- 519-443-5919
- 519-443-4643
Shabatura Produce was established by John (Sr.) Shabatura when he migrated to Waterford, Ontario from the Ukraine. The farm started with cattle and grains, but transitioned to fresh produce when Peter (Sr.) became involved in the business. The operation grew and sold a limited amount of produce and focused on the processing aspect of produce. Eventually with the inclusion of Peter's sons John and Don, the farm once again transitioned and moved away from processing and focused on the fresh market side of things.
Shabatura Produce continues to operate and is still run by John's son Peter, daughter Tiffany, and son-in law Eric. The farm is now dedicated to growing packing and selling wholesale field grown fruit and vegetables. The farm business has expanded outside of Norfolk County and supplies all major grocery stores in Canada and Eastern United states, as well as many seasonal markets across North America.
Located on the Norfolk sand plains, Shabatura Produce farms on roughly 1,500 acres of sandy, loam soil. Our soil has incredible filtration and a composition that makes it unique to Ontario, deeming the region "Ontario’s garden.”
We take great pride in land stewardship and care of the soil quality. Since nutrient rich soil and long hours of natural sunlight impact the quality of produce, we utilize nature to ensure we produce large yields of flavourful fresh produce.
With state of the art grading machines, we are able to effectively pack all produce to meet customer specifications. Our high food safety standards ensure that all areas of the pack barn are thoroughly cleaned, maintained, and pass the environmental cleanliness test each time.
Our full production space of 68,000 square feet, comprises of 3 temperature-controlled coolers, 3 pack houses and specific stations and pack lines for each commodity we grow. We are well equipped to store and package large quantities of fresh produce for the North American market on a regular basis.
We certainly could not farm without the hard work of our valuable team members who are often behind the scenes, but are extremely important in every step of the farm operation. From the office, to the shop, to the field, to the pack barn, every member of our team is essential to the flow and success of our business.
We are proud to employ International Agricultural Workers from Mexico and Jamaica, who continue to return 'home' to pick, pack, and manage the distribution of our produce. The high level of skill and experience they bring to the table is essential to ensure safety and efficiency in a labour intensive industry. As well, we have our local, full time staff who assist in the management of labour, production, sales, facilities, equipment and machinery. The dedication and hard work of all team members ensures an effective flow of operations and allows us to provide families with good, quality, fresh field grown produce.
