CANADA’S NATIONAL EGG-weekly Thursday, June 5, 2014 THE feature parties EGG TIMES PARTY FIRST EDITION — ISSUE ONE CANADA’S NATIONAL EGG-weekly Thursday, June 5, 2014

INSIGHT SUPPLY FEATURE A GREAT EGG STORY CENTRAL MANAGEMENT FACTS oration between Egg Farmers of Canada The egg industry and Food Banks Canada has blossomed Hill Breakfast: a tradition well established contributes into a relationship spanning more than on the Hill three decades. Since 1983, millions of eggs have been donated to the organization For the 10th year in a row, egg farmers from across the country met to help feed Canadians in need. Last year with Members of Parliament, Senators and distinguished guests over $1.4 billion alone, Egg Farmers of Canada donated omelettes made from local, fresh, high-quality Canadian eggs on April 29. over 1 million eggs to benefit food banks in The Egg Farmers of Canada’s annual Eggscellent Breakfast, held this Nova Scotia egg farmer Glen Jennings and son Blake annually to the communities across the country. MP Mark Eyking year on April 29th, was once again a huge success. MPs and Senators with MP Peter Stoffer Canadian economy Since the beginning, Egg Farmers of Cana- arrived by the dozens to meet the very farmers who produce and da strived to incorporate social responsibil- deliver the fresh eggs Canadians can buy every day. ity into all aspects of its organization. “We The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz, who recognize that egg farmers expect no less addressed attendees, made quite an impression on the farmers. In his armers are the backbone of us because responsibility, integrity and community contribution are an important remarks, Minister Ritz reiterated government support for supply man- of our country and supply agement and recognized the many young farmers who were present at F part of their businesses and lives,” said the event. management is an important Peter Clarke, Chairman of EFC. In fact, this year Egg Farmers of Canada welcomed six talented young part of the survival of our The partnership between Egg Farmers of egg farmers to partake in the event and share their stories with elected farms and rural communities. Canada and Food Banks Canada is rooted officials: Blake Jennings (NS), Bret Sloboshan (SK), Jacob Pelissero in this commitment to give back to the (ON), Jeff Clarke (NS), Harley Siemens (MB) and Jonathan Gauvin community and it is the stability the system (QC). of supply management has brought to the In his remarks, Egg Farmers of Canada’s Chairman, Peter Clarke said, industry that makes it possible. “We look forward to this great event each year. It’s our chance to thank Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz with young “When egg farmers came together in the you personally for your continued support of supply management— Chair of the Agriculture committee egg farmers Jacob Pelissero, Bret Sloboshan, Jonathan A million eggs 1970s to develop a self-regulating supply the system that allows us to deliver eggs that are among the best in the Bev Shipley with MP Ray Boughen Gauvin, Harley Siemens, Blake Jennings and Jeff Clarke Egg farmers management system, they were demon- world each day.” He then added, “In fact, our work is so rewarding that strating a willingness to work together many of our children are choosing to walk in our footsteps. At a time operate more and counting for the common good of consumers and when there is concern about how to fill some agricultural jobs, we are farmers, and an understanding of the need seeing a positive trend in the egg sector.” than 1,000 to earn the trust of their stakeholders by Members of Parliament who attended shared the experience with their Egg farmers in Canada dedicated to their communities operating in a socially responsible manner,” supporters on social media, sharing pictures and messages supporting continued Peter Clarke. farms across Today, Egg Farmers of Canada took from fresh and local eggs, people were the industry. At this non-partisan event, support towards supply man- Over the course of 2013, the organization Sparks Street with its Downtown Diner, invited to make a donation to Food Banks agement came from all parties of the House. surveyed farmers in communities across Canada giving egg sandwiches to Members of Canada, the total amount to be matched by Within the many Members of Parliament, Ministers and Senators who the country to learn about community Parliament, Senators, Hill staffers and ev- Egg Farmers of Canada. came by, Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay made time this engagement at the grassroots level. eryone looking for a delicious breakfast or This is not the first partnership between year again to enjoy an omelette and meet with Nova Scotia egg farm- continued on page 3 lunch. In exchange for a sandwich made the two organizations. In fact, the collab- ers. Member of Parliament for Sackville-Eastern Shore in Nova Scotia, Peter Stoffer, also made sure to come by and talk with the farmers Over present at the event. NDP Agriculture Deputy Critic Ruth Ellen Brosseau with MP Mark Eyking with egg farmer Geneve NDP Agriculture Deputy Critic Ruth Ellen Brosseau as well as 1 million eggs Egg Farmers of Canada: nurturing the next generation of egg farmers and leaders Sylvain Lapierre and egg farmer Gislain Houle from the Newcombe from Nova Scotia; Egg Producers the Liberal Critic Mark Eyking also stopped by. LaVar Payne, Erin and Nova Scotia Egg Producers General Fédération des producteurs d’oeufs de consommation were donated to Food Banks Canada Every morning, 5th generation Canadian we know as supply management. Supply management and the egg industry O’Toole, Pierre-Luc Dusseault and Jack Harris were among the du Québec