The project’s lead researcher is so excited she’s putting off retirement.

“I want the first experiment in a system like this. This is so exciting,” Karen Schwean-Lardner said in a University of Saskatchewan news release.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation announced $6.2 million in funding to build a state-of-the-art poultry laying facility at the University. The foundation is a federal government-created non-profit set up in 1997 to fund research infrastructure in Canada.

WHY IT MATTERS: The proposed facility will allow researchers to improve poultry barn lighting, housing and food systems for better animal welfare and egg production.

The Saskatchewan Egg Producers contributed $3 million while the university’s agriculture and bioresource department added $1 million.

“This will move us so far forward in poultry research,” said Schwean-Lardner in the release. Schwean-Lardner is a professor in the university’s department of animal and poultry science.

The nearly 24,000-square-foot facility is set to include three types of hen housing: enriched, free run and free-range. Ten individual housing rooms will have controls for lighting, temperature and other environmental factors.

“Each one is like a little mini-barn,” Schwean-Larder told media.

“Big data is getting more attention these days. We have a lot of data that can be gathered over time, and this unit is going to allow us to manage that data and collect it over a long period of time,” assistant professor Deborah Adewole said. “There are going to be a lot of new things that we can do for poultry research.”

The facility will also include viewing rooms so public groups — for example, schoolchildren — can see the chickens and housing systems while reducing biosecurity risks.

“We can control the environment. Right now, we cannot do that in the same way,” said Adewole. “This facility is one of its kind in Canada. There are other universities that have built new facilities, but this one is encompassing all systems and has space for public viewing systems as well — which is a first in Canada.”

Schwean-Larder said her first experiment would look at the effects of light on the hens and will involve researchers from the U.S.

“To be able to do that kind of research with an international perspective, I can’t stand it. I’m losing my voice because I’m excited.”

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Party leader Yves-Francois Blanchet introduced Bill C-202 May 29, and on June 5 it was sent to the Senate without any debate. It follows Bill C-282 in the last Parliament and C-216 in the one before that. Neither of those bills made it fully through the parliamentary process.

The bill would amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to protect supply managed industries in future trade negotiations. Exporters don’t like that idea, while supply management proponents say they’ve given up enough.

Blanchet said he promised during the campaign to introduce the bill because it is important to Quebec’s economy and reminded MPs that all political parties say they support supply management.

“Once again, I note that all of the political parties in the House have indicated that they will support this initiative. I therefore hope that we can move forward quickly with the support of all members,” he said when introducing the bill.

He said the amendment deserved urgent attention.

The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance urged the Commons and the Senate to reject it.

“As with previous iterations of this bill, C-202 would undermine Canada’s agri-food sector, damage our trade relationships and harm the thousands of farmers, ranchers, processors and agri-food exporters who rely on open access to global markets to make a living,” said president Greg Northey in a news release.

CAFTA said the bill would have implications for all sectors of the economy, not just agriculture, and that sectoral carveouts in trade negotiations would put objectives at risk at a time when Canada should be more ambitious.

The organization urged MPs to not bypass parliamentary procedure and send it directly to the Senate, but they did.

The debate over supply management also continues outside of politics.

University of Saskatchewan agricultural economics professor professor Stuart Smyth called for the system to be phased out “for the greater good of the country.”

In a June 3 commentary for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Smyth said that would lower the cost of dairy and poultry products for consumers. He called supply management “an outdated, flawed and costly system” and an anti-competitive production model.

Dairy Farmers of Canada begged to differ.

For one thing, farmers don’t set retail prices, the organization said after reviewing the commentary.

“The prices of supply managed products have remained stable and generally in line or below inflationary trends in Canada,” it said in an emailed statement.

“In 2024, the average retail price of milk was almost equal to that of the United States at $1.64 per litre in Canada versus $1.44 per litre in the U.S.”

At the same time, the average prices of yogurt, natural cheese blocks and butter were similar or lower.

DFC said American and other dairy systems receive direct financial production subsidies, which means consumers pay twice — through taxes and at the store.

Smyth said farms would be larger and more efficient without the supply managed system. DFC said Canadian dairies are smaller than those in the U.S. but that doesn’t make them inefficient.

Smyth said the new government should phase out supply management by removing 10 percentage points of total quota each year for the next 10 years. He also said the government should reduce tariffs by the same amount in the same time frame to encourage competition.

“Allowing new and existing producers to increase production based on free market signals will greatly reduce the waste and inefficiencies that have long existed in supply management production systems, such as the practice of dumping excess milk,” Smyth wrote.

