An Egg is an Egg is and Egg? Or is it?
With Easter just around the corner and the little ones' minds filling with the pastel hues of coloured eggs in baskets, we thought a little refresher on the terms associated with choosing ethically produced eggs might be in order.

Free-run, free-range, Born-3, grain-fed, non-medicated?  The labels all sound good but are the animals treated any better on these farms?  How would you know?  Here is a guide to what’s behind the labels.

There are no laws outlining the minimum requirements for animal welfare on conventional farms regarding space allowance, access to bedding, allowable castration methods and so on.  Farmers follow voluntary national recommended codes of practice for the raising of food animals and their products.  These codes are modeled on maximizing production to produce inexpensive, “safe” food and are largely written by the industry. 

Most farmers follow these codes; however, the organic movement and most humane organizations believe the recommended practices fall far short of providing proper welfare for farm animals.  Therefore, the BC SPCA and the organic industry have created animal-welfare standards that go beyond conventional practice and have labeled their products accordingly.

Choose a Certified Label
Ignore marketing claims like “country fresh” (which have no approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and look for “certification” on the label. A product with an “SPCA Certified” label comes from a farm that follows prescribed standards of animal welfare, is assessed annually by a trained inspector, and third party, independent reviewers approve the inspection report. All “certified” labels on packaging are approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

SPCA Certified – Animals from these farms have been raised within high standards of animal welfare developed by an expert panel of animal-welfare researchers, veterinarians and farmers in consultation with the BC SPCA. SPCA Certified animals may be raised as either free-run or free-range. Each year the farmer must be re-certified and there are random inspections to ensure compliance.

Certified Organic – Certified organic standards include a number of animal-welfare provisions in addition to chemical-free production. All certified organic animals are also raised as free-range. In B.C. supermarkets, the most common certified organic labels are:
• COABC (Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia);
• QAI (Quality Assurance International);
• ProCert;
• Canada Organic (A new, federally regulated national organic program overseen by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency).

Visit www.spca.bc.ca/farm for more info on SPCA Certified.

Next Best Bet to Certified Products
Although not backed up by certification, some product labeling suggests that animals have been raised in a more humane manner. Farms under these labels can provide very high levels of welfare, if managed well. However, if they have not been certified, then they have not been inspected, which means you cannot be sure that standards are met.

Free-run – This wording is found mostly on eggs. Chickens that produce these eggs are raised free of cages and are kept entirely indoors. While these animals have no access to the outdoors, they are protected from external threats, such as predators and parasites. Note: All chicken in B.C. is raised free run, unless it is labeled as “free range” or “organic.” In other words, “free-run” is nothing special.

Free-range – These animals are raised free of cages or other types of confinement and are provided with access to the outdoors, weather permitting. However, the outdoor area does not guarantee pasture for grazing or foraging. This wording will be found mostly on eggs, chicken and sometimes pork.

Pasture-raised – Some farms differentiate their products from Free-Range by providing animals access to pasture, allowing them to graze or forage – presumably for most of their lives. This wording can be found on eggs, chicken, beef and pork.


Be Careful, Don’t be Misled
Don’t be fooled by any claims that vaguely imply animal welfare benefits. Inspection and certification to advanced animal-welfare standards has not occurred. In many cases, these claims do not at all refer to how an animal was raised.

Animal-friendly – This claim does not guarantee that animals were raised humanely.

Fresh and Natural (Naturally Raised) – These claims have no real meaning regarding the methods used to raise the animals or the actual quality of the products. The term “fresh,” for example, is not permitted on egg cartons. Natural can only be used on meat, poultry and fish products if it can be proven that the animals were raised with little help from humans.

Non-Medicated – These animals may have been exposed to absolutely no pharmaceutical drugs (e.g. antibiotics) over the course of their lives, or they may have just been fed non-medicated feed, but this claim gives no indication of how the animals were raised.

Maple Leaf Prime Naturally – Animals on these farms are raised in the same manner as other conventional farms. The company markets its product based on food safety and feed requirements and not on any special treatment of the animals.

Born-3 – These eggs come from conventionally raised, caged hens that have been fed a unique diet that modifies the fat in the egg yolk.

Vegetable-fed or Grain-fed – Many farm animals are fed meat byproducts as a protein or fat source. These label claims do not specify if the animals’ feed contains veterinary drugs or preservatives. Unless a statement like “no animal byproducts” follows the term, there can be no assurance that the feed contains only grains. There is no indication
of how the animals were raised outside of what they were fed.

Excerpted from "Picking the Good Egg - Behind the Labels of “Ethical” Animal Products" produced by the BC SPCA.

Market Notes
Scheduling has recently been completed for our summer markets and it is exciting to see another year ahead of us and all the exciting products and great people that we'll get to see and work with all summer.
Some things to look forward to:

More vegetables at all markets - our call for vegetable vendors has resulted in some vendors returning from time away from the markets and new vendors giving the farmers market a chance. We hope you'll enjoy the increased selection and will let these farmers (and all farmers) know that you appreciate their efforts. We all know that meeting the farmer is part of the joy of shopping at these markets - it is just as important to our vendors to meet and get to know their customers too!

