From engineering to the family farm: Why Moawaz Sheikh decided to come home

This is part of a series of profiles of young egg farmers. They are all young leaders taking part in Egg Farmers of Canada’s national young farmer program, an initiative designed to prepare the next generation of industry leaders.

Moawaz Sheikh

Wainfleet, Ontario

Before he was running the day-to-day operations at Chaudary Poultry Farms, Moawaz Sheikh worked at a food processing facility and an engineering consulting firm, optimizing processes, troubleshooting systems and thinking of results in terms of inputs and outputs.

Today, the chemical engineer turned egg farmer applies that same mindset in a very different setting.

“On the farm, you see the impact of your decisions right away,” he says. “It’s not just about theory. It’s about shaping a livelihood, supporting a family and contributing to a community.”

Moawaz’s family story began decades earlier, with a series of moves that eventually brought his maternal grandparents from Pakistan to Europe and from there to Canada in the mid-1970s. They arrived with limited resources but a clear vision of building something they could call their own.

“They had very little money when they first came,” he says. “But they saw farming as honest work and a way to build something together as a family.”

They started with a small farm in Smithville before moving in 1980 to what is now the home farm in Wainfleet. In those early years, the operation ran on grit more than anything else. Equipment was old, breakdowns were constant and days stretched from before sunrise to well past sunset.

“My grandfather worked as an electrician in a factory in Kitchener during the day,” Moawaz says. “Then he’d come home and repair equipment, run the manure systems and do whatever needed to be done. During the day, my grandmother, my uncles and my mother would collect eggs and take care of the hens.”

That rhythm of shared responsibility, long hours and steady problem-solving built the foundation for what would become Chaudary Poultry Farms.

Moawaz grew up watching his family navigate the demands of the farm. “I saw what it meant to build something from nothing,” he says. “That stuck with me.”

He studied chemical engineering at Western University, then completed a master’s degree in environment and business at the University of Waterloo. After working in a food processing plant in London, Ontario, he moved into engineering consulting, helping municipalities plan long-term green infrastructure and decarbonization strategies.

“I was learning a lot,” he says. “Systems thinking, problem-solving and working on complex operations.”

But over time, something shifted in him as he faced a crossroads.

“There was an opportunity to grow my own career,” he says. “Or to come back and grow something with my family that was bigger than myself, that felt more meaningful.”

Moawaz chose the latter. He moved back to the farm last year and now lives on the property, taking on a full-time role overseeing daily operations. His uncle leads major construction and expansion projects, including the construction of their new enriched colony and planned free run aviary barns, while his cousin supports the day-to-day work. The family recently acquired a new farm as well, and the operations have expanded by 25% in the last year.

One of the most significant upgrades on the farm is something most people would never notice: a shift from single-phase to three-phase power, which provides a steady flow of electricity to the equipment. “There’s less strain on the system, and fewer failures,” says Moawaz. “It provides more consistent power with higher efficiency to the motors.”

On a farm where ventilation, feeding systems and egg collection all depend on motors running reliably, that consistency matters.

Alongside that, the farm has invested in solar panels, both on barn roofs and as ground-mounted systems, to help offset electricity costs and reduce reliance on the grid.

Even with those upgrades, the core of the work hasn’t changed.

“What I enjoy most is seeing the hen’s full lifecycle,” he says. “Optimizing how the hens produce and making sure they are as comfortable as possible.”

That connection to the animals, to the process, and to the outcome is what sets farming apart for him.

As part of the national young farmer program representing Egg Farmers of Ontario, Moawaz is eager to deepen his understanding of the industry while connecting with others navigating similar challenges.

“I’m particularly interested in exchanging ideas around operational efficiency, infrastructure development and emerging technologies that strengthen resilience,” he says. “Just as importantly, I’m looking forward to building relationships with peers who are equally committed to the long-term future of the egg sector.”

That broader perspective extends to how he sees his role with consumers as well.

“I think there’s real value in creating more opportunities for dialogue between farmers and consumers,” he says. “When people understand how their food is produced and the standards behind it, it builds trust and appreciation for the work.”

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