Nova Scotia’s egg farmers are thrilled to provide sponsorships, donations, and contributions to their communities across the province year after year. It is a proud feeling, knowing they are making a difference in lives across Nova Scotia. During the good times and the hard times, egg farmers strive to be there for their communities. So, what have Nova Scotian egg farmers been doing to help?
Last year, local egg farming families were active in their communities in several ways to help their communities thrive.
The Oulton family of Oulton’s Poultry Farm supported Team Nova Scotia’s Alpine Skiing team by making a $3000 donation towards the team’s athlete development. The Oulton family also supplied the team with Get Cracking toques to wear while competing in the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
The Clarke family of Southview Farms donated $5,000 to the Valley Regional Hospital Foundation to help reach their goal of purchasing three ventilators. The family also supplied over 100 eggs to be served at the foundation’s fundraiser dinner!
The Clarke Family supported their community again by sponsoring a weekly breakfast bar for Central Kings Rural High School cafeteria. The family donated $3000 to the school to help bring healthy, local food options to the students for the 2019 / 2020 school year. The donation will be used to ensure all students will be able to eat at and enjoy the weekly breakfast bar.
Cornwallis Farms and parents in the Annapolis Valley worked together to continue the revitalization of the Port Williams Basketball Association. The association had dropped to the wayside but in 2018 a new board was developed along with three full teams of energetic players. With help from the Newcombe family from Cornwallis Farms, the association expanded to six teams in 2019. The Newcombe family also provided funds to the association to purchase new jerseys for the players.
Egg farmers in Nova Scotia have shown the impact they can make as individual families. These families also came together to make an even bigger impact on the entire province and in 2019 focused on making a difference for children in Nova Scotia.
For the past two years, Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia have sponsored Brigadoon Village, in Aylesford NS, by donating over 4000 eggs along with a $3000 contribution to their healthy eating program. Brigadoon Village is a traditional sleep-away camp where children dealing with health conditions and life’s challenges can go to be a kid. Egg farmers, Jeff and Kelly Clarke from Southview Farms, and Geneve Newcombe from Cornwallis Farms, visited the village to host a cooking class and provide campers with aprons, spatulas, recipe books and microwave egg cookers!
Continuing the trend of inspiring our future, Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia donated a Rocks and Rings Learn to Curl Workshop to Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School, in Fall River, NS. Local egg farmer, Jill Thomas from Scotia Poultry Farm Ltd, participated in the workshop and helped teach the kids the art of curling. The school also received their own floor curling equipment set, cupcakes, temporary tattoos, spatulas, pencils, and stickers to complete the day.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic helps families with sick children stay together and near the medical care they need. Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia came forward to adopt the home’s kitchen through the Ronald McDonald House Charities Adopt-A-Room program, in support of sick kids in the Maritime provinces. Local egg farmer Geneve Newcombe, from Cornwallis Farms, visited the home and participated in an unveiling of the EFNS donor plaque in the kitchen. Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia are proud to help support these families in need and ensure they have a comfortable place to cook a homemade meal.
Being committed to their communities is essential to egg farmers in Nova Scotia, and this includes donating shells eggs wherever they can. In 2019, Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia donated over 10,000 eggs to Feed Nova Scotia to help ensure all Nova Scotians have access to local, fresh, nutritious eggs. Over 500 eggs were donated to the Kidney Foundations Boxing Day breakfast in Springhill, NS to help raise funds for kidney disease and another 100 eggs were donated to the 4H Club’s Provincial Show in support of youth in agriculture.
The efforts to support local communities has translated over into 2020. While the year has been unprecedented under the global pandemic, egg farmers have increased their support to help ensure everyone makes it through uncertain times with access to fresh, local eggs.
Over 20,000 eggs have been donated to Feed Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 crisis are being distributed to food banks across the province. In partnership with local grading stations; API and Maritime Pride Eggs, Egg Farmers of Nova Scotia are proud to be able to help.
Local egg farmers are continuously finding new ways to support their communities and ready to help those in need. Find out more about what we are doing in our communities here ( link to in our community page)