CFO Cares Receives Paul Mistele Award

BURLINGTON, ON – For the second consecutive year, the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program was named the recipient of the Paul Mistele Award. Presented by Feed Ontario, the Paul Mistele Memorial Award recognizes agricultural partners who have shown a significant and enduring commitment to ending hunger in Ontario.

 

In recognition of the sector-wide response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Feed Ontario presented this award to over twenty agriculture and agri-food partners that provide local food banks with Ontario grown food products.

 

"In a year when so many of our partners have faced incredible challenges of their own, it has been so heartwarming to see the incredible generosity of Ontario’s food and agriculture industries!" said Carolyn Stewart, Executive Director of Feed Ontario. "At a time when many families are facing hunger for the first time, this amazing support is very much appreciated, and every single one of our partners has gone above and beyond.”

 

Throughout the adversity of 2020, Ontario chicken farmers have continued to donate through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program. With over 550 farmer-members participating, the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program has already provided over one million meals in 2020.

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged how we do business and has required us to change routines and how we meet and interact with each other. But it has not changed our commitment to helping our neighbours, tackling food insecurity, and working together to build stronger, more vibrant, and sustainable communities – in all corners of our province,” said Murray Opsteen, 1st Vice-Chair of Chicken Farmer of Ontario and Chair of the CFO Cares Working Group.

 

Launched in 2015, the CFO Cares program provides the opportunity for Ontario chicken farmers to donate up to 700kgs of healthy, high quality, locally-grown chicken each year. Since it’s inception, the program has provide over five million meals to Ontario families, seniors, and individuals in need.

 

“Thank you to Ontario chicken farmer donors and the food bank staff and volunteers that help make the CFO Cares program possible. Everyday, chicken farmers are providing safe, high quality, nutritious, locally-grown chicken, for Ontario kitchen tables and local food bank!” said Opsteen.

Video: Ask A Farmer: How are broiler chickens raised in Canada?

As more and more Canadians become removed from farms and ranches, many people have questions about how animals are being raised on Canadian farms. Tiffany Martinka is active on social media and has made a point of sharing how their family farm takes care of their chickens. In this podcast, Tiffany explains the audited programs that all Canadian farmers must follow and describes how this system of raising chickens is unique in a global setting.

The main points of this podcast include:

What it is like on a broiler chicken farm and the process that chicken farmers go through.

The different programs that farmers must follow, and be audited on, to be licensed to sell broiler chicken in Canada.

The full circle of practices on Tiffany’s family farm, including growing their own feed for chickens, then recycling the manure back onto the fields to grow future crops.