Take a crack at entering for a chance to win eggs for 3 months!

MISSISSAUGA, April 8^th, 2024 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) has launched the eggs-citing Egg Masters contest with forty Ontario restaurants that love to serve eggs. Customers can vote for their favourite menu items at a participating restaurant for a chance to win. A dedicated website, eggmasters.ca, has been created to make entering the contest fast and easy.

Beginning April 8^th and running until May 17^th, entering the contest is simple. Ontario residents can visit one of the forty participating restaurants (https://eggmasters.ca/participating-restaurants/), take a photo of the dish they ordered and upload it to the Egg Masters website with a brief review. One entry will be selected per restaurant to be the lucky winner of eggs for three months. In addition to the individual prizes, one restaurant will be named the 2024 Egg Master. 

“We are delighted to bring this exciting contest to both consumers and restaurants across Ontario,” said Donna Lange, EFO Director of Public Affairs. “It not only encourages everyone to enjoy eggs when they dine out, but it also inspires restaurants with an easy and versatile menu ingredient.”

To find out more information about the Egg Masters contest, including how to enter, prizes and participating restaurants by city, visit eggmasters.ca. 

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the more than 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

Contact:

Donna Lange

Director of Public Affairs

Egg Farmers of Ontario

dlange@getcracking.ca

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 27, 2024 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) re-elected Scott Helps as its Chair and Dan Veldman as its Vice Chair at a special meeting held in conjunction with their 59th Annual General Meeting in Niagara Falls. Scott Brookshaw and Marcel Laviolette were also re-elected to the Executive, beginning their new term on April 1.

Scott Helps, an egg farmer from Lambton County, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2012 and has been Chair since 2020. Dan Veldman, an egg farmer from Oxford County, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2011 and Vice Chair since 2020.

“I feel very honoured to once again have the opportunity to serve egg and pullet farmers in Ontario,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “I look forward to working alongside my board colleagues towards a year of progress and success.”

Prior to the presentation of the Chair’s Report, Scott Helps acknowledged the passing of former Ontario Egg Producers’ Chair Gerald Morden in January and shared some of his many contributions to the egg and pullet sector. Morden served as Chair from 1988 to 1995.

During the meeting, Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent video greetings to the group, while MPP Sam Oosterhoff brought greetings in person on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Speakers on the first day of the meeting included Ryan Brown, EFO Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission Chair Amy Cronin, EFO’s Pullet Director Alvin Brunsveld, Industry Working Group Co-Chair Kristen Thompson-Dow, National Young Farmers Program Delegates Claire Ross and John Huitema and Donna Lange, EFO Director of Public Affairs.  Attendees also had the opportunity to hear about EFO’s involvement in World Accord’s Rights and Economic Development for Nepal’s Empowered Women (RENEW) program.

The evening banquet recognized Laurent Souligny as the 2024 recipient of the Get Cracking Award.  The award was created in 2003 to recognize individuals who have had a profound impact on the egg and pullet industry.  Laurent, an egg farmer from the St. Isidore area, was selected for his eggs-ceptional dedication to advocating on behalf of all Ontario egg and pullet farmers – whether it was as Board Director for 24 years or as EFC Chair for 11 years.  Due to his unwavering support for advancing the egg and pullet industry across Canada, he was inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2011.

The second day of the meeting featured keynote speaker Darrell Bricker, Ipsos Public Affairs CEO, Farm Products Council of Canada Vice Chair Bonnie den Haan, Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC)  Chair Roger Pelissero and CEO Drew Black, Jennifer Riddell from RLP LLP and Chad Gregory, President and CEO for United Egg Producers.

EFO’s Board of Directors for 2024-2025 are as follows:

           Scott Helps, Zone 1                             Lorne Benedict, Zone 2

           Dan Veldman, Zone 3                        Roger Pelissero, Zone 4

           Brian Miller, Zone 5                           Sally Van Straaten, Zone 6

           Scott Brookshaw, Zone 7                George Pilgrim, Zone 8

           Ian McFall, Zone 9                              Marcel Jr. Laviolette, Zone 10

           Alvin Brunsveld, Pullet Director

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the more than 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information, please contact:

Donna Lange

Director of Public Affairs

Egg Farmers of Ontario

(905) 858-9790

The #EasterTreeContest returns for another year

MISSISSAUGA, March 8, 2024 – To share our love of everything Easter, Egg Farmers of Ontario is bringing back the fourth annual #EasterTreeContest where Ontarians are invited to decorate eggs then trim a tree. 
The contest runs from March 8 to 31, 2024 and to enter, Ontario residents must: 

1. Decorate your eggs (real or otherwise);
2. Trim a tree inside, outside, or in a community setting such as a school, classroom, library, community, or student centre; and
3. Take a picture of your tree and tag @EggFarmersOnt on Instagram or @EggFarmersofOntario on Facebook using #EasterTreeContest. Or, email your photo to socialmedia@getcracking.ca. 

As with last year, the #EasterTreeContest includes three categories to enter: indoor trees; outdoor trees; and community trees.

“We want people to get as creative as they like and have fun this Easter,” said Donna Lange, EFO Director of Public Affairs. “Whether using real eggs or ones made from paper, cardboard, plastic or any other material, as long as the tree uses the eggs you decorated, it’s eligible to enter the contest.”

If you don’t have a tree available, that’s okay! Try drawing or painting one, or collect some branches or twigs in a vase. For inspiration, we’ve got lots of ideas here getcracking.ca/education/easter.

The contest will be judged by a panel of egg enthusiasts – Ontario egg farmers! In addition to the contest, egg farmers Josiah Mullet Koop from Niagara County and Stephanie Nanne from Lanark County will be promoting the contest on local television. 

There are five chances to win! First prize for both indoor and outdoor trees is eggs for a year and a gift basket full of eggy items. Second prize for indoor and outdoor trees is eggs for a dozen weeks, plus an eggy gift basket. The winner of the community tree will receive a $200 grocery gift card and eggy gift basket. Winners will be announced on April 16th.

For contest details and more, visit getcracking.ca/easter-contest.
 

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Egg Farmers of Ontario is a marketing organization for over 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario who account for 40% of total egg production in Canada, or 200 million dozen eggs annually. The mission of Egg Farmers of Ontario is to lead a progressive and thriving egg sector committed to high-quality eggs, consumer choice and sustainable practices.

For more information contact:

Pam Passerino
Communications Team Lead
Egg Farmers of Ontario 
905-858-9790
 

MISSISSAUGA (October 1, 2023) – Friday, October 13 is World Egg Day and Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is celebrating with an eggs-cellent contest that encourages Ontario to share how and when they love to eat their eggs for a chance to win a grand prize of eggs for a year within a gift basket of egg swag! In addition, there are daily prizes to be won.

The contest runs from October 1 to 13 and to enter, Ontario residents must take a photo or video of their egg dish along with the time of day they are enjoying it and upload to their Instagram story or feed, tag @EggFarmersOnt and use the hashtags #EggOclockContest and #WorldEggDay in the post. Each entry submitted between October 1 and October 13, 2023, will be entered into the daily prize draws as well as the grand prize draw.

“World Egg Day is a fun way for us to share the many ways eggs can be enjoyed, especially during different parts of the day,” said Donna Lange, EFO Director of Public Affairs. “Through our It’s Egg O’Clock Somewhere contest, we want people to remember that eggs are perfect as a snack, breakfast, lunch or dinner, whether at home or on-the-go.”

The contest is supported on worldeggday.ca which in addition to contest details includes recipe inspiration from around the world and links to “meet” more Ontario egg farmers or access resources and activities on EFO’s egg education site.

The Grand Prize winner of eggs for a year and an eggy gift basket will be drawn on October 16, 2023. Be sure to enter and remember, It’s Egg O’Clock Somewhere!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario is a marketing organization for over 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario who account for 40% of total egg production in Canada, or 200 million dozen eggs annually. The mission of Egg Farmers of Ontario is to lead a progressive and thriving egg sector committed to high-quality eggs, consumer choice and sustainable practices.

For more information contact:

Pam Passerino

Communications Team Lead

Egg Farmers of Ontario

905-858-9790

HAMILTON, ON (May 30, 2023) - Hamilton Sports Group announced Wednesday, an official partnership with Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO). This two-year deal sees EFO become an Official Partner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Forge FC and Tim Hortons Field. 

Through this collaboration, EFO will be the presenting sponsor of the Fit with Forge program where students can interact with Forge FC players while learning about fitness and health in a fun, active and engaging way. In addition, they are the presenting sponsor of the Guest Coaching Program, where Forge FC players make guest coaching appearances at local high schools, to inspire and teach the next generation of Canadian Premier League soccer players. 

“We are excited to partner with Egg Farmers of Ontario as they join our Hamilton Sports Group family,” said Kyle Lohnes, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships & Retail, Hamilton Sports Group. “We both share a commitment to inspiring the next generation of athletes in our community with EFO supporting our Fit with Forge program.” 

In addition to these interactive programs that engage Ontario students, in-stadium advertising with EFO’s well-known Get Cracking^TM logo during Forge FC and Tiger-Cats games and designation as an Official Sponsor of the 2023 Grey Cup Festival is another element of this sponsorship. 

“Egg Farmers of Ontario is thrilled to unite with Hamilton Sports Group to not only support such a devoted community franchise, but it gives us the opportunity to connect with students to promote an active and healthy lifestyle,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. 

Forge FC’s 2023 season began in April and runs until October, while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats kick off their season this Friday in Winnipeg, with their home opener taking place June 23 at Tim Hortons Field when the Ticats host the Montreal Alouettes. 

Hamilton Sports Group is the organization that owns and operates the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League and Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League. 

Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the more than 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

(May 9, 2023, Midland ON) Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival officially announced today that it will return to the Town of Midland’s downtown core and waterfront on June 10, 2023.

“Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival is one of the Town’s annual highlights and we can’t wait to welcome festival visitors to Midland this June,” said Mayor Bill Gordon. The Mayor will be at the festival to declare it open at 9 a.m., following the Piping of the Tart throughout the festival with the Midland Legion’s Pipes and Drums.

This award-winning which first began in 2013, is the original and largest butter tart festival in Canada, drawing 60,000 visitors for the one-day event.

“Ontarians love their butter tarts,” said Karen Mealing, Manager of Culture and Community with the Town of Midland and one of the festival organizers. “Whether you like your butter tarts plain or with raisins, with a runny or firm filling, or vegan or gluten-free, everyone will be able to find a favourite at our festival.”

In addition to the 200,000 plus butter tarts available that day, the festival features many downtown merchants who will expand their businesses onto the sidewalks in front of their establishments and more than 200 vendors selling everything from butter tarts to clothing, jewellery, home décor, personal care products, and hand-crafted items. There will be food trucks for those who aren’t just making butter tarts their sole food source for the day.

