Perth-Waterloo egg farmers review strong demand at annual Zone 6 meeting

Front row, from left: Sally Van Straaten (Zone 6 director, Egg Farmers of Ontario) and Scott Helps (chair, Egg Farmers of Ontario). Second row: Julie Wynette, Erin Gerber, Rita Reynen, Paul Neeb, Scott Graham, Brett Graham and Kayla Veldman. Back row: Mike Ready, Clarence Martin, John Erica DeWeerd, Tyler Harper, Gary Wagler, Delmar Schultz, Henry Groenestege, Andy DeWeerd, Josh Veldman, Anthony DeWeerd and Rick Roes. Absent were Amanda Cook, Allan Drost, Adam West and Jeff Rundle. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Egg farmers from Perth and Waterloo counties gathered last week at the Stratford Golf and Country Club for the annual Zone 6 meeting, where producers heard encouraging news about demand for Ontario-farmed eggs and re-elected their local representative to the provincial board.

Re-elected Zone 6 director Sally Van Straaten said consumers can expect grocery store shelves to remain well stocked with a wide variety of Grade A eggs, including free-run, free-range, nest-laid and Omega-3 options produced locally by area farmers

Producers were told demand remains strong across all egg categories, with Grade A large white eggs continuing to be the most popular choice at under $4 per dozen. By comparison, eggs were selling for $5.49 U.S. per dozen in parts of Florida on Jan. 25. Brown and organic eggs also remain popular, giving consumers the variety they have come to expect.

Ontario egg sales continue to grow, with 37.3 million dozen shell eggs sold across the province last year – an increase of 9.7 per cent over the previous year.

Scott Helps, chair of Egg Farmers of Ontario, attended the meeting and assured producers that cost-of-production reviews remain a priority to ensure Ontario-farmed eggs remain competitive on both quality and price.

He said ongoing provincial and federal inspections help maintain high standards and consumer confidence, particularly through the Egg Quality Assurance logo and the Start Clean, Stay Clean program administered by Egg Farmers of Canada.

Helps added that industry leaders want consumers to know their eggs come from laying hens housed with comfort and natural behaviours in mind. This includes access to perches and scratching areas, darkened nesting spaces, adequate room, proper ventilation year-round, and fresh, tested water and balanced feed to produce eggs rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.

Van Straaten, who farms near Sebringville with her husband, Mike, was re-elected to represent Perth and Waterloo counties on the Egg Farmers of Ontario board for another year. She has served in the role for four years.

The couple raise their four children on the family farm, where everyone helps with barn chores alongside egg and field crop production. They also operate an on-farm grain drying, handling and storage facility nearby. Both Van Straaten and her husband come from multi-generational Perth County farm families and hope the next generation will continue the operation.

Following her re-election, Van Straaten said serving as a director has been an “incredible journey” that has deepened her understanding of the egg industry, along with its challenges and opportunities.

She said she remains committed to strong representation for Zone 6 producers while supporting a sustainable and successful egg sector across Ontario.