DFC has disputed a study earlier this year that estimated Canadian dairy farms dumped 6.8 billion litres of milk between 2012 and 2024.

Smyth also argued that dairy production could and should move to the Prairies because herds are already twice as large as the average Quebec herd and water is plentiful.

“Canadian dairy consumers are paying higher prices to subsidize small, inefficient Quebec dairies, while other dairies across Canada are dumping milk as they do not have enough quota to sell the full volume of milk they produce,” he said.

Smyth suggested four policies government could enact:

• Quota licences should be available nationally, rather than provincially.

• There should be a time-limited guarantee backstop for younger farmers who have used their quota as collateral.

• Financial institutions recognize the value of quota licences while the system is dismantled and not demand immediate repayment.

• The government should also provide a 10-year guarantee to farmers who demonstrate economic efficiencies and increase operating equity, thereby reducing their financial risk, before the system is officially dismantled.

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For more than 50 years, Canada’s supply management system has delivered something remarkable: a reliable supply of high-quality, nutritious food produced by Canadian farmers for Canadian families. That’s not just good policy—it’s good for people. At a time of much uncertainty, it is more important now than ever to have the right systems in place to ensure Canada’s ability to feed itself today and into the future.

Every day, over 1,200 Canadian egg farmers and farm families produce fresh, local eggs from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia and everywhere in between. Together, our industry supports over 18,500 jobs across the country and contributes $1.3 billion to Canada’s GDP annually. These aren’t abstract numbers—they’re families, businesses, and rural communities that witness firsthand the benefits of supply management.

What makes this food system so unique is its made-in-Canada logic. Supply management empowers egg farmers to match production with demand, which in turn provides predictability for farmers, food processors, and consumers. That’s the kind of smart, self-sufficient model Canadians rely on. It’s a system that focuses on coordination, collaboration, and a deep respect for the food we produce, the people who produce it, and the Canadians who enjoy it.

As we have seen in recent years, supply management has helped Canada remain resilient, and it will continue to ensure we have strong domestic food supply chains even in the face of external market shocks and supply chain challenges. That’s not just an economic advantage—it’s a national security asset. In fact, with the ongoing geopolitical tensions, over 90 per cent of Canadians are convinced of the need to maintain Canada’s supply management system.

Throughout the campaign, we have been hearing a lot about affordability, jobs, local businesses and building an efficient, green economy. The good news is that supply management already delivers on many of these priorities, and its continued success depends on ongoing political leadership. Leadership that values strong domestic food production in a rapidly shifting global economy and recognizes that Canadians want domestic food self-sufficiency. This is why we are encouraging candidates from all political stripes to stand strong with our farmers and defend supply management as the essential pillar of Canada’s food system it is.

Canadians want to know that when they go to the grocery store, the eggs they buy are fresh, local and produced with care. They want policies that support the farmers who live in their communities and contribute to their economies. They want the made-in-Canada food they trust.

Supply management isn’t just a model for agriculture—it’s a model for the kind of Canada we want to live in. Canada’s egg farmers are looking to our leaders to show their strong support for this fundamental system that delivers stability and self-sufficiency to our food system.

— Roger Pelissero is a third-generation egg farmer and Chair of Egg Farmers of Canada

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The fee is temporary, the company said in a statement Tuesday, and is a response to a “dramatic increase in egg prices” caused by bird flu outbreaks.

“While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” the statement read.

The privately-held chain is known for its low prices. A standard American breakfast with two eggs is sold for $7.75 in Norcross, Georgia, where the company is headquartered. That meal is now $1 more expensive.

The price of U.S. wholesale eggs hit an all-time high in December, according to commodity data firm Expana, with a dozen eggs going for $5.57 in the Midwest and $8.85 in California.

The main factor driving egg prices higher is damage to the laying flock from bird flu. The virus wiped out more than 20 million chickens in the U.S. last quarter, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows, the highest toll since the beginning of the outbreak in 2022.

The chain said it has 2,100 locations across the United States. Its website says it serves 272 million eggs every year.

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The Canadian sector produced 903 million dozen eggs in that time period, the largest 12-month tally on record according to an FCC article written by senior economist Graeme Crosbie.

Production costs in that sector have eased this year but remain historically high, he added.

The U.S. has also already filled its quota of tariff-free imports of eggs and egg products to Canada.

“Put another way, there will be no further tariff-free imports of egg and egg products from the U.S. and Mexico for the remainder of 2024,” Crosbie wrote.

Turkey production may be turning a corner after a stretch of low demand and production, Crosbie said.