The free festival features the Dairy Farmers of Ontario Stage with live music by bands including Gibbons & Figgs, Memphis Mudd, and Kitty and the Boyz.

Other family-friendly activities include a Kids Zone at Harbourside Park as well as buskers and performers entertaining visitors throughout the festival.

Professional and amateur/home bakers will vie for the title of baking the Best Butter Tart at the Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest.

Contest categories include Traditional (plain, raisin, pecan or walnut), and Wild Style (butter tarts with a non-traditional ingredient or two). For anyone interested in sampling the same tarts as the judges, mixed six-packs of contest butter tarts will be available for sale for $15.

Visitors can park offsite and enjoy travelling to and from the festival in free Faris Team Shuttles. Tourism Simcoe County and Cycle Simcoe will staff a free bike valet, and Town of Midland (Mid-Pen) Transit will run at no cost on festival day and provide a free festival shuttle back and forth to the Town of Penetanguishene.
Visitors looking for more information, including free shuttles and accessible parking, should visit www.buttertartfestival.ca and follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Festival quick facts:
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2023
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Downtown Midland, plus David Onley Park and Harbourside Park
Admission: Free

Vendor Marketplace: Downtown businesses and festival vendors will be selling everything from butter tarts to clothing to jewellery to handmade items. Food trucks will also be onsite selling other yummy delicacies.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario Stage: Live music with Gibbons & Figgs, Memphis Mudd, Kitty and the Boyz and others.
Other Entertainment: Kids Zone in Harbourside Park. Buskers and performers circulating throughout the festival.
Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest: Categories include Traditional and Wild Style, open to both professional bakers and amateur/home bakers.

Traditional category judging from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Wild Style judging from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Best in show judging at 3:15 p.m.
• All winners are announced at 3:30 p.m.
• Judging takes place in Rotary Hall at the Midland Cultural Centre, 333 King Street.

Faris Team Shuttle: Providing free shuttles from designated parking lots beginning at 8:45 a.m. with the last bus leaving the festival at 5:15 p.m.
Other modes of transportation:

• Free bike valet with Tourism Simcoe County/Cycle Simcoe.
• Free Town of Midland transit service.
• Free shuttle from Town of Penetanguishene.

Awards:

• Top 100 Festival and Event in Ontario by Festival and Events Ontario, February 2019, 2020 and 2023.
• People’s Choice Award for Favourite Regional Festival by the Simcoe County Region Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association, April 2019 and April 2018.

Facebook: @BestButterTartFestival
Instagram: @ButterTartFestival
Twitter: @ButterTartFstvl
Tags: #buttertartfestival #ilovebuttertarts

Contact:

Nicole Major,
Tourism and Special Events Planner
Town of Midland
705-526-4275, ext. 3206
nmajor@midland.ca

Karen Mealing,
Manager of Culture and Community
Town of Midland
705-526-4275, ext. 2200
kmealing@midland.ca

Mississauga, May 6, 2023 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is commemorating the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by donating over 22,000 eggs to Feed Ontario, for distribution to member food banks across Ontario.

Since the Canadian Confederation was signed in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada, with then reigning Queen Victoria becoming our sovereign, EFO will be donating the monetary value of 1867 dozen eggs to Feed Ontario.

“With Canada being a constitutional monarchy, today His Majesty King Charles III officially becomes the Head of State for our country,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “As such, we wanted to find a meaningful way to mark this momentous occasion and felt that sharing fresh, high-quality eggs through our partnership with Feed Ontario was a positive way to help Ontario communities enjoy this historic moment.”

The King and Queen are well known for their patronage of family and youth organizations. To pay tribute to these efforts, nutritious eggs will be available to families across Ontario in their honour through Feed Ontario. Thanks to the Feed Ontario Egg Donation Program, more than 537,000 adults, children and seniors are reached each year.

Egg Farmers of Ontario would like to extend congratulations to His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla as they embark on this new phase of the monarchy.

APRIL 26, 2023 – Ontario’s four feather boards – Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Egg Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission and Turkey Farmers of Ontario – applaud the Government of Ontario’s announced investment of $13.5 million for the new Ontario Poultry Research Centre.

The Ontario Poultry Research Centre is a partnership between the Government of Ontario, through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), and the poultry sector’s four regulatory commodity boards.

Ontario’s four feather boards are committed to continued support of leading-edge research in disease prevention, flock management, food safety and sustainability, and are pleased to demonstrate this commitment through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to invest in the Ontario Poultry Research Centre.

As part of the Grow Ontario Strategy, the Ontario Poultry Research Centre will further strengthen Ontario’s food supply chain and set a clear course that the Ontario Government is committed to supporting and growing the agriculture and agri-food sector in the province. The four feather boards are committed to supporting the research and innovation needs necessary to advance the feather industry, and the broader Ontario agriculture and agri-food community.

The four feather boards look forward to working with the Honourable Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Government of Ontario to advance the vision of continuing to innovate and grow the Ontario agriculture and agri-food sector.

QUOTES:
“This investment in the Ontario Poultry Research Centre will not only support risk management and disease prevention, but also provide opportunities to improve on-farm efficiencies, enhance sustainable practices and to introduce new emerging technologies to Ontario farmers. Chicken Farmers of Ontario looks forward to continuing to work with Minister Thompson and the Ontario Government to establish the Ontario agriculture and agri-food industry as a global leader in research and innovation.”
– Murray Opsteen,
Chair, Chicken Farmers of Ontario

“The new Poultry Research Center in Elora will continue to advance important research that supports our industry to thrive and adopt innovations that generate sustainable and efficient growth. Egg Farmers of Ontario is eager to continue to work collaboratively with Minister Thompson and the Ontario Government towards building a strong and vibrant egg sector in Ontario.”
– Scott Helps,
Chair, Egg Farmers of Ontario

“The Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission is committed to this partnership as it drives innovative processes to meet new opportunities for our membership and industry. We thank Minister Thompson and the Ontario Government for their support and partnership as we work to continuously improve the agriculture and agri-food industry by enabling a strong research center to support the needs of the future hatching egg and chick sector.”
– William Bearss,
Chair, Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission

“A strong and vibrant poultry sector supported by innovation and research will play a critical role in delivering safe and secure food supply for Ontarians and their families, while also strengthening the Ontario economy. Turkey Farmers of Ontario thanks Minister Thompson and the Ontario Government for their continued commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector in Ontario.”
– Brian Ricker,
Chair, Turkey Farmers of Ontario

Media Contact: Stacey Langdon-Edwards, Communications Manager l stacey.edwards@ontariochicken.ca

Mississauga, September 24, 2020 - The Ontario Minor Hockey Association and Egg Farmers of Ontario are together donating $10,000 to Student Nutrition Ontario, a province-wide program that enables students to eat, learn, and succeed.

Student Nutrition Ontario teaches students the importance of healthy eating habits and offer nutritious foods through a variety of programming. The organization works with local communities to provide meals and snacks at the most important parts of the day to ensure that students can focus on performing at their best in the classroom.

Like the OMHA, volunteers play an essential role in the success of the Student Nutrition Program. In previous years, high school students and minor hockey players have earned their community service volunteer hours while helping out their fellow classmates.

Egg Farmers of Ontario are the proud sponsor of OMHA Playdowns which see over 30,000 minor hockey players competing across the province for an OMHA Championship. Because of the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Finals of Playdowns were cancelled just as teams began competing for the coveted Red Hats. With the support of Egg Farmers of Ontario, the OMHA awarded the title of Co-Champion to the 110 teams who had made the Finals.

Organizations like Student Nutrition Ontario help to build communities from within and we are thrilled to know that our players give back in this way," said Ian Taylor, Executive Director of the OMHA. "Just like in hockey, students need proper nutrition to maximize their output and we know this donation will help kids across the province."

Proceeds from the OMHA are coming from the annual Championship Apparel program. The program celebrates all champions through the purchase of clothing and accessories that feature the OMHA Champions logo. With the naming of Co-Champions, this unique circumstance allowed the opportunity for this donation to be made possible.

“Egg farmers have always understood the value of supporting their communities, especially when it comes to kids. From the breakfast table, to the classroom and the hockey rink, kids today lead active lives and need nutritious food to keep them going,” said EFO Chair Scott Helps. “We are proud to support Student Nutrition Ontario and the many ways they help Ontario students on their journey to excellence.”

“The generous donation from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and the Egg Farmers of Ontario was a wonderful surprise and it couldn't have come at a better time. We know that many families are struggling financially because of COVID-19 and, as students head back to school in September, Nutrition Programs are more important than ever. Their commitment to nourishing our children and youth is truly wonderful,” said Student Nutrition Ontario Chair Catherine Parsonage.

About the Ontario Minor Hockey Association

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, founded in 1935, is a leader in community sport and oversees a participant base of 300,000 consisting of players, coaches, trainers, officials, hockey volunteers and parents across the province. The OMHA works with its 225 local minor hockey associations and annually coordinates 28 leagues to create the best minor hockey experience in Canada. For more information, visit www.omha.net.

About Egg Farmers of Ontario

Egg Farmers of Ontario is the association that represents approximately 500 egg and pullet farm families. EFO works to ensure that consumers have access to safe, reliable and reasonably-priced eggs with fair farm pricing ensuring adequate returns to egg farmers. For more information, visit www.getcracking.ca.

For more information:

Matt Rhodes, Business Development and Communications, Ontario Minor Hockey Association 905-780-2155   

Donna Lange Director, Acting Director of Public Affairs, Eggs Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790; ext. 230

There is no shortage of eggs for Ontario consumers, in spite of shelves for some products being temporarily empty in some stores.

This occurred in various locations during the last few weeks following some higher than normal buying volumes as many Canadians driven by concern about the COVID-19 uncertainty stocked up their pantries of many staple foods. Some stores have placed limits on volumes of eggs – not because of any shortage – but to prevent inconvenience for other shoppers.

Ontario egg consumers can be assured there are no egg supply issues and that any individual retail grocery store supply issues should be very short term. Egg demand is being monitored and will be always be responded to by farmers and partners in Canada’s robust egg marketing system.

Major retailers have reported that their supply chains and store teams are responding to the spikes in volume and quickly getting products consumers need back on the shelf. Reports from retailers indicate shopping volumes are already beginning to return to normal. They say that some items, normally slower selling items including hand sanitizer, may continue to take longer to restock.

Our egg farmers and every proud part of the Ontario egg supply chain is working hard to ensure the health and safety of our farmers, business partners, customers, consumers and our communities. The established record of our strong hygiene and biosecurity programs to ensure the highest food safety, worker safety and hen welfare are our best defense as we do everything we can to combat the virus. We are reinforcing these programs with extra measures and contingency plans where appropriate during these extraordinary circumstances.

