Celebrating egg farmers on #CdnAgDay 2022
By Egg Farmers of CanadaThe countdown is on for Canada’s Agricultural Day on February 22, 2022—a day to celebrate Canada’s farmers from coast to coast, who work year round to produce high-quality, local food for Canadians to enjoy.
To commemorate #CdnAgDay, we interviewed egg farmers from across Canada to offer a glimpse into farm life and share their advice for newcomers to the industry. What do they all have in common? A passion to produce quality food everyday.
Breeanna Kelln from Hill Poultry Farms, Saskatchewan
Connection and togetherness go hand-in-hand with food, and for Breeanna, bringing people together is one of the many reasons why she loves farming.
Q: How did you get started in egg farming?
A: “My husband and I applied to the New Entrant Program through the Saskatchewan Egg Producers. We were ecstatic when we were selected in 2019. [We housed] our first flock 11 months later, in 2020.”
Q: What is the best part of being a farmer?
A: “Food brings people together around the dinner table and we are proud to be able to play a role in connecting people through food. We are very proud of the product we produce, as we know it is safe, tasty, and nutritious… I feel the best part of being a farmer is creating a food product people enjoy.”
Q: What advice would you give to a young farmer?
A: “Reach out to others in the industry and ask lots of questions. We found the Saskatchewan egg industry incredibly welcoming and supportive of our new venture. We had a steep learning curve and many fellow egg farmers were willing to help us learn about the layer industry. They provided invaluable advice.”
Q: What is your favourite way to eat eggs?
A: “That is a tough question, since I enjoy any type of egg dish and I love their versatility! But, if not baked in a cake, then I would have to say I enjoy a good omelette.”
Paul and Naomi McConkey from New Meadow Farm Ltd., New Brunswick
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s how to adapt to change. For egg farmers Naomi and Paul McConkey, knowing how to adjust in the blink of an eye is part of what makes a successful farmer.
Q: How did you get started in egg farming?
A: “Paul is the fifth generation on the farm in Tower Hill. Growing up next door to the farm owned and operated by his grandparents, aunt, and uncles, Paul was able to spend weekends and summers with a large extended family on the mixed operation. Through successful succession planning, he had the opportunity to begin ownership and management of the egg operation in 2013.”
Q: What is the best part of being a farmer?
A: “As a farm family, we are proud to produce eggs for our community on the same land as previous generations, while embracing improvements in hen housing and animal care. We value the ability to work as a family, along with teaching our children the importance of hard work and to enjoy it’s rewards.”
Q: What advice would you give to a young farmer?
A: “We encourage young farmers to understand why things are done but continue to learn and incorporate new ideas into their farm operations. It is about evolving and adapting to change that seems as fast as ever.”
Q: What is your favourite way to eat eggs?
A: “We enjoy eating eggs many ways any time of day, however we love them scrambled for a quick meal.”
Jeff Clarke from Southview Farm, Nova Scotia
Fifth generation farmer, Jeff Clarke is grateful to be able to raise his family on the farm, instilling the same work ethic and values he learned as a child on the farm.
Q: How did you get started in egg farming?
A: Jeff grew up farming … and always had jobs around the farm. The egg side of the farm was only part of the operation in his early days, Southview was mainly a grain and crop farm, but he remembers gathering eggs and always enjoyed the day-old chicks.
Q: What is the best part of farming?
A: The independence and lifestyle that farming has provided. Jeff and his wife Kelly have proudly raised three children in a country environment that is hard work, but enjoyable and rewarding. Jeff is fortunate to be a part of supply-managed agriculture, which allows him to reinvest into his infrastructure; he take prides in his investment in the egg industry.
Q: What advice would you give to a young farmer?
A: Keep focused on a work-life balance. It takes hard work to farm, but don’t forget to look after yourself, too.
Q: What is your favourite way to eat eggs?
A: Jeff will take eggs benny any day. Poached, over easy, hard-boiled; it doesn’t really matter. A memory that comes to mind is his Grandmother’s deviled eggs that she made on special occasions, which will always be a favourite.
Paul Wurz from Morinville Colony, Alberta
As a third generation egg farmer, Paul Wurz has long-rooted appreciation for hard work and for locally produced food.
Q: How did you get started in egg farming?
A: “Our colony has been egg farming since 1970, and I am a third generation egg farmer. My grandpa and dad were egg farmers as I was growing up. As a young boy I got to really like chickens a lot, so it just came naturally for me to get into the chicken and egg industry.”
Q: What is the best part of being a farmer?
A: “I enjoy going into the barn and seeing a healthy, content flock of laying hens.”
Q: What advice would you give to a young farmer?
A: “My advice to a young egg farmer would be pretty straightforward: Follow your heart in being an egg farmer but have 100 per cent of your heart in this once you get into being an egg farmer. The harder you work at this; the better things go for you.”
Q: What is your favourite way to eat eggs?
A: “I like eggs most every way, most of all I like them easy over. I love that egg yolk taste.”
On February 22, 2022, use the hashtag #CdnAgDay to join the conversation and celebration of Canada’s farmers! Share how you are enjoying local food and send a virtual thank you to the farmers across Canada who are working hard to produce it.