Canadian egg farmers: Committed to making a difference in our communities

As a new member of the Egg Farmers of Canada team, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nova Scotian egg farmer Peter Clarke, and learn about how farmers are working with Food Banks Canada to tackle hunger at its root.

Peter is a 5th generation egg farmer who proudly operates an egg farm in Annapolis Valley with his son Jeff. He is also the chairman of Egg Farmers of Canada, a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 1,000 Canadian egg farmers.

He tells me that egg farmers across Canada work together as a collective to produce fresh, local eggs for Canadians, and are committed to giving back. “Social responsibility is rooted in our traditions as an agricultural industry. Most egg farms in Canada are family-owned and have been operating through several generations. Our farmers are ingrained in, and devoted to their communities,” explains Peter.

For more than two decades, egg farmers have donated more than a million eggs a year to food banks across Canada.

Hunger is a serious issue for too many Canadians. More than 840,000 Canadians use a food bank each month, including 332,000 kids. Close to 4 million Canadians live in food insecure households. “These are hard working families, our neighbours and friends, who simply cannot make ends meet,” adds Peter.

Through egg donations, and events like the Downtown Diner, Egg Farmers of Canada is working with Food Banks Canada to have a direct impact across Canada.

“There is a growing need to support community food banks, and for this reason, egg farmers are a proud partner of Food Banks Canada.” There are plenty of reasons why eggs are a part of healthy diets, and an important item at food banks:

• Eggs are a natural choice for a healthy, active lifestyle. Each large egg contains 6 grams of protein, and 14 essential nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, folate, iron and zinc.
• Eggs are the most versatile items in a kitchen. From healthy breakfasts to protein packed snacks—the choices are endless!
• Eggs are an affordable source of protein. Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete protein. They contain all 9 essential amino acids, and a dozen cost less than a latte!

From talking with Peter, it was easy for me to see the passion that Canadian farmers have for this cause. “It’s important to us to continue to give back to our communities, one egg, or a dozen, at a time,” said Peter.

I’m glad I was able to learn why working with Food Banks Canada is such an integral part of Egg Farmers of Canada’s culture—not only do egg farmers work hard to produce a high-quality food for Canadians, they’re also committed to keeping our communities vibrant.

This blog post was also published on Food Banks Canada’s blog. The original post can be access here.

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