Real farmers. Real eggs. Answering consumers’ vital questions.

Real is the clear, simple messaging for a new integrated consumer communications strategy by Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) launching across the province in May. 
 
Real farmers. Real eggs. gives honest and direct  answers to egg consumers. The farmers are real. The eggs are real. In a world where consumers are bombarded with fake foods - they want real - especially when it comes to nature's most perfect food: eggs!    
  
Real farmers. Real eggs. is a way for Ontario egg farmers themselves to talk about questions that consumers want answered. It will work in tandem with Get Cracking, egg farmers’ established call-to-enjoy that rings warmly in the ears of generations of Ontario egg lovers.
  
The Real campaign involved months of extensive consumer research and creative development to create a new platform to tell egg farming stories in this new decade. 
 
 “Talking to consumers across the province, we found the issues egg consumers want to understand continues to change,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair and Lambton County egg farmer. “Our campaigns were among the first to put farmers front and centre.  That strength will continue but our new messaging will clearly speak to egg lovers’ changing questions and keep pace with emerging needs.”

Two new egg farming families will be featured in the 2020 Real farmers. Real eggs. campaign. Those families are Colin and Nicole Vyn, of Ridgetown and Ian and Sara Laver, of Warkworth. These young farm families continue the tradition joining the dozens of real Ontario egg farmers whose stories have reached out to egg lovers over the years. You can meet these farm families and hear them telling their own stories in videos at https://www.getcracking.ca/our-farmers/meet-the-farmers.

The look and feel of the ads within Real farmers. Real eggs. features photography in a selfie-style, familiar to social media posts. “Our egg farmers can be felt speaking directly to consumers with their personal stories and the connections they will share,” said Bill Mitchell, EFO’s Director of Public Affairs. “We see a lot of flexibility in speaking to current and developing egg issues and we can highlight our authentic stories behind real care, real quality, real local and more.”

The reach of the campaign will feature two periods of extensive exposure on Ontario transit systems: GO trains, TTC buses and a number of transit systems across the province, as well as on billboards in urban areas. The look, feeling and messaging of the Real campaign will extend across all elements of EFO's integrated marketing activities including print media, video and rapidly expanding social media and paid online marketing elements.
  
Check out our Real launch video at: https://youtu.be/kM7XOcp1B8I
 
Watch for Real farmers. Real eggs. Connecting with egg lovers across Ontario.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 18, 2018
Egg Farmers Join Rocks & Rings and Curling Canada to Celebrate 10th Anniversary and Beyond

Canada’s acclaimed elementary school curling program is excited to announce that Canadian egg farmers are extending their support of the Rocks & Rings program through to 2022. This announcement comes as Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings presented by Curling Canada prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the program in January 2019. That’s right, we’re turning 10!

“This amazing milestone is one we are very excited to celebrate with both Canadian egg farmers and Curling Canada,” said Chad McMullan, owner of Rock Solid Productions Inc. “When we started in 2009 with 20 schools I could have never imagined the growth of Rocks & Rings - we now visit more than 1,400 schools annually! We are proud to continue our mission of delivering fun and interactive curling programs to Canadian youth with the support of our great partners.”

Since its inception in 2009, Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings presented by Curling Canada has reached close to 1.5 million students, bringing curling education and activities to students in their own school gym. Canadian egg farmers have been a proud sponsor of Rocks & Rings for two years and their continued support through the next Olympic quadrennial ensures egg farmers will continue to play a vital role in keeping students across Canada active and healthy. 

“We are ecstatic to continue our support of the Rocks & Rings program,” said Scott Graham, Chair of Egg Farmers of Ontario. “We are committed to being a part of the healthy lifestyles of Canadians, making the partnership with Rocks & Rings a perfect fit. We’re proud to fuel this program with egg power and look forward to continuing to keep Canadian students active”.

In the first 10 years of the program, Rocks & Rings reached students from coast to coast. With the continued support of Curling Canada and Canadian egg farmers, Rocks & Rings is pleased to share the sport with more Canadian children, including the introduction of Rocks & Rings Tournaments nationwide this season.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is once again reaching new heights with aerobatic champion Hella Comat.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Hella on her second place finish at the 2018 Upper Canada Aerobatic Contest!

Check out her recap of the weekend below:

“After a great competition with weather that started out dismal, we had a wonderful 2 days of flying. I came in a close second and finished ahead of a couple of great aerobatic pilots. A successful and very fun weekend!

There were local spectators from Hanover and the surrounding area as well as pilots who flew in from other airports. In addition, we had friends, supporters, and enthusiasts coming from as far away as Burlington and Niagara. A number of competitors and judges arrived from the US too.

It was great to have another lady competitor, a rare occasion, at the contest. Although we’re in different classes, an increase in the number of ladies involved is a super trend.”

Hella and her plane will also be attending the Aviation Fun Day at the Waterloo International Airport on August 25; the Brantford Rotary Charity Air Show at the Brantford Municipal Airport on August 30 and Airshow London at the London International Airport on September 8 & 9.

If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and say hi!

Keep an eye out this month and you might just see some familiar faces across the province!

We’re highlighting some local Ontario egg farmers in our 2018 Who Made Your Eggs Today?advertisements. Be on the lookout for the four featured egg and pullet farm families on buses, Go Trains and various billboards in a city near you!

Check out the four farm families below.

Tim Corput

The Chaudary Family

The Mulder Family

The Ottens Families

One of the healthiest habits you can adopt is to cook and eat more meals at home using simple, nutrient-rich whole foods, like eggs. They’re easy to prepare, delicious and versatile.

Working together with Registered Dietitians Shannon Crocker (@shancrockerRD) and Carol Harrison (@greatmealideas) we’ve come up with six ways eggs promote health. Check them out below!

1. Eggs Naturally Nourish Eggs are a naturally nutrient-rich whole food, with protein and 13 other vitamins and minerals that are important for optimal health.
2. Eggs Beat Hunger Snack on two eggs for 12 grams of hunger-curbing protein. They’ll help you beat an afternoon energy crash and stay satisfied longer.
3. Eggs Fuel with Heart-Healthy Fats Eggs can be part of a heart-healthy diet. In fact, they have the same healthy fats found in olive oil, avocado and almonds.
4. Eggs Help Build Healthy Brains Egg yolks are one of the best food sources of choline, a nutrient that is vital for brain health.
5. Eggs Maximize Muscles Eating protein-packed eggs after a workout helps to build muscle. Eat the whole egg – half of the protein is in the yolks.
6. Eggs Boost Eye Health Eggs have two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, that help keep your eyes healthy.

Check out the many ways you can incorporate eggs into your lifestyle without adding any hassle to meal prep or more time spent in the kitchen!

Fast & Fabulous Dinners 
When you’re crunched for time, try making #Brinner (breakfast for dinner); Egg stuffed sweet potatoes or DIY tacos. You can top egg tacos with charred corn kernels, sliced avocado, cilantro and hot sauce.

Top Your Toast
For a delicious boost of protein post workout, top your whole-grain toast with eggs. Try one of these easy recipes:  Avocado Egg Toast, Ricotta Egg Toast or an ELT (Egg, Lettuce, Tomato) Toast. Remember that half the egg’s protein is in the yolk, so go ahead and eat the yolk.

Beautiful Bowls 
Eggs & veggies make a great team, so go ahead and make your own power bowl at home, and top it with two eggs. Try one of these three nourishing bowls:

• Southwest Power Bowl: Two hard cooked eggs + black beans + sliced avocado + shredded red cabbage + sliced cherry tomatoes + a favourite grain (barley, brown rice, farro, quinoa) + a splash of citrusy vinaigrette
• Asian Veggie Bowl: Two soft-poached eggs + stir-fried veggies + brown rice noodles + shredded carrot + diced red pepper + slivered green onion + a drizzle of peanut sauce or your favourite Asian sauce
• Egg Bliss Bowl: Two hard cooked eggs + barley + shredded kale + chopped apple + crumbled feta cheese + grated beets + roasted pecans +dried cranberries + a swirl of garlicky dressing

Real-Food Snacks 
To beat the 3 p.m. slump and energize your afternoon, snack on protein-packed, calorie-conscious eggs.  Keep some Muffin Tin Frittatas on hand, snack on some Avocado Egg Salad or some Protein Grab & Go of two hard cooked eggs and some fresh-cut veggies.

Pro-Tip: Make a carton of hard-cooked eggs and store them in the fridge. In their shells, they keep for up to a week!

For more details check out Naturally Nourish with Real Food: Delicious Ways to Power your Day with Eggs!

Whether you’re hosting a family get together, a long weekend barbeque or even just a themed party night, the one thing everyone loves to plan is the food!

But planning themed food for a group can be hard, so we want to help make it easier.

We are happy to provide tools on our website that can take a few jobs off your plate. See what we did there? ☺

Meal Planner

The first tool is our meal planner.  With this tool you are able to find and add recipes to your meal plan with a few simple clicks.

You can use this to plan one meal with different options (check out our Cinco de Mayo meal plan), or even do a full weekly meal plan (see here). When you access your meal plan you get a high level glance at the menu, but also have the option to revisit recipes so you don’t have to remember how to make them!

Once you’ve found a recipe, simply click “Add to Meal Plan” and select the day of the week and meal you want it for. That’s all! When you access your meal plan, you will see all of the recipes that you have added, which will link you back to the recipes if you need them. How easy is that?

Grocery list

Knowing what you want to make is great, but in order to be fully prepped, you need to make sure you have all the ingredients for the recipe. Don’t worry, there’s an app for that!

When looking at a recipe, just click “Add to Grocery List” and all of the ingredients will be added to your own personal grocery list.

By clicking on “Grocery List” at the top of the page, you can go back and remove anything that you may already have on hand. Once you’ve reviewed your list and you’re ready to shop, just click, print and go!

Voilà!

Hosting get togethers is hard enough; let us help with our meal planner and grocery list tools!

To try our Meal Planner or Grocery List just visit www.getcracking.ca/recipes.

• Scott Helps, Zone 1
• Dianne McComb, Zone 2
• Dan Veldman, Zone 3
• Roger Pelissero, Zone 4
• Brian Miller, Zone 5
• Scott Graham, Zone 6
• Scott Brookshaw, Zone 7
• Hubert Schillings, Zone 8
• Craig Hunter, Zone 9
• Marc Bourdon, Zone 10
• Andy DeWeerd, Pullet Director

Well folks, that’s a wrap!

Alpine Skier and egg farmer Valérie Grenier had a great first winter games with her top finish being 6th in the Combined event, 21st in the Downhill and 23rd in the Super-G.

While the reigning Women’s World Curling Champions did not come out on top, we couldn’t be prouder of their performance on and off the ice. The foursome, made up of Rachael Homan, Emma Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle fought hard until the end, but as with any world competition, it doesn’t always go as planned. They worked hard and we are so proud of them!

