Jones, Allison Lawlor, Dana Tye Rally

Locally sourced products not only cater to local tastes, they also help to create a feeling of hometown pride in warehouses across the country. Over the next few pages, we’ll introduce you to some of the small-scale regional suppliers whose goods add to your Costco warehouse’s “treasure hunt” feel—from candy to honey and mushrooms to coffee beans and more. —Stephanie E. Ponder

Danny Wasylenchuk and Sasha Howland with their sons, Ethan and Nate© OLIVIA TOMCALA PHOTOGRAPHY

HOWLAND’S HONEY

Location: Canora, Saskatchewan

Products: Howland’s Honey 1 kg Creamed Honey (Item 181929)

Availability: Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is known for producing high-quality honey—and regional supplier Howland’s Honey is no exception.

“We have a really nice area for honey production here because there’s lots of hay land. It’s a beautiful honey pocket,” says Sasha Howland, who co-owns and operates Howland’s Honey alongside her husband, Danny Wasylenchuk. “The higher amount of clovers and alfalfa makes for a consistently light, mild-tasting honey.”

As the third generation of her family to operate the business, Howland has honey in her blood. Her grandfather Bob Howland started out as a hobbyist beekeeper in the Regina area and initially sold his honey door to door. In 1976, Sasha’s dad, Wink Howland, purchased some land about 1.6 kilometres south of Good Spirit Lake, where their operations are still based today. Wink officially trademarked the name in 1979 and then slowly grew the business from just a few hives to over 250. In later years, he also expanded into the retail market, including Costco, which placed its first order in 1996.

When Sasha joined the business in the early 2000s, they decided it was time to expand further. Today, Howland’s Honey has more than 1,000 hives and takes care of its own reproductive stock.

Although the company has decades of experience under its belt, Sasha says its priority has always been the same: to supply customers with a purely Saskatchewan product. “We are unique because we offer a single-source product,” she says. “Our honey is 100% Saskatchewan honey, and 100% from this farm.”—Naomi Hansen

For the full article see: https://www.costco.ca/connection-cover-home-grown-december-2022.html