Wild Harvested Products - from wild berry jam to dried mushrooms and seaweed - the growing industry of harvesting non-timber forest products will be represented at the markets this year. Take a walk on the wild side and experience some of the tasty delights our forests and waterways provide.

Prepared Food Vendors branch out - look for homous from your favourite Pesto guy to premier this year, egg-free pasta from a bread artisan, more savoury baked goods from sweet treat makers and sprouted grain flour and cereal as well as more vegan and gluten-free items for those with dietary restrictions.

More Value-added Farm Products - if the Winter Farmers Market taught us anything its that the tradition of putting food by for the winter is a good thing. This summer, look for pickles from cucumber growers, jams and spreads from our orchardists and any number of dried fruit and veggies from all categories of farmers. Our vendors have many great ideas for expanding their product range and availability - now if there were just a few more hours in the day.

More seafood - Always a popular stop at the markets, we've brought on board more fishermen who'll bring a greater variety to the markets. Our existing seafood vendors are also expanding to meet demand with new items like halibut, black cod and snapper - fire up those barbeques!



Do you love Farmers Markets?  
Vancouver’s Your Local Farmers Market Society (YLFMS) is currently seeking nominations from people interested in joining our Board of Directors in April 2007.  

We are looking for people who are:
* supportive of the goals of the Society;
* can attend monthly meetings;
* organized; and
* knowledgeable about the role of the Board of Directors in a non-profit society,
* available for some committee work and/or are willing to volunteer for specific projects/events at our markets occasionally.
 
Our 9-person Board of Directors aims to represent the full cross-section of farmers, other vendors, consumers and community members that take part and benefit from YLFMS farmers markets throughout the year.  For this reason, nominations from interested individuals in the West End, Kitsilano or Kerrisdale/Point Grey neighborhoods are particularily encouraged.   
 
Board nominees must be members of YLFMS for at least 30 days prior to the AGM to stand for election. Memberships must be purchased before April 1st to qualify. Volunteers for committees are being accepted on an on-going basis. Please contact Amy Robertson at amy@happyplanet.com for further info.

HELP WANTED
Your Local Farmers Market Society is hiring Market Managers for the 2007 market season. If you are interested, download the PDF job posting and apply soon - the deadline for applications is April 6 at 5pm. Feel free to pass this on to others who might be interested.

Summer Helper Needed
Waslen Farm is a long established family operated farm in the Fraser valley and we are looking for a temporary, full time live in helper for the 2007 summer season.  The ideal applicant would be a horticulture student who will be returning to school in the fall, although anyone with experience or a willingness to learn more about sustainable mixed farming is welcome to apply. Please be aware that at this point, this is a temporary contract position running from approximately June to October and is only on a live in basis and therefore meals and accommodations will be included as part of your wages. Although we are not a certified organic farm we do use natural growing methods resulting in a more intensive work environment than on a conventional farm. Duties will include, weeding, pruning and hand picking of fresh fruit and vegetables, operation of small farm machinery, farm maintenance and some retail sales in a farm market environment. This is a general description of duties only. Hours would be approximately 40 -50 in a four or five day work week depending on work load, with alternating days off. Applicants must be physically fit, hard working and reliable, serious applicants only. Please email a short cover letter outlining job experience or other relevant information, (those chosen for an interview will be required to provide references). We will respond to all enquiries. farmtin@telus.net   attn. Ken Waslen

Looking for Farmers Market Helper
Glen Valley Organic Farm is looking for a helper at the White Rock Farmer's Market for most Sundays (not sure how many yet) from June - October. The hours are from 7:15 - 1:45 on Sundays. There is one farmer at the stall and two helpers with three people sharing these two positions throughout the season. Salary is $9/hour plus produce at wholesale prices. Duties include: help set up tent and tables, stock tables and create artistic displays of produce, talk to customers, handle cash (good mental arithmatic skills are useful though not required - bring your own calculator!), take down tent, etc. at the end of the day and help pack up the truck. The person to do this job should be fairly physically fit (boxes weigh up to 40 lb.), easy-going and personable, enjoy working with people, have a basic knowledge of organics, have a passion for food and some idea how to cook with various vegetables, learn quickly and have a good sense of humour. Preference given to qualified people who live in or near White Rock. Apply to Alyson at this email address: glenvalley@direct.ca.

East End Food Co-Op is Looking for Board Members
Interested in getting involved in your community? Why not join the Board of the East End Food Co-op and help guide this neighbourhood institution into the next phase of its life. There are lots of exciting plans for this market and enthusiastic people are needed. Contact Suzanne at the Co-op for more info about the election 604-254-5044 and check out therei site at http://www.east-end-food.coop/