A Grade A performance was also shown by speed skater Kim Boutin, who is sponsored by our Quebec counterparts (Fédération des producteurs d’œufs du Québec) on a superb performance and on the great honour of being selected as flag bearer at the closing ceremonies!

We want to congratulate not only these amazing athletes on a record setting games performance but all Canadian athletes on representing our country with pride!

Canada has a great record of punching above its weight in the world of scientific and technological breakthroughs. Perhaps the newest example of this is the launch of Hypereye, a non-invasive egg gender identification technology developed by researchers at McGill University and funded by Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO).

Egg gender identification is an important breakthrough because chickens, like many species, produce an equal ratio of male and female offspring. Male chicks are currently separated from female chicks at the hatchery.

In the past

Prior to the development of specialized meat chicken breeds, most male chickens would usually be raised for a few months for meat, while females would be kept for egg production.

In the present

Once specialized meat and egg breeds of chickens were developed with very different production growth rates and feed efficiencies, raising male chicks of egg-laying breeds for meat production was not viable since feed costs were not recovered in this process.

A better future has arrived in 2018

A solution is now at hand as a result of research funded by Egg Farmers of Ontario and conducted at the University of McGill. This non-invasive technology using light allows the separation of eggs according to the sex of the embryos on the day the egg is laid and before any development of a chick has happened.  This solution will mean that hatcheries will be able to produce female-only eggs for hatching of egg-laying varieties. This approach solves animal welfare concerns, reduces costs and eliminates any waste in the raising of egg-laying hens.

See more about this technology from the Agriculture Adaptation Council here.

This made-in-Canada innovation was introduced here in 2017 is expected to be adopted worldwide.

Congratulations once again go out to Women’s Curling Champions Team Homan.

Last month, Team Homan took the top spot at the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa.

With many impressive shots by everyone, the team went 9-1 to capture the champion spot at the tournament.

Lisa Weagle, who plays in the lead position for the team, commented to Egg Farmers of Ontario, “Rachel made us eggs every morning. On the last morning one was a double yolk which we for sure took as a lucky sign that we were going to win!”

For more information on Team Homan and their upcoming competitions, check out their website www.teamhoman.com.

Once again, World Egg Month was celebrated by Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) and the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) by teaming up to help Beat Hunger across Ontario!

Over 1,200 dozen eggs (600 dozen for first place, 400 dozen and 200 dozen for second and third places, respectively) were up for grab through the online competition. EFO’s followers were asked to vote for their local food bank during the month of October.

After almost 40,000 votes being cast, we have a winner!

In first place, receiving 600 dozen eggs is Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank.

In second place, receiving 400 dozen eggs is Winchester Community Food Share.

And finally, in third place, receiving 250 dozen eggs is Georgetown Bread Basket.

EFO and OAFB would like to thank everyone who voted and shared the competition.

Egg Farmers of Ontario will continue to support food banks across the province with their ongoing partnership with the OAFB by donating $250,000 worth of eggs annually.

For more information about Egg Farmers of Ontario, please contact Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs at bmitchell@getcracking.ca or by calling 905-858-9790.

Hard work. Dedication. Passion.

These qualities are used to describe many types of people. Egg farmers for instance, (or any farmer, really). You don’t farm for generations without those qualities. But these words can also be used to describe world class athletes and St. Isidore’s own Valérie Grenier, is both.

Valérie grew up on her family’s third generation egg farm and at only one and a half years old, started down a path that would eventually land her a spot competing to represent Canada at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.

We asked the member of the Canadian Alpine Ski team a few questions about her goals, training, and just exactly what it takes to fulfill her Olympic aspirations!

How long have you been training as an alpine skier?

“My parents put me in my first ski boots at 1.5 years old!  It was the end of the winter,  and they let me try on my brother’s equipment for a couple runs.  When it was time to take the stuff off, I started bawling my eyes out because I didn’t want to stop, so I think it’s safe to say I’ve been in love with the sport since day one! 
After that, I was put in ski lessons in Mont-Tremblant, Québec until I started competing at 7 years old.  I loved it and kept improving every year, so I made the Équipe de la Division Laurentienne de Ski team at 13 years old, then the Québec team when I was 16, then Canadian Development Team the following year, and now I’m on the national World Cup team since 2015!”
How many hours a week do you train? What are some of the exercises you do in the gym and on the hills? What is your favourite training activity?

“If we’re on a ski camp, we will usually ski for about 5 hours, depending on the day, and then have dry land in the afternoon, which can be for 1 to 1.5 hours. What we do in the gym will be a lot of lower body strength and power work, like squats, cleans, hamstrings exercises and then a core/upper body circuit. We’ll also do shuttles (either on the track or on a bike) after those sessions.  Then we’ve got lots of sport specific exercises, which is a lot of balance work that puts us in the same position as skiing. We also do long bike rides, Pilates and mobility. On the hill, I like to do some exercises that will warm up my back and glutes. My favorite training activity is mountain biking, since it’s a great workout, and gives me the same kind of adrenaline as skiing, especially on the downhills, while having to visualize the line I’m about to take, just like ski racing!”
What do you typically eat when you’re training? How many calories/day?

“When I am training, I will typically start my day with overnight oats (oats, almond milk, banana, greek yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon, topped with flax seed & hemp hearts), then I love having an omelette for lunch (2 eggs, spinach, peppers, onion, tomatoes, goat or feta cheese, topped with avocado & salsa), snack on fruits, veggies and nuts during the day, and dinner will be a good source of protein, with healthy carbs and lots of veggies (for example; oven roasted salmon, baked sweet potato “fries” & asparagus). I can’t say that I’ve ever counted calories, but it must add up to around 1800-2000 calories, depending on what I’m doing that day.”
What is your go-to pre or post workout food?

“I love to eat avocado toast (1 slice of toasted bread, topped with mashed avocado & 2 fried eggs) before a workout, and a good post-workout food I enjoy is a rice cake, topped with almond butter and banana slices.”
As a member of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, I can only assume you have your sights set on the Olympics. What do you have to do if you want to qualify?
(Your schedule shows 5 different competitions between now and the new year, how well do you need to do at each? Is it based on points? Do points carry over between competitions?)

“I definitely want to go to the Olympics! There are a couple different ways to qualify; some of the criteria is 2 top 12s or many top 30s in World Cups for me as a younger athlete.  You could say I have already qualified with my top 30s last season, but I have to get some of those results the year of the Olympics!”
Who is your favourite person to compete against? Who pushes you the most?

“I loved competing against my brother growing up.  I always looked up to him and wanted to be as good as him.  The person that’s always pushed me the most is my dad.  He is a very competitive person, and his favorite saying is: “the pain is in the brain!” I always keep that in mind when I’m struggling during a tough workout!”

What is the one piece of advice you’ve been given that has really motivated you through your skiing career?   

“The best piece of advice I’ve been given was to always get back up, whether that’s figuratively or literally.  We all have bad races or even bad falls, and it’s easy to give up when things are not going your way.  But it’s the athletes that push through and fight back that will make it to the top!”

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is eggs-cited to announce our latest contest which will give one of our followers a chance to witness Olympic dreams being realized!

EFO has teamed up with Rocks & Rings, Curling Canada and Women’s World Curling Champions Team Homan to offer an eggs-trordinary prize pack!

Fans are encouraged to “Like” us on Facebook and Share the contest image or “Follow” us on Twitter and Retweet the contest image to be entered to win a fantastic prize including tickets to Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings and eggs for one year*!

The contest will begin on Thursday, October 12, 2017 and will run until Tuesday October 31, 2017. The winner will be selected and notified by Friday November 3, 2017.

The winner will receive:

• Tickets to Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa;
• Free eggs for one year*;
• A Rocks & Rings session for your community, complete with a take-home floor curl set
• Autographed Team Homan photograph

*A gift card will be provided to the winner worth the equivalent value of one carton of eggs per week for 52 weeks.

This contest is open to Ontario residents only.

The photo must be shared or retweeted publicly to be eligible to win the prize.

The Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings takes place from December 2 to December 10, 2017 in Ottawa.

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is happy to be back for a second year with our Beat Hungercompetition in partnership with The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB).

After last year’s successful contest, EFO will once again be offering an extra 600 dozen eggs to the community food bank that receives the most online votes. Food banks coming in second and third will receive an extra 400 and 250 dozen respectively.

Members of the community are encouraged to visit EFO’s Facebook page to vote for their local food bank everyday as well as encouraging others in their community to do the same.

Food banks that are an OAFB member are eligible to win. If a food bank is not currently a member, but would like more information on the benefits of being a part of OAFB they are encouraged to contact Amanda King (amanda@oafb.ca) with the association.

The contest will run from October 1st, 2017 until October 31st, 2017 at 11:59:59PM. You are able (and encouraged to) vote once, each day of the competition.

Please note that community food banks are unable to win two consecutive Beat Hungercompetitions.

Good luck to everyone and keep sharing and voting!

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is proud to partner with The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for this eggs-citing new contest!

From Friday September 1, 2017 to Sunday September 24, 2017, tweet us your best egg pun using the hashtag #RoyalPunnyEgg  and tagging The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and Egg Farmers of Ontario for your chance to win a Royal Prize Pack!

Prize includes:

• A family pass to the 95th annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as well as entry to the matinée horse show on Saturday, November 11th, 2017
• FREE eggs for a year*!
• Lunch provided at the Hitching Ring Restaurant
• Some sweet Royal and EFO swag!

Be sure to submit your #Royaleggpun before Sunday, September 24th for your chance to win this awesome prize!

*Winner will be provided with a gift card worth the equivalent value of one carton of one dozen white eggs per week, for the duration of 52 weeks.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is proud to be a part of a new local food initiative with the Halton Healthcare Oakville Trafalgar Hospital through their Good for You, Locally Grown program. In an effort to promote all the greatness that local food offers, the hospital has been offering several dishes, including egg sandwiches and omelettes, on patient menus that feature fresh Ontario eggs.

This initiative is just the one of the visible parts of their love of local food. The hospital’s Food Services team (led by Manager, Marianne Katusin) works to bring food from ‘farm to bedside,’ creating recipes and featuring menu items that use local ingredients. The result is tasty and nutritious meals that help patients heal while at the same time maximizing value from financial resources.

But it doesn’t stop there. With a $51,000 grant from the Greenbelt Fund (through the Government of Ontario’s Local Food Investment Fund), they are launching phase two of the Good for You, Locally Grown initiative where they will continue to craft delicious meals that heal and will also work to help patients identify local food choices so they can enjoy the benefits of local at home.

What do an egg farmer’s daughter, a motivational speaker and a doctor-in-training at McGill University have in common? Besides the fact that they are all internationally ranked sports stars, they all credit the nutritional benefits of eggs on their journey to greatness.

