Chicken farmers’ donation program provides flexibility in times of crisis

May 31, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON – Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) is supporting those effected by the high-impact derecho that passed through Ontario on May 21 leaving many without power – including the Peterborough and Ottawa food bank. Working with Feed Ontario, and through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program, CFO was able to donate 5,000 meals of locally grown chicken, per food bank.

“As Ontario chicken farmers, it is our job to ensure that all Ontarians can access safe, healthy, locally grown chicken. On top of that, we also have the responsibility to our communities to step up and help-out when there is an emergency,” said Murray Opsteen, Chair of Chicken Farmers of Ontario. “We want to ensure that no matter the circumstance, Ontario grown chicken is always available to Ontarians and food banks.”

Environment Canada has said that the powerful storm that swept through Ontario involved a derecho – a rare widespread windstorm associated with a line of thunderstorms. Consequently, this left many without power for extended periods of time – like the Peterborough and Ottawa food bank. As a result, fresh and frozen food began to spoil due to the lack of power to run fridges and freezers. CFO was quick to act to support the Peterborough and Ottawa food bank to help replenish part of the refrigerated food that was spoiled.

“The storm left the majority of Peterborough residents and businesses without power for many days. As a result, nearly all of our food banks, meal programs, housing shelters and clients accessing emergency food were forced to empty their fridge and freezers,” said Ashlee Aitken, General Manager Kawartha Food Share. “We are so appreciative of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario for quickly jumping to action and generously donating a skid of chicken to help replenish supply at our food banks. The continued support we receive through the CFO Cares program is so greatly appreciated.”

This donation was made possible because of the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program. CFO Cares enables farmers to donate 300 chickens each year to local food banks, providing them with a steady supply of locally grown chicken. The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program works in partnership with Feed Ontario.

“Thanks to the continued support of the Ontario chicken farming community, since 2015, the CFO Cares program has donated over six million chicken meals,” said Andrea Veldhuizen, Chair of the CFO Cares Working Group and Board Director for District 4. “We are pleased that the CFO Cares program is available to help during a crisis, ensuring Ontarians are still able to access Ontario grown chicken for their plates.”

Source : CFO

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.