Celebrating Canadian egg farmers on Canada’s Agriculture Day

February 13 marks the 8th annual Canada’s Agriculture Day, a special occasion where we come together to celebrate made-in-Canada food and the people who bring it from farm to plate.

This year, we are shining a spotlight on the more than 1,200 Canadian egg farmers and farm families who produce fresh, local, high-quality food for Canadians. Egg farmers are passionate about providing fresh, high-quality eggs while taking care of their animals, communities and the environment. The unique system of supply management provides stability for farmers and Canadians alike and helps deliver a steady supply of local eggs from coast to coast to coast.

In honour of #CdnAgDay, we sat down with some Canadian egg farmers to learn about their passion for farming and their commitment to a sustainable future. Read on to learn why they are proud of what they do today and every day.

Celebrating #CdnAgDay with Canadian egg farmers

What is the best part about being an egg farmer?

It is not lost on me, how privileged we are to carry on the family tradition and responsibility of being an egg farmer. I love the flexibility of being my own boss and managing my farm the way I feel is best. I take great pride in knowing we play a role in providing other families a safe and nutritious food product and the responsibility we have in doing that. I also love sharing what we do with people who are interested in learning how the egg gets from the farm to their table!

What is one thing you want Canadians to know about egg farmers?

I would like consumers to understand that we are a family-run farm with generations of experience in providing a safe and high-quality food product while using sustainable and efficient farming practices.  We are happy consumers have choice at the grocery store when making a purchasing decision for their family. We want them to know that whatever choice they make, as long as the package has that Canadian maple leaf on it, they can be assured that the farm where those eggs came from have hens that are well cared for by farm families just like ours.  

Egg farmers have long been leaders in sustainable farming. Why is environmental sustainability important to you?

Jesse: “We’re looking for the future and looking out for our next generation so they can be part of a successful and sustainable product going forward.”

What is one thing you want Canadians to know about egg farmers?

Bruce: “Our goal is to produce a good, healthy egg for the public so we can see nice eggs on breakfast tables. And we definitely care about our hens and keeping up with animal care programs. We’re a family farm, we work hard.”

Jesse: “It’s a lot of work to make good quality Grade A eggs.”

Egg farmers have long been leaders in sustainable farming. Why is environmental sustainability important to you?

Sustainable farming is extremely important to me as I have two young children and I want to protect their futures as much as I can. This means making investments into green technologies including solar and energy saving technology as well as sustainable production practices.

What is one thing you want Canadians to know about egg farmers?

Canadian egg farmers are world leaders in production practices, environmentally sustainable technology and food safety. Egg Farmers of Canada is leading the way with world-leading programs including NESTT to help us reach our goal of net-zero by 2050. 

Egg farmers have long been leaders in sustainable farming. Why is environmental sustainability important to you?

On our farm, we do what we can to be stewards of the environment: manure is used as compost and returned as fertilizer to the field; we use hydroelectric power in our barn, which is a sustainable power source here in Manitoba; we have high-efficiency LED lights installed throughout the barn; and our water consumption is minimal because of our dry manure system. Environmental sustainability is important to us especially because we live where we farm—our barn is right beside our home. We don’t want to pollute local water sources and we want to protect our environment for future generations, including our three sons.

What is one thing you want Canadians to know about egg farmers?

How progressive the industry is to ensure that hen health and welfare is the top priority.

What is the best part about being an egg farmer?

In my view, it’s the feeling of enabling people to eat healthy and locally, with an environmentallyeffective food. I have a feeling that eggs will be a key component when it comes to food in the years ahead, and that motivates me a great deal.

What is one thing you want Canadians to know about egg farmers?

We are local families, all across Canada, who work every day to provide a fresh, nutritious, high-quality and economical food, with concern for environmental sustainability and animal welfare.

Join the #CdnAgDay celebration

Share your love for Canadian food and your messages of thanks to Canadian farmers by using #CdnAgDay hashtag on social media. Happy Canada’s Agriculture Day!

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