Alpine Ski team member Valérie Grenier,  five-time International Long Drive Challenge (ILDC) champion Fareen Samji and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were among the speakers at the 2017 Canadian Egg Farmers Summer Conference hosted by Egg Farmers of Ontario in Toronto this July.

Joining them at the conference was Women’s World Curling Champions Team Homan, Olympic Shot Putter Tim Nedow and short track speed skater William Preudhomme.

The day of eggs and athletes looked at how not only eggs, but a supportive team, and a drive to do better pushes these athletes to be their best selves, both on and off their respective courts, rinks, sheets, fields or tees.

Alpine Skier and egg farmer Valérie Grenier (https://www.instagram.com/valeriegrenier/, https://twitter.com/valeriegrenier7 ) started the day off talking about how growing up on the farm and seeing her parents work hard together instilled in her a work ethic that has pushed her to not only become a world ranked alpine skier in all 4 disciplines (Downhill, Super G, Slalom, and Giant Slalom) but also to be named Alpine Canada’s 2017 Female Athlete of the year!

Throwing a 16 pound shot put ball over 65 feet is no easy task. Its something that #1 Canadian ranked shot putter Tim Nedow (https://twitter.com/timmaythrows ; https://www.instagram.com/timmaythrows/ ) has been working towards since joining his track and field team when he was 13 years old. Now, with one Olympic games under his belt, he’s looking forward to the next. While his training regime includes throwing practice and visits to the gym (where he can bench 450 lbs) he is also upping his game in the kitchen. On average, Tim consumes a whopping 300 grams of protein a day, which includes “6-8 eggs with either goat or feta cheese mixed in with spinach and topped with Nanny Hudson’s Ketchup,” (which you can pick up at these locations) http://www.nannyhudson.com/where-to-buy .

In 1988, when the now ILDC champion Fareen Samji (https://www.instagram.com/hititwithfar/; https://twitter.com/hititwithfar/ ) came to Canada, her first memories of her new home were working on an egg farm just outside of Clappisons Corners. Far didn’t just rely on skill to get her to where she is today, but on her drive to improve. “We have to be better,” she says “No matter what we do, we have to be better.” To be able to drive a ball 330 yards, she credits not only her physical skill, but innovative science and constantly improving equipment, very similar she says, to what egg farmers must deal with to be constantly improving their barns and farms.

World Women’s Curling Champions, Team Homan(https://twitter.com/TeamHoman; https://www.instagram.com/team_homan/  ) (consisting of lead, Lisa Weagle(https://twitter.com/lweagle19; https://www.instagram.com/lweagle/  ); second, Joanne Courtney(https://twitter.com/JoanneMCourtney ); third, Emma Miskew (https://twitter.com/emmamiskew ; https://www.instagram.com/emmamiskew/ )and skip, Rachel Homan(https://twitter.com/RHoman89; https://www.instagram.com/homan89/  )) recognize the great protein that eggs are. “[In Beijing, at the World Championships] we ate a lot of eggs. A lot, a lot of eggs,” says Emma. They plan on taking the recipe for success they used at Worlds and tweaking it to get to the 2018 Olympics. “Communication as a team is important. Just like egg farmers, everyone has a specific job to do, so we need to keep communication going to make sure everyone is doing the best they can.”

Playing in the NFL is an incredible feat on its own, but doing so while obtaining a medical degree is something that Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (https://www.instagram.com/laurentduvernaytardif/ ; https://twitter.com/LaurentDTardif ) will soon be able to say only he has accomplished. It’s no secret that the six foot five, 320 pound, 26 year old has to eat a lot. But he decided to stick with eggs, his protein of choice, rather than invest in protein supplements. While both of his careers may result in a large amount of stress, he says the secret to coping with that stress is keeping a routine. Creating a routine before a game or before a night of training in the ER both require a significant amount of preparation mentally and physically. “Mental preparation is key,” says Tardif, “So is eating well.”

Short track speed skater, William Preudhomme (https://twitter.com/WPreudhomme ; https://www.instagram.com/willpreudhomme/ ) says eggs have a place in his Olympic dreams. He is required to be on the ice training 10 times a week so he doesn’t have much time to spend in the kitchen. He incorporates the protein packed superfood into his daily routine as scrambled eggs for breakfast or a hard-cooked egg as a post training snack. The Toronto native is the first from the city to represent Canada in short-track speed skating and he has set his sights on the 2018 Olympics in Pyeong Chang.

On or off the ice, field, track or farm, eggs seem to bring something to the table whether you’re looking for a high protein food, or just a healthy snack. These athletes love their eggs, how do you love yours?

It’s hard to find something to talk about when the name Hella Comat comes up, but not because there is nothing to mention. The problem is the Halton native has so much going on.

As the first woman to win a Canadian National Aerobatic Championship, you could say Hella knows a thing or two about flying. Earning her Canadian pilot’s license in 1975, Hella has been flying ever since. If that isn’t enough, she started as an aerobatic competitor in 2008 and has competed in 38 competitions in the Canada and the US. What is Aerobatics you ask? It basically involves stunts performed in flight by an airplane, such as loops, rolls or spins. Not for the faint of heart.

Hella’s accomplishments are not just limited to the air. As a teacher for more than 30 years, Hella was the recipient of the 1997 Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in Science, Technology, and Mathematics. Add published writer and accomplished speaker to the list and you’ve only just got her figured out.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is proud to support Hella Comat and all of her aerobatic maneuvers.

How does Hella like her eggs? We didn’t ask, but it’s probably scrambled! 

Update: Hella Flys High at National Aerobatic Championships!

Congratulations to Hella Comat for her second place finish at the Canadian National Aerobatic Competition! Despite low cloud cover and scattered showers, pilots from across Canada and even some from the south made it out to test their skills. Read below as Hella recounts her weekend at Nationals:

"I flew up Thursday morning, hoping to get in some practice in the aerobatic box at Hanover on Thursday and/or Friday. The terrain, runway orientation, and visual cues that we count on for our various attitudes in the manoeuvres are so different depending on the airport, so practice at the contest airport is critical. I dodged light rain on the way north, but after I landed at Hanover, it started to rain with a vengeance. Both practice days - Thursday and Friday - had low cloud and on and off rain so no practice was possible for anyone.

Regardless of weather, the pilots and volunteers who had arrived early were tasked with the job of placing 6 box markers - large white canvas shapes that denote the edges and centre of the aerobatic box on the ground. These markers are invaluable for pilots orienting our aircraft and staying within the boundaries of the airspace - a 1000 metre square cube. We had to brave muddy ditches, electric fences, suspicious cows, and lots and lots of cow pies to measure, place, and stake the markers.

It was even a challenge for pilots arriving from as close as Oshawa, Brampton, and London, but by Friday evening, we had competitors from as far away as Quebec, Michigan, and Illinois making the trip successfully. Our aerobatic airplanes do not have the sophisticated instruments that allow pilots to fly in instrument meteorological conditions, so we have weather minimums that restrict our travel. Unfortunately Saturday’s weather plagued us with continued low cloud. The International Aerobatic Club rules require a minimum of 3000 feet of altitude, so we didn’t have Mother Nature’s cooperation until 5 pm, when finally blue skies and a few cumulous clouds allowed us to hold the safely briefing, place the judges, and launch the first aircraft.

I had to fly my Known sequence first. This is a set of about 12 figures that is new each year for each of the categories and that each pilot must fly. There was quite a crosswind from the west, keeping us all very challenged! Three out of the four categories - Sportsman, Intermediate, and mine - Advanced - were able to fly until twilight shortly after 8 pm.

Sunday finally dawned clear and relatively windless - a perfect day to finish the aerobatic competition. Local spectators from Owen Sound, Walkerton, and others from Toronto, Brampton, and further afield attended and enjoyed the noise, excitement, and spectacle of aerobatics at all skill levels. We all flew our second flights - the Freestyle - in which we design our own sequences, fulfilling a difficulty requirement at each category. There wasn’t time to fly the Unknown, which is a sequence given to competitors the day before, but must be flown without any practice. This is the most challenging of the flights, as there’s always figures or combination of figures that a pilot has never flown before - the combinations are infinite!

I finished second in Advanced.

We had expected some competitors from western Canada but unfortunately the weather kept them from attending. All pilots who competed had a safe, fun, and very challenging and highly competitive event. Our sincere thanks to the volunteers and organizers who made this event such a success.

Thank you to the Egg Farmers of Ontario for your invaluable support! I couldn’t have done it without you. Seeing and talking to the kids, young girls, teens, and adult spectators who watched the competition and saw that anyone can aspire to reach a dream was an important and rewarding aspect for me in competing at this event. 

Now to begin sharpening my skills for next year!"

Current International Long Drive Champion (ILDC) and five-time Canadian ILDC champion Fareen Samji knows a thing or two about success. Not only does Far, as she is known by, strive to always exceed her personal best, her winning formula is something she loves to share with others.

Far spends much of her time mentoring women to get “out of the office, and on to the course.” She stresses the importance of building confidence on the course which in turn can lead to confidence in the office. Historically male dominated, Far encourages women to find their place on the golf course.

Recently, Far was featured on CHCH TV (Hamilton) during a golf tournament to celebrate and share the importance of women building confidence and networking potential that many are currently missing out on.

Despite an already busy schedule with golf and speaking engagements, Far has found the time to write a book, Smashing the Grass Ceiling, which was launched in April 2017. In it, Far shares advice, inspiration and tips for achieving the ultimate goal – success.

Far is not big in stature, and at 5’-5” she is considered small for her sport. Rather than view that as a disadvantage, Far worked hard to prove that bigger is not always better. Better is better.

Egg Farmers of Ontario are proud to support Fareen. Her drive to succeed, motivate and help others as well as her great outlook on life make her a definite winner.

For more information on Fareen, visit her website at http://farsamji.com/ or follow her on Facebook  (Fareen Samji), Twitter (@HitItWithFar) or Instagram (@HitItWithFar).

To get your own copy of Fareen's book Smashing the Grass Ceiling, click here.

MISSISSAUGA, April 10, 2017 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) wants to remind you that spring is a great time to freshen things up, even classic pairings like eggs and bacon. What better place to do this than your Easter brunch table.

We put our heads together with our friends at Ontario Pork to make our already winning partnership of bacon and eggs even better. The result is a fantastic new pairing of flavours.

Forget scrambled and fried, Scalloped Eggs and Bacon is a delicious alternative to your old favourite. Combined as a casserole with crispy panko topping and bacon (of course), this savoury dish can be served as a side or as a meal. Either way, your Easter guests will be impressed.

When you use fresh Ontario eggs in your Easter cooking, baking and decorating, you are supporting local egg farm families.

Ontario Pork is excited to partner with Egg Farmers of Ontario on this unique and creative recipe. Ontario farmers are proud to bring fresh, local, and safe pork to your family.