Last year was the first since 2016 to see an increase in production—6.1 per cent. It was also the first time in nearly a decade that per capital consumption of turkey increased.

In 2024, inventories of frozen turkeys are trending close to monthly maximum levels seen over the past five years, though production had fallen every year from 2016 to 2022.

Turkey prices increased between 2021 and early 2023 before falling slightly in the latter half of the year. This year, prices have declined to be even more and are forecast to be slightly lower to finish the year before stabilizing in the first half of 2025, Crosbie said.

Overall, “Lower food inflation should support demand for poultry products, and the long-term fundamentals for the sector are sound,” he wrote.

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U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras in Chicago ruled on Tuesday that reasonable consumers would not agree with the plaintiff Adam Sorkin that “farm fresh” necessarily meant hens “living on farms, with open green space, grass, hay and straw.”

Sorkin said he paid a premium price for “farm fresh” eggs under the Roundy’s label at Mariano’s Fresh Market stores—Kroger owns both brands—in the Chicago area, and would have paid less or not bought them had he known their origins.

But in dismissing the proposed class action, Kocoras distinguished “farm fresh” from descriptors such as “cage-free,” “free-range” and “pasture-raised” that actually describe the living conditions of hens.

“The court agrees with Kroger that no reasonable consumer would plausibly spin free-roaming hens on a grassy, open field from the term ‘farm fresh,'” Kocoras wrote.

“‘Farm Fresh Eggs’ means precisely what it says: the eggs are fresh from a farm,” he added. “It is about origin and timing, nothing more.”

Lawyers for Sorkin did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Kroger and its lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.

Sorkin sued last October, eight months after the nonprofit advocacy group Data for Progress released a report, “Cracking Down on Kroger,” calling for increased transparency about where Kroger’s eggs come from.

The report included a survey of 646 Kroger customers, where 41 per cent said they thought “farm fresh” meant cage-free, 14 per cent said it meant cages were used, and 45 per cent didn’t know.

The case is Sorkin v Kroger Co, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 23-14916.

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From a menu planning perspective, brunch’s straddling of two early-ish meals eliminates the traditional large roast or haunch or loin or leg of pork or venison or beef or lamb sometimes served as a centrepiece at dinners and suppers. I can’t recall when I last roasted a big chunk of beef, given that our table routinely seats two for meals, and I love my vegetables and beans. I have gravitated instead toward using meats as flavour agents, small but mighty bites to enhance other stars. In place of a roast, I wondered, did I want to serve breakfast? Maybe poach eggs on greens and ham, maybe make a nice béarnaise sauce? Roast some potatoes and sausages? But the one seemed too fussy and last-minute, and the other seemed too workaday. So, I roasted my smokehouse ham a few days early, cut off a bit toward brunch and shared the rest with my family, made pastry in advance with extra for the freezer, and settled on quiche. A daily quiche had occupied a regular spot on my restaurant’s menu back in the day in Calgary, but Dave couldn’t remember me ever making it at home.

The history of quiche is a bit complicated. It originated in the French-German border district known as Lorraine, a hilly and politically important region that changed hands with every European war over the centuries. The local food and culture reflect this dichotomy. Just within the last century or so, the region was claimed by Germany, restored to France at the end of the First World War, occupied again by the German army during the Second World War, and eventually reverted to France.

Quiche is believed to have originated during the Germanic sphere of influence; the word derives from the German word kuchen, or cake. The dish likely began with a 16th-century baker in the district’s capital city of Nancy. He used bread dough as a casing for an egg-and-cream custard seasoned with sauteed smoked bacon, a regional specialty. Sauteed onions eventually were added, as was grated cheese — specifically, flavourful high-mountain cows’-milk cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal or Comté.

Over time, quiche’s reputation diminished as cooks took to using flavourless ingredients in insufficient amounts to withstand the rich custard, and it became a dish scorned by “real men.”

Well, the fact is that smoky ham or bacon, cheese with character, half an onion sauteed with garlic, and farm eggs with good whipping cream and milk create a delicious complexity that belies the dish’s few ingredients — a veritable wall of flavours lightly secured by a tender mortar of custard. First we eat, then we debate the merits of German and French influences in Lorraine.

Quiche au saison

Flavour this to follow the seasons: sauteed asparagus in spring, wilted greens in winter, roasted peppers in fall, gardener’s choice in high summer. In any case, smoked ham or bacon adds the backbone necessary to stand up to the rich custard. This dish can be elaborated by using puff pastry, but pie pastry is perfect. Substituting lower-fat milk or cream adversely affects the texture as well as flavour, so use the full-fat stuff this time.