Manager Patti Wyllie MPs who started their day at the event with a delicious omelette in last year egg farmer Blake Jennings walks up to the “Supply management makes it possible About a century ago, half of the Canadian eggscellent company. Included in the many Senators who also took barn on his family’s farm in Nova Scotia for us to expand our family farm population were farmers. The vast majority time to attend were David Wells and Percy Mockler. to check on his flock and to make sure and keep the business growing, one of farms were small, family-owned, and All in all, Egg Farmers of Canada was very pleased with the lively and everything is running as it should be. generation after the other. We’re able were providing food for a small quantity of packed event and the support they received from MPs and Senators Even as a young farmer, he appreciates to keep up with technology, farm in people. As the years went by, many farms for their industry, their aspiring future leaders and the system of supply 40 the unique nature of his lifestyle. He also ways that are better for our animals and grew bigger as others disappeared. management, which allows egg farmers to deliver Canadians eggs day For more than yEArs understands that his family has worked the environment, and to deliver eggs The egg industry, like others, suffered in > hard along with many other Canadian that are among the best in the world to in and day out that are among the best in the world in terms of quality, supply management has helped the late 1960s of the fluctuation in the freshness, food safety and farming practices. farmers to maintain and support the Canadians,” says Blake. price of eggs which led Canada into a cycle Canadian egg farmers prosper system that made things easier: a system continued on page 3

Food safety: Under the system of supply management, egg farms nationwide work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and have implemented a comprehensive on-farm food safety program called “Start Clean-Stay CleanTM”. The program includes everything from on-farm inspections to mandated standards for storage, cleanliness, air quality, feed, EFC Chief Executive Officer Tim Lambert, Agriculture Justice Minister Peter MacKay with EFC record keeping and more. and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz and EFC Chairman Chief Executive Officer Tim Lambert and Peter Clarke EFC Chairman Peter Clarke CANADA’S NATIONAL EGG-weekly CANADA’S NATIONAL EGG-weekly Thursday, June 5, 2014 feature EDITORIAL LETTER To THE EDITOR FEATURE YOUNG FARMERS

There are some who believe there are Brunswick Young Farmers Forum. young farmers and leaders continued from page 1 a job, it’s a lifestyle, and I wouldn’t have it great challenges facing agriculture today The greatest benefit to me of being an of over-production never experienced any other way. There’s nothing like waking around the world. However, within egg farmer is that it allows me to give. I before, bringing the prices for eggs below up and walking out the door and you are challenges lie opportunities. am providing wonderful value in creating the cost of production. There was a clear already at work,” says the young farmer Having recently seized a chance to attend a healthy food and giving back to my need for stability so that farmers could from Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick. the Canadian Young Farmers Forum community and the world. continue to meet consumer demand. To build momentum coming out of the annual meeting in Calgary, I was exposed When you face your fears, the personal, This led to the system of supply CYFF conference, Egg Farmers of to a whole new side of empowerment financial and emotional growth you can management, which still makes it possible Canada invited some of its young farmers within our industries. This forum allowed achieve is limitless. When you move away to this day for new generations of farmers to Ottawa to be guest speakers at the me and many others to connect with from a place of fear-based thinking, you to build rewarding careers in agriculture Forum for Young Canadians. Young young farmers, hear their personal move closer to your creative potential and and eventually assume responsibility for egg farmers were also asked to attend its stories and gain valuable insights. The to realizing your intended path. and ownership of their family farms. annual breakfast on Parliament Hill on atmosphere was positive, energetic and Remember: you are not your fears. Choose Generation next... April 29, 2014. inspirational. In addition, I’m looking to face life with your arms open and to Recognizing the need to foster future Indeed, the egg industry is filled with forward to sharing newfound knowledge take on the opportunities, and ask not, leaders of the industry, Egg Farmers of newcomers as one in five egg farmers is a and promoting growth (both business “What can I take,” but “What can I give?” Canada recently became a sponsor of the first generation farmer. Others are already and personal) within our industries as Canadian Young Farmers Forum (CYFF). working on the family farm, taking on one of the newest directors of the New Aaron Law A national call was put out to its egg increasing responsibility and preparing to boards across Canada to nominate young take over the operations when the time is egg farmers, aged 18 to 40, to join EFC right. EFC is shining a deservingly bright I like lower prices, at CYFF’s Annual Meeting. light on these talented, motivated and As one of the egg industry delegates aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders who explained, when you are born and raised admit that supply management is the key but ending egg on a family farm, following in