Please visit getcracking.ca for this and other egg recipes that are sure to make your Easter complete!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 461 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

Ontario Pork represents the 1,284 farmers who market 5.39 million hogs in the province. The organization is engaged in many areas, including research, government representation, environmental issues, consumer education and food quality assurance.

For more information contact:
Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790 

Kimberley Coyle, Marketing Coordinator, Ontario Pork, 519-767-4600 x 1402

Full Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, divided
large onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp (30 mL) flour
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper
1½ cups (375 mL) milk
1 cup (250 mL) grated old Cheddar cheese
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
large baking potato (about 12 oz/375 g) cooked, cooled, peeled and sliced
6 large hard-cooked eggs, sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

Topping:

1/3 cup (75 mL) Panko or cornflake crumbs
2 tsp (10 mL) melted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).  Lightly grease 6-cup (1.5 L) shallow baking dish.

In medium skillet, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) of butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour, salt and pepper; cook stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and mustard. Set aside.

In prepared baking dish, layer half of the potato slices; top with half of the egg slices and half of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with bacon and top with onions. Repeat with remaining potato, egg and sauce layers.

Egg farmers of Ontario (EFO) is proud to announce a new partnership with Team Homan – the #1 ranked  women’s curling team in the world in the Order of Merit, the top ranked team in Canada in the Canadian Ranking System, and the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Heartschampions.

The team consists of Rachel Homan (skip), Emma Miskew (third), Joanne Courtney (second), and Lisa Weagle (lead) and is based out of the Ottawa Curling Club.

The team is headed to the 2017 CPT World Women’s Curling Championships in Beijing, China which run from March 18-26.

The Get Cracking® logo will be prominently displayed on the lead knee of player’s pants.

For more information about the team, please visit www.teamhoman.com.

Follow the team on twitter to cheer them on in the upcoming tournament: @teamhoman; @rachelhoman; @emmamiskew; @lisaweagle; @joannecourtney

See more about the team and their journey to World's below:

Third world curling championship more than just on-ice test for Rachel Homan's team

Update (March 23, 2017):

Round robin play for the 2017 CPT World Women's Curling Championships has now completed for Team Homan, and they have an undefeated record of 11-0. They play their first game of the playoffs vs. Russia March 24 at 7 p.m. local Beijing time, 7 a.m. EST March 24.

Update (March 27, 2017):

Team Homan came out on top of the gold medal game against the Russian team to become the 2017 World Champions with a score of 8-3. Not only was this the first gold medal for CAnada since 2008, but Homan and her team also became the first team to go undefeated in the tournament's history.

See more about their win here:

Canada's Rachel Homan wins women's world curling championship in a clean sweep

Rachel Homan wins gold for Canada at World Women's Curling Championship 2017

Canada's Homan wins world women's curling championship

St. Isidore farmer is making international success.
Alpine Ski sensation Valérie Grenier is headed into 2017 full steam ahead, coming off an impressive finish at the FIS Alpine World Cup competition in Val d’Isere, France.

See video of Valérie here.

Grenier, the daughter of St. Isidore egg farmers Nathalie and Gabriel Grenier, has been turning heads on the alpine circuit. In the last month Grenier is the first woman to have earned World Cup points in four disciplines, slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill this year.
The 20 year old skier is coming off a 24th place finish in the Super-G in Val d’Isere. This follows three top-30 results at the Lake Louise Alpine Ski World Cup and the beginning of December.
Egg Farmers of Ontario, together with Fédération des producteurs d’oeufs du Québec, is proud to sponsor Valérie in her athletic endeavors.
To stay up-to-date with Valerie’s progress visit http://alpinecanada.org/team/valerie-grenier

This World Egg Month, Egg Farmers of Ontario teamed up with the Ontario Association of Food Banks to help beat hunger and its time to announce the winner! In total, over 75,000 votes were cast.
Congratulations to all of the communities across Ontario who came together to vote, but we have three very special winners!
In first place, receiving the 600 dozen eggs, we have The Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia.
In second place, getting 400 dozen eggs, is The Salvation Army Community and Family Services in Owen Sound.
And finally, third place, receiving 250 dozen eggs is The Agape Centre in Cornwall.

Again, to everyone who voted, thank you, thank you, thank you!

MISSISSAUGA, November 28, 2016 – The festive season is fast approaching and Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) wants to help you prepare for the gathering of friends and family during these special times together. That’s why EFO has created two deliciously simple recipes with the holidays in mind.

This time of year is filled with get-togethers where delicious food takes centre stage. Whip up a batch of Egg Custard Tarts and you’ve got the perfect addition to any holiday party. These yummy tarts are a variation of the traditional Portuguese dessert, but are sure to become a favourite in any home.  

Leftover turkey? No worries, we’ve got you covered! Our Easy Festive Brunch Bake is the perfect way to use up extra turkey or to feed a hungry bunch for brunch, lunch or dinner. This hearty casserole is so versatile, it will work for any meal or occasion.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and are available at your grocery store. When you include fresh Ontario eggs in your holiday cooking and baking, you are supporting local Ontario egg farm families. 

Please visit getcracking.ca for these and many other egg recipes that are sure to fill your season with holiday delights!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Egg farmers across Canada have teamed up with Curling Canada to offer the eggs-citing Rocks & Rings Program.

The Rocks & Rings program will visit elementary schools across Canada and host various drills, relays and team-building activities that are used to introduce students to the sport of curling.

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) Chair, Scott Graham said “We are very excited to be partnering with a program that reaches so many kids and parents. The Rocks & Rings program will allow our farmers to continue our commitment to help strengthen communities across this great country. Curling is a fantastic sport for people of all ages and we’re proud to play a role in getting Canada’s kids active and healthy.”

Additionally, EFO is happy to be the official breakfast protein of the program and will be offering meals for curlers participating in selected Curling 101 events. Curling 101 is a follow up lesson to Rocks & Rings that gives the kids as well as their parents an opportunity to try curling on the ice, in their community.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, please visit www.rocksandrings.com.

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) are proud help fuel the athletes of the 2016 Ontario Summer Games (OSG) with fresh, local eggs!

The Ontario Summer Games, which are being held in Mississauga from August 11-14th, will be home to over 4,000 athletes, coaches, managers and major officials participating in more than 32 different sporting events. Athletes, age 12-18, will be competing in various sports over the three days, ranging from badminton to sledge hockey and everything in between.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is happy to partner with the games, providing athletes from across the province a healthy, nutritious breakfast protein.

The opening ceremony of OSG will be held on August 11thand will coincide with the launch of EFO’s Snapchat channel (GetCrackingONT).  Follow us on Snapchat or any of our other social media channels as we meet some athletes and watch as they compete for gold!

See more about the Ontario Summer Games here.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Hockey season is upon us, and Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is gearing up for the upcoming Ottawa Senators season in a big way!

EFO is once again sponsoring the Ottawa Senators and their pre-season celebrations, Hometown Tours and Fan Fest. It’s your time as a fan to come out to one of 12 Canadian Tire stores across eastern Ontario and cheer on the team! It’s also your chance to meet some of your favourite Senators and get some autographs!

EFO is proud to be the Official Breakfast Protein of the Ottawa Senators and are giving fans a chance to enjoy a Senator’s game on us! Visit our photo station at any of the events, snap a pic and share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GetCracking and tag Egg Farmers of Ontario and  a few lucky winners will be walking away with a pair of home game tickets for this season!

Fans that make it to Fan Fest on September 25th will be able to enjoy our egg station, where you can dress your own hard-cooked egg with a variety of toppings that will be available.

So don’t forget to come out to support your Ottawa Senators with the official breakfast protein of the team!

See more: http://senators.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=99657

MISSISSAUGA, June 20, 2016 – Summer has officially arrived, and with it comes barbeques, picnics and weekends at the cottage. Egg Farmers of Ontario have the perfect recipes to enjoy summertime fun no matter the occasion. 

Not your moms’ macaroni salad, Egg Mac’n Cheese Salad is a delicious and colourful addition to any warm weather activity. It’s so easy to make, you’ll be out the door and heading to your favourite picnic spot in no time at all.

Frozen Raspberry Mousse is a tasty way to keep your cool when the temperature rises. Make it ahead of time and store in the freezer until you’re ready to serve. Top with in-season raspberries and fresh whipped cream and your guests will be delighted.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your meals you are supporting local egg farm families while serving recipes that are truly delicious!

Please visit www.getcracking.ca for these and many other egg recipes that are sure to be crowd pleasers all summer long and throughout the year!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

MISSISSAUGA, May 2016 – Toronto's first and only all-day breakfast food truck – The Egg Man Inc. - is hitting the road for 2016 with Chef Tom’s new Mexican-inspired Crispy Breakfast Quesadilla.

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is excited to share this easy and festive Mexican-inspired Crispy Breakfast Quesadillas recipe that will be the perfect way start to your May celebrations and leading up to the Victoria Day long weekend.

Crispy Breakfast Quesadillas are crispy on the outside and stuffed with vegetables, bacon and scrambled eggs. 

Ideal for a filling and tasty on-the-go breakfast! Don’t want to make it at home? Plan a visit to The Egg Man, but before you do, find out about our eggs-citing contest here.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your breakfast, you are supporting local egg farm families while getting the nutrients your body needs to kick start a fun-filled day!

Please visit getcracking.ca for this and many other classic and unique egg recipes that are sure to turn any ordinary day into an eggs-traordinary one!

WAKE UP TORONTO! –The Egg Man Inc. is Toronto’s first and only all-day breakfast food truck bringing hearty and delicious options including EFO’s Crispy Breakfast Quesadillas from the farm to the city streets. Follow Chef Tom on Instagram: @TheEggManInc and Twitter: @TheEggManCanada to see where he will be today!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Mississauga, May 6, 2016 - Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) has launched a new specialized website designed to assist foodservice operators in creating customized marketing materials to help increase the sale of egg menu items.

The Egg Chef site allows operators to create table cards, posters, banners or loyalty cards by following a simple stepby-step process.

"Egg Chef allows Artisano Bakery Cafe to create customized egg promotions that include our restaurant logo with efficiency and ease," said Michael Simeone, Director of Artisano Bakery Cafe, Toronto, Ontario. "It is a convenient service that gave us the flexibility to promote specific egg menu items with professional merchandising materials. We're excited that we can now add our own custom food images.”

This unique marketing tool is open to foodservice operators in Ontario only and can be accessed by signing up at www.eggchef.ca. Individual restaurant logos and professional food images can be added to design templates on the portal for custom applications.

"We are thrilled to offer this new customizable resource," said Nancy Hewitt, EFO's Foodservice Program Consultant. "It will ultimately make it easier for foodservice operators to promote fresh shell eggs more often."

