The Humboldt Flour Mills

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The HFM is now a publicly traded company (Alberta Stock Exchange) and its sales for the year-ended July 31, 1994 were $33.7 million. They have built an excellent reputation for service and quality. HFM maintain strict quality control by using a first hand approach to processing, from the contracting of crop production to the grading and cleaning of seed up to delivery, to the storage and shipment of the product to the customer.

They now export to every continent except Antarctica. Approximately 45 percent of the company’s mustard seed is shipped to the United States; 40 percent to Europe; 10 percent to Central and South America; and the remaining 5 percent to all other areas of the world. They export to more than 40 countries around the world.

Canary seed was contracted as a crop in 1961. It is only in recent years that they have expanded to become one of the major Canadian suppliers to this export market. Five thousand tonnes of canary seed was exported to European, South American, and U. S. markets in 1992 totalling $2.25 million in sales.

Inroads in pea and lentil markets have also been made. They have opened markets in 8 different countries as of 1993. More than 75 percent of Canada’s total lentil production is grown in Saskatchewan.

HFM contracts mustard seed acres with growers and provides a guaranteed market for their seed--at a guaranteed price.

Humboldt Flour Mills’ operation consists of a large mustard cleaning plant capable of handling three separate lines (for each type of mustard), as well as a new cleaning plant for canary seed. There is also a four storey flour mill, head offices, and fertilizer and chemical dealership. On-site rail and road service enables them to ship their product to market at cost-effective prices.

In 1987, HFM was named the ABEX “Business of the Year” by the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce. They also received the “Export” award for doubling their export volume abroad in one year.

The HFM continue to mill flour today, but at a smaller scale than it did in the 1960’s.

Europe, the United States, South America, Asia and Australia...we’ve got the the whole world in our hands. Humboldt Flour Mills...the Mustard Men.