your to a stable market and helps them achieve parents’ footsteps is not so much a career their central goal: providing fresh, local, tariffs won t do it choice, as it is about how you want to Blake Jennings works on the family farm with his father, Glen Jennings (right), and his grandfa- high-quality eggs—from their barn to ’ ther, Cecil Jennings (left), called Bayview Poultry Farms Ltd., in Masstown, Nova Scotia. live your life. “It’s what I grew up with,” your family! explains 18-year-old Bret Sloboshan from With high-profile global trade negotiations true of farmed products that are not supply Saskatchewan. “It’s not just my immediate It’s a family business.” shares, knowing he is lucky to be able to underway, Canada’s system of supply man- managed. And, while we’re at it, Bank of family. It’s being a part of a bigger thing. This is a feeling 22-year-old Glenn Coburn take on the family farm. “Farming is not agement is a fashionable target for critics. Montreal’s 2012 cross-border shopping Their attacks beg for a modern interpreta- report says it’s also true of lawnmowers and tion of supply management, before political running shoes and t-shirts and automobiles Canadian Grocery Shoppers Equate Freshness with Local promise-making overshadows 40 years of and, well, you get the point. PROFILE MARK SIEMENS, Siemens Farms Ltd., Abbotsford, B.C. As the idea of local food gains popularity clear that Canadians place the highest value proof that the system works and continues Blaming supply management for U.S.-Cana- Egg farming: strong contributor to the Canadian economy Age: 26 in many urban areas, Canadians are asking on locally produced food, exactly what the to evolve. dian price disparity – even on supply man- Egg farming is an extremely valuable Domestic Product (GDP) is another more questions about where their food system of supply management allows for,” Despite ongoing name calling, supply man- aged products – is theorizing in a vacuum. industry to many communities across way the industry supports the Canadian comes from, how it’s produced, and, most says Bonnie Cohen, Director of Marketing agement is not a union or a cartel. It is a For instance, it ignores that, according to the country. Alone, the egg industry is economy. importantly, how fresh the products they and Nutrition for Egg Farmers of Canada. “I feel like it’s something that’s system created and maintained by farmers, various analyses, U.S. farmers receive tens of accountable for over 16,800 jobs across But what is perhaps an even more import- buy really are. “The results are identical regardless of enabled by federal government legislation, billions of dollars in subsidies annually, while just a part of me” the country, a third of which are direct ant measure of the value of our farms In order to understand what Canadians want socio-economic status, telling us that all and built for the mutual benefit of Canadi- Canada’s supply managed farmers get none. on-farm work. Through feed and farming is their centrality to so many Canadian when it comes to food, Egg Farmers of households want the food they feed their an consumers and farmers. It’s as important A commitment to supply management is a Mark Siemens wants and had a son, I thought about how much equipment purchases, egg farmers support communities. To operate their successful Canada conducted a survey where it became families produced by local farmers.” today as the day it was implemented, four commitment to Canadian standards. Under people to know how of a benefit it is to include your family in local businesses and contribute to the businesses, egg farmers work with feed clear that consumers overwhelmingly The study also showed that 82 per cent of decades ago, to match dairy, poultry and the system, Canadian farmers institute on- important community is to egg farmers. your life.” economic vitality of their regions. mills, banks, equipment manufacturers, demand that the farm products they buy Canadians polled say they are confident the egg production with national demand. farm food safety programs, trace products Too many people, he says, have a false Rather than move back to the farm right The egg sector also generates $165 million researchers, veterinarians, and many more. be fresh, with 90 per cent saying that farms eggs they buy are fresh. This was the highest Though there is no political shelf-life for a nationwide, and meet Canadians’ expecta- impression of farm life – an impression away, Mark started working at another farm dollars in tax revenue to municipal, provin- Healthy and productive farms, ensured within their province deliver that freshness. scoring category in the question that also consistent, domestic, local supply of fresh tions for every variable imaginable – stor- that comes from only knowing about farms – to gain some experience. “I wanted to cial and federal levels. The contribution of by the system of supply management, Distance from farm to grocery store is seen asked about poultry, beef, vegetables and farmed foods, critics promote the growing age, cleanliness, pest control, feed stocks, through television and film – especially make it work for myself ”, he says. $1.4 billion dollars to Canada’s Gross lead to vibrant communities. as the key to freshness. Eighty per cent fruits. global availability of competitive products. animal care, record-keeping, bio-security, American TV and film. With that newfound experience, and are confident that products from within The good news here is that egg farmers in Truth is, Canadians prefer Canadian farmed and more. “I think people would benefit from recog- the confidence it brings, Mark has found Canada are at peak quality when purchased. Canada operate under a supply management