To find out more information on the Egg Chef site contact Nancy Hewitt - nhewitt@getcracking.ca or visit www.eggchef.ca

Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

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Contact: Bill Mitchell Director of Public Affairs Egg Farmers of Ontario 905-858-9790

Let’s learn to cook with Six by Sixteen.

Want to learn to how to cook and make healthy choices all while supporting locally grown food?

Six by Sixteen is a food literacy site to help young people learn to make heathy choices. It was developed by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), who partnered with 20 industry commodity and local food groups.

Six by Sixteen offers recipes, how-to videos, where to buy local and how to be healthy.

Want to learn more click here and see what this program has to offer. 

MISSISSAUGA, March 2016 – Spring is definitely in the air and Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) are thrilled to share a unique dessert recipe that will be the perfect finishing touch to your Easter meal.

Spring is symbolic of all things new and what better time is there to try a new and eggs-citing recipe like the Crustless Chai-Coconut Pie. The presentation is stunning and preparation is as easy as, well, PIE!

Crustless Chai-Coconut Pie - An easy to make dessert suitable for a special event such as Easter, but simple enough for less formal occasions.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your Easter meals and treats, you are supporting local egg farm families while creating special Easter memories with your own family.

Please visit getcracking.ca for this and countless other egg recipes that are sure to make your Easter dishes delightful and put a spring in your step!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Canada’s top junior curling teams are ready to Get Cracking with a new partner this January in Stratford, Ont.

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) will be the presenting sponsor of the 2016 Canadian Junior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships, Jan. 23-31 in Stratford, it was announced today by Curling Canada.

“We’re excited to have Egg Farmers of Ontario come aboard to support this country’s premier curling event for young athletes,” said Hugh Avery, Chair of Curling Canada’s Board of Governors. “The support of our partners is crucial as we continue to build our sport across the country, and today’s announcement is another example that Curling Canada’s championship events are an exciting way not only to develop champions and promote curling, but also for businesses to spread the word on your brand.”

The 2016 Canadian Juniors, presented by EFO, will take place at the Stratford Rotary Complex. The winning men’s and women’s teams will represent Canada at the 2016 World Junior Championships, March 5-13 in Erzurum, Turkey.

“We are delighted to be working with Curling Canada as a presenting sponsor,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham. “Egg Farmers of Ontario places a high value on healthy activities such as curling, and is proud to offer our support through this sponsorship.”

Tickets for the event are now available on Curling Canada's website or in person at the Stratford Country Club. For more information, contact 519-271-4212 or @cityofstratford.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is an association that represents approximately 440 egg and pullet farm families in the province. EFO works to ensure that consumers have access to safe, reliable and reasonably-priced eggs with fair farm pricing ensuring adequate returns to egg farmers.

Please visit Curling Canada for more information. 

Andrew and Lindsay Elgersma & Brent and Kim Grainger become Ontario’s two newest egg farm families

Mississauga, ON, December 3, 2015 – Congratulations to Andrew and Lindsay Elgersma, of Elora, Ontario and Brent and Kim Grainger, of Zurich, Ontario who were chosen as the recipients of the 2015 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP) program. The announcement was made November 26 at Egg Farmers of Ontario’s (EFO’s) Annual Egg and Pullet Farmers’ Workshop at the Airport Marriott Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Elgersma’s have an 80-acre farm property and they plan to build a layer barn in 2016. The Grainger’s farm operation includes about 140 workable acres and they also plan to build a layer barn in 2016.

The NEQLP is designed to encourage new farmers into the Ontario egg farming business. Each year, up to 10,000 units of quota will be loaned to the successful applicant(s). The quota will be loaned based on a 1:2 ratio (1 unit purchased, 2 loaned). After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned into EFO’s NEQLP in 10 annual installments (10% each) and will be loaned to future participants in the program at that time.

“We had an excellent field of 30 applicants,” said selection committee Chair Laurent Souligny. “As usual, it was a great challenge for the committee because of the high quality of all of the applications,” he said.

The selection committee was comprised of Laurent Souligny, past EFO Director and former Chair of Egg Farmers of Canada; Daryl Ball, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs; Craig Bremner, TD Canada Trust; Robert Loree, Ward & Uptigrove; and Shannon Kelly, former President of Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario. The committee selected four applicants for face-to-face interviews with the committee before selecting the two successful candidates.
EFO is following up on a commitment to conduct a review the program after five years of operation to ensure the program is in the best position to encourage new farmers into the Ontario egg farming business.

“We have four of the new egg farm families’ already in operation from the earlier years of the program and we are very proud to have two more new egg farm families become Ontario egg farmers under this program,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is an association that represents approximately 440 egg and pullet farm families. EFO works to ensure that consumers have access to safe, reliable and reasonably-priced eggs with fair farm pricing ensuring adequate returns to egg farmers.

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Contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Eggs Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

MISSISSAUGA, December 1st, 2015 – The holidays are sneaking up on us once again with all its bustle of activity. Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) wants to ease the rush by reducing your time in the kitchen without compromising taste with these deliciously easy recipes. 

Start the season (and your holiday parties) off right with tasty and unique appetizers like our Zucchini-Feta Triangles and Classic Yorkshire Pudding. 

Zucchini-Feta Triangles– These beautiful and festive bite-sized appetizers are perfect for potlucks, parties or unexpected guests.  They are a great way to discretely add vegetables to your holiday celebrations.

Classic Yorkshire Pudding – Crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside is the perfect description for this traditional British delicacy. Choose to serve in the traditional style with a roast dinner or as an appetizer with thinly sliced roast beef and horseradish cream.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your holiday dishes, you are supporting  local egg farm families.  Gather your own loved ones together for a magical celebration and enjoy the sights, sounds and of course the wonderful tastes that go along with this joyous season!

Please visit getcracking.ca for these and countless other egg recipes that are sure to make your season merry and bright!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Pam Passerino, Communications Coordinator, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Wins two categories at the Best of CAMA 2015 Awards

Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) achieved Grade A results winning two categories at the Best of CAMA 2015 awards ceremony at the Fairmont Winnipeg on November 5.

EFO’s two winning category entries were in the Communications Vehicles section and among about 125 finalists across 37 categories divided among four sections of the competition.

EFO won the Special Publications category with its hard-cover publication – Celebrating 50 years of Egg Farmers of Ontario. The 284-page, four colour, large format publication, produced with Farm Boy Productions of Guelph, celebrated the history of the organization and featured single page profiles of all of the participating egg farming families across the province.

EFO also won the Annual Reports category with its 2014 Annual Report. The organization’s golden anniversary theme, Respecting the past, Embracing the present, Building the future, was the foundation for the design which also featured a 6-page pull-out section that highlighted significant milestones throughout EFO’s proud 50 year history. The report was produced with Spalding Graphic  Media.

The Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) is a network of agribusiness marketing professionals from across Canada. CAMA’s membership consists of manufacturers, retailers, agencies, media, academia, other associations and other agriculturally-related firms – all dedicated to improving the marketing and communications sector of the industry throughout the value chain.

MISSISSAUGA, April 6, 2015 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is once again giving individuals an opportunity to become Ontario’s newest egg farmers by applying to the 2015 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP). Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2015 until May 29, 2015.

“We believe this is an exciting opportunity for young farmers,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham. “This is the fifth year for this successful program and we again look forward to welcoming more young egg farm families into the business.”

The NEQLP is designed to encourage new farmers into the Ontario egg farming business. Each year, up to 10,000 units of quota will be loaned to the successful applicant(s). The quota will be loaned based on a 1:2 ratio (1 unit purchased, 2 loaned). After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned to EFO in 10 annual installments (10% each) and will be loaned to future participants in the program.

To be eligible for EFO’s 2015 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool, an applicant must:
 Be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant;
 Be a permanent resident of Ontario;
 Not have held quota, currently or in the past, of any type in the supply-managed sector (egg, pullet, chicken, turkey, dairy or hatching eggs);
 Successful applicants will be required to obtain quota to match the quota loan, based on a 1:2 ratio;
 Priority will be given to persons between the ages of 18 and 45.

“We encourage all prospective candidates to submit an application for this program. It is working as an excellent way for potential egg farm families to join our vibrant and growing sector,” said Scott Graham, EFO Chair.

Applicants who meet the above criteria will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of well-respected and knowledgeable industry representatives and EFO will act as a resource for the committee. Committee members are selected by EFO and may include:
 An accountant;
 A financial representative;
 An OMAFRA staff person;
 A non-director egg farmer and
 A representative from Junior Farmers Association of Ontario

To apply, interested individuals must complete and submit an application form (available through EFO or www.getcracking.ca. Successful applicants must complete and file with EFO all documentation required of a buyer as set out in the Quota Transfer System (QTS), EFO Policies, Programs and Procedures 2014 as may be amended from time to time.

Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2015 to May 29, 2015.

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Contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Eggs Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

MISSISSAUGA, March 27, 2015 – Easter is here and that means spring has finally sprung! Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) are pleased to share two wonderful farm family recipes that will perfectly complement your mouth-watering Easter dinner and are sure to become your families’ favorites!

Easter has always been synonymous with eggs. Decorating eggs with beautiful, brilliant colours is a favourite creative Easter activity for families, but keep in mind that you can get creative with eggs for your Easter dishes as well!

Eggy Potato Au Gratin is a favourite of the Hovius Family. This dish is a delightful combination of savoury eggs and cheese that elevates boring potatoes to “eggs-ceptional” heights. This flavourful, filling side dish is ideal for a splendid sit down dinner or a buffet style get together!

Don’t let the name fool you; Brenneman Family Vanilla Chiffon Cake is an easy-to-make dessert with the show stopping looks you’ve been searching for to make your springtime table setting “eggs-quisite.” It’s a traditional light and airy cake that is truly a feast for the eyes while remaining light on the stomach.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your Easter meals you are supporting local egg farm families while serving recipes that are truly delicious!

Please visit getcracking.ca for these and many other egg recipes that are sure to be crowd pleasers during Easter and throughout the year!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Mississauga, May 6, 2023 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is commemorating the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by donating over 22,000 eggs to Feed Ontario, for distribution to member food banks across Ontario.

Since the Canadian Confederation was signed in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada, with then reigning Queen Victoria becoming our sovereign, EFO will be donating the monetary value of 1867 dozen eggs to Feed Ontario.

“With Canada being a constitutional monarchy, today His Majesty King Charles III officially becomes the Head of State for our country,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “As such, we wanted to find a meaningful way to mark this momentous occasion and felt that sharing fresh, high-quality eggs through our partnership with Feed Ontario was a positive way to help Ontario communities enjoy this historic moment.”

The King and Queen are well known for their patronage of family and youth organizations. To pay tribute to these efforts, nutritious eggs will be available to families across Ontario in their honour through Feed Ontario. Thanks to the Feed Ontario Egg Donation Program, more than 537,000 adults, children and seniors are reached each year.

