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Chicken farmers working to end hunger

Chicken farmers working to end hunger

CFO sponsors Hunger Action Month 

 
Staff Writer
Farms.com
 
The Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) are working with Ontario’s food banks to diminish hunger. 
 
In sponsoring Hunger Action Month through September, the CFO’s collaboration with the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) stems from their extensive relationship and the CFO’s food bank donation program, CFO Cares. 
 
CFO Cares launched in 2015 to allow chicken farmers to donate fresh chicken to food banks within their own communities and across Ontario. CFO’s farmer-members raise birds that can be used in the food bank system, and the CFO and the OAFB identify which food banks require the greatest assistance each year, delivering the meat as needed.
 
The CFO’s partnership with the OAFB has provided Ontarians with over one million chicken meals, said Carolyn Stewart, executive director of OAFB.
 
“This is … significant because we know that fresh protein is what our food banks need the most,” she said in a Friday CFO release.
 
The collaboration between the two groups makes sense, said Murray Opsteen, CFO board director and chair of CFO Cares.
 
“To me, it’s simple … we’re farmers and our livelihood is wrapped-up in growing fresh food for people to eat. All Ontarians should have access to the chicken that we grow, and the CFO Cares program ensures that our chicken lands on plates of the people who need it the most,” he said.
 
To donate to CFO Cares, email foodbank@ontariochicken.ca. 
 
Farms.com has reached out to CFO District Committee Representatives for further comment. 
 
wikoski/iStock/Getty Images Plus
 
 

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FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

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It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.