products and they want to support Cana- The shared commitment of our farmers nizing how different the values are in the it easier to return to the farm and work Egg Farmers of Canada: supporting young Canadian leaders Conversely, 53 per cent believe imported system that ensures local family farms dian farmers. Cross-country focus groups to create great Canadian farms is rooted in Canadian system,” he says. with his father. foods cannot be considered fresh. receive the fair and stable prices they need and other surveys tell us these are universal, supply management’s assurance of a fair that offers students a chance to learn about In Canada, he says, not only is the bottom He’s not moved back yet, but plans to For the third year in a row, Egg Farmers “In an age where grocery aisles are filled to be among the world’s most efficient near-unanimous values. Independent re- return. In many cases, so is their survival. what shapes Canadian policies,” said Tim line important; so is community. “What I in the near future. In the meantime, he’s of Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada with foods from around the world, it is producers of top quality eggs. search drives home the point: in 2012, Bank Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of EFC. see in the Canadian industry is that there’s slowly settling into the life and routines of Supply management keeps farmers farm- co-sponsored Forum for Young Canadians, of Montreal documented the preference “The youth of this country are our future a lot of importance placed on giving back an egg farmer. ing, allows generations to see a future in an event that brings together young stu- for Canadian foods (favoured nine out of and we believe Forum for Young Canadi- Million eggs and counting continued from page 1 their farm operations, they create jobs and to the community, and an appreciation “I like that there is consistency, but that agriculture, and – perhaps most importantly dents to the Nation’s Capital for a unique 10 times, on some products), and a related ans is a wonderful stepping stone for those This research has strongly reinforced that support the local economy. They can be by farmers of the value of community”, every day brings something new”, he says. – supports rural jobs, economies and gener- experiential program. willingness to pay more, especially for the who want to pursue a career in the public social responsibility is highly valued and found at agricultural events and schools says Mark. “The family aspect is a huge part of it to al vibrancy. At last count, Canadian supply The program, now in its 37th year, is a benefit of Canadian farmers. service.” that egg farmers and egg boards have a talking about life on the farm and why they It took Mark a while to realize that egg me, but I also enjoy the mix of physical management supports about 300,000 jobs unique experience for hundreds of young Critics overlook this public preference, David Newcombe, a young egg farmer strong foundation to build on moving are proud to be egg farmers. They are also farming and its values of hard work and labour and other work.” (100,000 on farms), $25-billion in GDP, leaders. warning that supply management inflates from Nova Scotia, delivered an inspiring forward. Research showed that through sitting on school boards, coaching soccer, social responsibility were for him. Though “It’s an ongoing challenge.” And it’s a and nearly $5-billion in taxes. During their stay in Ottawa, students learn consumer costs. While it would be nice speech to the students and Members of donations, sponsorships and volunteerism, volunteering for community events and he grew up on the family farm, he left challenge he relishes. “I feel like it’s The history of supply management is an about the parliamentary process, meet with to believe that lower commodity prices Parliament, sharing his experience as a farmers are affecting positive change in even donating eggs to local organizations. home after high school to try to make his something that’s just a part of me.” evolving 40-year story about the common political leaders and forge new relationships mean lower retail prices, the reality is very farmer and university student. Jacob Pelis- communities across the country. “As an egg farmer, I can tell you I feel mark. He wanted to try life on his own. interests of Canadian farmers and their with other young motivated Canadians different. sero, an egg farmer from Ontario, also had It also showed that egg farmers chose the great pride in the work we do in Canada. But as he worked at different jobs, he came Canadian customers, the nation’s continued from across the country. And there’s another favourite critical claim, the chance to talk about how important it profession and rural lifestyle of farming Today’s Downtown Diner is just another to realize that “I enjoyed the lifestyle, and preference for domestic farmed foods and “It is important for us at Egg Farmers of the correlation between supply manage- is to be involved in our communities and to because they take great pride in providing example of how we can all make a differ- being near family. And after I got married the reliability of Canadian farmers to meet Canada to be involved in this great cause ment and U.S.-Canadian price disparity. it. It’s a story that tells us supply manage- support Canadian farmers. a nutritious food for their family, commu- ence in our communities,” concluded Peter Despite years of dollar parity, it is true ment is not just an important piece of our nities, and province or territory. Through Clarke. that U.S. prices are often lower for supply nation’s history, but an integral part of our managed farmed foods. But, it’s equally collective future.