ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 8 COVER STORY continued from page 7 sharp definition. These qualities help preserve the maple leaf's decorative details and ensure each cookie consistently matches its partner when assembled into a sandwich cookie. Consistently delivering that quality, year after year, is where Ontario has earned a strong wheat reputation in the cookie business. Grain Farmers of Ontario's wheat harvest survey has repeatedly demonstrated that Ontario soft red winter wheat performs reliably against soft wheat key milling and baking specifications, particularly for complex cookies. "I would say we've been blessed with the work that the Ontario farmers have done with a very consistent high quality of product that we've seen over my tenure here," says Warren. That consistency is no accident. It reflects decades of investment by Ontario farmers in plant breeding, agronomy research, performance testing and quality assurance programs designed to keep Ontario wheat competitive in demanding food markets. It’s the result of the sophisticated management of Ontario farmers growing wheat for milling markets, underpinned by programs like the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement program. Commercial Bakeries is working to raise Ontario’s baking sector to new heights through their vision of “Baking Up Better". “We are seeing double-digit volume growth out of our Ontario facilities,” says Warren, “and we are seeing dramatic improvements on our safety record, dramatic improvements on waste reduction, and our lowest attrition rate in the history of the company.” This vision has helped Commercial Bakeries expand sales of maple cream cookies into markets across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. “You can only imagine that seeing our cookies being the ones that Artemis II NASA astronauts (left to right) Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. Image Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux “You can only imagine that seeing our cookies being the ones that went into space helps to reinforce that sense of pride throughout our team. - Shawn Warren, CEO, Commercial Bakeries Corp.
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