08/24/2026
Meet Erik Tompkins - our Vegreville Food Store Manager!
Erik was born in the Hanna, Alberta area and grew up near Okotoks, Alberta. In 2020, he and his wife moved to the Vegreville area to pursue a homesteading lifestyle and achieve their goal of owning land where they could grow their own food. What began as a dream has developed into a rewarding way of life, producing approximately 1,200 pounds of produce annually, with potatoes accounting for nearly 60% of the harvest.
Along with preserving much of what they grow, they also raise between 100 and 150 free-range meat birds each year. Erik joined Vegreville Co-op in January 2022 as a Grocery Clerk and quickly progressed through the organization, earning a promotion to Supervisor in March 2022 and then to Food Manager in April 2023. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Vegreville Co-op and values the relationships he has built with the patrons and community members of Vegreville. Outside of work, Erik is passionate about learning new things and enjoys spending time with his chickens, observing their unique personalities and social groups. He also shares his home with five dogs and ten cats, despite admitting that he has never really considered himself a cat person.
Erik enjoys supporting his wife's ambitious entrepreneurial ventures, most recently a vending machine business. In his spare time, he can often be found enjoying video games, card games, tabletop games, puzzles, and a variety of problem-solving challenges. Give Erik some warmth by commenting below!