Egg Farmers of Ontario would like to extend congratulations to His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla as they embark on this new phase of the monarchy.

Mississauga, May 6, 2023 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is commemorating the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by donating over 22,000 eggs to Feed Ontario, for distribution to member food banks across Ontario.

Since the Canadian Confederation was signed in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada, with then reigning Queen Victoria becoming our sovereign, EFO will be donating the monetary value of 1867 dozen eggs to Feed Ontario.

“With Canada being a constitutional monarchy, today His Majesty King Charles III officially becomes the Head of State for our country,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “As such, we wanted to find a meaningful way to mark this momentous occasion and felt that sharing fresh, high-quality eggs through our partnership with Feed Ontario was a positive way to help Ontario communities enjoy this historic moment.”

The King and Queen are well known for their patronage of family and youth organizations. To pay tribute to these efforts, nutritious eggs will be available to families across Ontario in their honour through Feed Ontario. Thanks to the Feed Ontario Egg Donation Program, more than 537,000 adults, children and seniors are reached each year.

Egg Farmers of Ontario would like to extend congratulations to His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla as they embark on this new phase of the monarchy.

MISSISSAUGA, Dec. 4^th, 2014 – Holiday time is upon us again and the Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) have created two wonderful desserts that are as delicious as they are appealing. Both recipes are perfect for a festive gathering with friends and family!

White Chocolate and Orange Pudding is a versatile dessert that can be dressed up for a special holiday meal or made into a fun treat the kids will love! Either way, it’s sure to delight!

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies are delicate little cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft and fudgy on the inside.  They are definitely a sweet treat for the whole family and will quickly become a holiday baking tradition.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and when you choose to include fresh Ontario eggs in your holiday recipes, you are not only creating appetizing dishes you can be proud to serve, but you are also supporting your local egg farmers.

Please visit getcracking.ca for these and many other recipes that are sure to become family favourites during the upcoming holidays and throughout the year!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Egg Farmers of Ontario 905-858-9790

Matt and Jen McKee and Eli and Verna Weber become Ontario’s two newest egg farm families

Mississauga, ON, November 18, 2014 – Congratulations to Matt and Jen McKee, of Woodstock, Ontario and Eli and Verna Weber, of Mount Forest, Ontario who were chosen as the recipients of the 2014 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP) program. The announcement was made November 18 at Egg Farmers of Ontario’s (EFO’s) Annual Egg and Pullet Farmers’ Workshop at the Airport Marriott Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario.

The McKee’s have a 50-acre farm property and they plan to expand by building a layer barn in 2015. The Weber’s farm operation includes about 270 workable acres and they also plan to expand by building a layer barn in 2015.

The NEQLP is designed to encourage new farmers into the Ontario egg farming business. Each year, up to 10,000 units of quota will be loaned to the successful applicant(s). The quota will be loaned based on a 1:2 ratio (1 unit purchased, 2 loaned). After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned into EFO’s NEQLP in 10 annual installments (10% each) and will be loaned to future participants in the program at that time.

“We had an excellent field of 21 applicants,” said selection committee Chair Laurent Souligny. “Again this year, it was a real challenge for the committee because of the high quality of all of the applications,” he said.

The selection committee was comprised of Laurent Souligny, past EFO Director and former Chair of Egg Farmers of Canada; Daryl Ball, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs; Craig Bremner, TD Canada Trust; Robert Loree, Ward & Uptigrove; and Shannon Kelly, former President of Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario.  The committee selected four applicants for face-to-face interviews with the committee before selecting the two successful candidates.

This is the fourth year of the NEQLP program, which will continue to be offered annually.

“We have four new egg farm families already in operation from the first three years of the program and we are very proud to have two more new egg farm families become Ontario egg farmers under this program,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham.

Egg Farmers of Ontario is an association that represents approximately 440 egg and pullet farm families. EFO works to ensure that consumers have access to safe, reliable and reasonably-priced eggs with fair farm pricing ensuring adequate returns to egg farmers.

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Contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Eggs Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

MISSISSAUGA, July 30th, 2014 – Summer party time is here, so why not start the party with two delicious and filling summer salad recipes from Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO). Both are perfect for an intimate patio party, a quiet dinner for two or a sunny brunch with the family.

Every salad should contain quality fresh ingredients and when you include Ontario eggs in these recipes, it makes for a complete meal. Let’s face it, life is busy and we tend to get hungry after being outside in the fresh air all day. EFO understands the need to provide a delicious and healthy meal in a short amount of time. These two appetizing salad recipes fit the bill perfectly!

Our BLT Salad with Sweet Onion Vinaigrette and Mini Cobb Salad with Avocado Dressing are delicious and colourful creations that are sure to please!

The Mini Cobb Salad with Avocado Dressing is considered a classic main course salad and the avocado dressing adds a delicious and refreshing twist.

The BLT Salad with Sweet Onion Vinaigrette is a simple salad with grated eggs to add a wonderful creamy texture. Topped off with sweet onion vinaigrette, it is sure to become your go-to salad for the summer and beyond!

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin and loaded with health benefits, so why not enjoy a couple of protein-packed salads with delectable dressings to keep you moving through your busy summer days and long summer nights.

Visit getcracking.ca for these and many other recipes that are sure to become family favorites!

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.

For more information contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

MISSISSAUGA, March 27, 2014 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) is once again giving individuals an opportunity to become Ontario’s newest egg farmer by applying to the 2014 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP). Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2014 until May 30, 2014.

“We are once again pleased to offer this opportunity,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham. “This program has been well received the past two years and we look forward to welcoming more new egg farmers into the industry.”

The NEQLP is designed to encourage new farmers into the Ontario egg farming business. Each year, up to 10,000 units of quota will be loaned to the successful applicant(s). The quota will be loaned based on a 1:2 ratio (1 unit purchased, 2 loaned). After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned to EFO in 10 annual installments (10% each) and will be loaned to future participants in the program.

To be eligible for EFO’s 2014 New Entrant Quota Loan Pool, an applicant must:
 Be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant;
 Be a permanent resident of Ontario;
 Not have held quota, currently or in the past, of any type in the supply-managed sector (egg, pullet, chicken, turkey, dairy or hatching eggs);
 Successful applicants will be required to purchase to match the quota loan, based on a 1:2 ratio;
 Priority will be given to persons between the ages of 18 and 45.

“We again encourage all prospective candidates to submit an application for this program. We created an ideal way for potential egg farmers to join this exceptional industry.” said Scott Graham, EFO Chair.
Applicants who meet the above criteria will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of well-respected and knowledgeable industry representatives and EFO will act as a resource for the committee.

Committee members are selected by EFO and may include:
 An accountant;
 A financial representative;
 An OMAFRA staff person;
 A non-director egg farmer and
 A representative from Junior Farmers Association of Ontario

To apply, interested individuals must complete and submit an application form. Successful applicants must complete and file with EFO all documentation required of a buyer as set out in the Quota Transfer System (QTS), EFO Policies, Programs and Procedures as may be amended from time to time. Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2014 to May 30, 2014.

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Contact: Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Eggs Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790

Egg Farmers of Ontario announce 50th anniversary Food Bank Egg Donation Program

MISSISSAUGA, March 25, 2014 - Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) announced today, that in celebration of its upcoming 50th anniversary, it is introducing a new egg donation program in collaboration with the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) and a number of Ontario egg grading companies.

"Ontario’s egg farmers have a strong record of donating to food banks and we want to give more through a program that makes it easy for egg farmers and all supporters to donate fresh, high-quality Ontario eggs to food banks across the province," said EFO Chair Scott Graham. "Egg Farmers of Ontario has committed to ensure that at least $250,000 worth of eggs will be donated to the OAFB during the first year of the new voluntary program."

The commitment will provide about 12,000 dozen eggs per month throughout the year. EFO’s net financial contribution will be reduced gradually as voluntary egg donations are pledged, keeping donations constant at about 12,000 dozen eggs per month. If voluntary egg donations exceed this level during the year, donations to Food Banks will increase accordingly.
Participating Ontario egg graders are supporting the program by donating all of the egg grading and packaging costs. The program is open to all Ontario graders. Burnbrae Farms and Gray Ridge Egg Farms have already committed to support the program.

“There are no words to express our gratitude for this program or the difference that it will make in our work to address hunger in Ontario,” said Bill Laidlaw, OAFB Executive Director. “It’s hard to believe that there are over 370,000 people, including 131,000 children, accessing food banks every month – but it’s true. The new egg donation program will undeniably make a tremendous impact in the nutrition available to these individuals. We truly thank the Egg Farmers of Ontario and all of their partners for this incredible commitment and the amazing impact that this new program will make in our province.”

The OAFB is a network of 130 food banks and 1,100 hunger relief programs and agencies across the province. Their mission is to nurture communities by providing food, funding and solutions to reduce hunger with the vision of a hunger-free Ontario.

The OAFB has an excellent allocation and distribution system that shares food and financial donations based on ongoing assessments of needs and resources. The OAFB works in partnership with local transportation providers in Kitchener, Mississauga, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Ottawa, Trenton and Barrie to serve its member food banks and will co-ordinate efficient distribution of eggs donated under the program.

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.
For more information, please contact:

Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790, bmitchell@getcracking.ca

Amanda King, Manager of Communications, Ontario Association of Food Banks, 416-656-4100 x2932, amanda@oafb.ca

MISSISSAUGA, January 30, 2014 - Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) has received offers to transfer egg and pullet quota under the first scheduled operation through its new electronic quota transfer system in March.

Buyers and sellers of Ontario egg and pullet quota will now conduct transfers through a transparent and accessible electronic transfer system.

Under the new transfer system, there is a published schedule for the exchange to operate quarterly. If sufficient quota is offered to operate an exchange, the volume on offer is made public so potential bidders can take part in the exchange.

The offer deadline for the March exchange was January 23. 21,407 units of layer quota and 78,058 units of pullet quota have been offered for transfer. Potential buyers now have until the bid deadline of February 27 to submit bids.

“This is the first milestone as EFO launches a new and improved quota market mechanism for its farmers,” said EFO Chair Scott Graham.

“EFO consulted extensively with egg and pullet farmers to design the details of a made-in-Ontario quota transfer system that works for our farmers,” Graham added.

Ontario egg farmers will have a regularly-scheduled market where all buyers and sellers are guaranteed access and can participate on fair and equal terms. “All buyers and sellers will benefit from the accessibility of an effective, organized quota transfer system,” Graham said.

More information about EFO’s quota transfer system is available in the Operations section on our website at www.getcracking.ca.

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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the approximately 440 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.
 

For more information, please contact:Bill Mitchell, Director of Public Affairs, Egg Farmers of Ontario, 905-858-9790