Serves 4-6.

• 1 recipe pie pastry
• 1 c. diced ham or smoked bacon
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, lard, butter or bacon fat
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ onion, finely diced
• ½ c. minced asparagus or other seasonal vegetable
• 1 c. grated Emmenthal or Gruyère cheese
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 2 whole large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 c. whipping cream
• 1 c. whole milk
• kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Line one 8-9” pie plate or fluted tart pan with parchment. Roll out pastry and fit it into pan, fitting it closely into angles without stretching it. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Dock pastry (prick it in several places with a fork’s tines or the tip of a knife) and place foil or parchment directly on the pastry, including the sides and edges, then add a layer of baking weights. Blind bake for about 30-35 minutes, until golden and baked through on the bottom. Remove foil or paper and baking weights.

Meanwhile, sauté bacon until crisp and set it aside. If using ham, set it aside. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add onion, season generously, cover, reduce heat, and sweat until tender without much browning. Add asparagus and sauté until brightly coloured and tender.

To assemble, layer onion and vegetable mixture with ham or bacon in the pastry, then top with cheese and parsley. Whisk eggs, cream and milk until homogeneous. Season generously. Pour into the filled pastry.

Place quiche on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Cool slightly before serving.

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The egg’s reputation was loaded in the negative cooking column for years as well, when it was considered unhealthy because of fat and cholesterol content, despite high protein and vitamin content. But opinions change as research evolves. According to the Mayo Clinic, a leading academic medical centre in Minnesota, the cholesterol contained in an egg doesn’t seem to negatively affect heart health. The clinic’s current consumption recommendation is up to seven eggs per week for healthy adults. So I eat eggs joyfully.

When I asked my mom about her favourite egg dish, she immediately said, “Omelet.” Dave, my husband, said, “Sunny side up.” But then he elaborated: “With crisp bacon, real hash browns — you know, the grated ones — and sourdough or rye toast.” Those two mostly eat eggs in the morning, but back in my years as a working chef, scrambled eggs or an omelet was my go-to meal when I got home late at night following a catering gig or an evening shift at my restaurant, or after I’d taught a class.

Dave has offered a few times to make scrambled eggs for me, but the texture of eggs is a personal thing. His soft scrambles don’t suit me, just as poached eggs don’t suit Mom. Fortunately, the egg is forgiving.

If you want to watch a master make an omelet, check out Jacques Pépin. He’s one of the early adopters of TV as a teaching medium. I met him in Calgary in 1986, when I was working as an assistant to visiting chefs at a local cooking school. Jacques was on tour for his latest book. Beyond being a master culinary technician and author of many books including La Methode and La Technique, he fits the “charming French man” model to the eyebrow. Oh my goodness, I love him. His inscription in my well-thumbed copy of A French Chef Cooks at Home reads, “Thanks so much! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

Of course he could have. He’s a superman. His TV career started in 1982 with PBS. Before that he’d been Charles de Gaulle’s personal chef, was a high-end New York restaurant chef, turned down a White House offer to cook for John F. Kennedy, updated the menus at Howard Johnson’s restaurant chain, and survived a bad car accident that ended his restaurant career. He went on to make TV cooking shows with Julia Child and later with daughter Claudine and granddaughter Shorey. He’s 88 now, still painting and writing books. On Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, he’s unflappable as he makes a French omelet: while whisking, stirring and folding, he instructs Jimmy and the show’s drummer, Questlove, how to do it. But they simply can’t keep up with the master. His omelet is perfect, of course.

Eggs are stars (eggs benny, soufflés) or supporting actors cast for their foaming ability, binding and thickening properties, or emulsifying properties. They’re in pudding and custard (anglaise, quiche, bread pudding, crème caramel), foam (pavlova, sabayon, flourless nut torte, genoise, angel food, chiffon cake), batter (cake, muffin, pancake) and dough (cookie, cinnamon roll), emulsified sauce (mayo, hollandaise, bearnaise), crumb crust (fried trout, lamb rack, chicken piccata), mousse (chocolate, vegetable), a clarifying raft (consommé), and glaze (tart shell, sweet bread, bun). I can’t think of any other ingredients as versatile — or as good at any time of day or night. So first we eat, then we whisk up some egg-assisted pleasures.

Potato tortilla (Spanish omelet)

My favourite omelet is the classic breakfast in Spain, served at ambient temperature in wedges with slices of jamon on the side, but it’s also a regular sight at tapas bars. Years ago, I ate this definitive version at Casa Pons, an olive oil consortium in Catalonia, Spain. The secret: use a lot of thinly sliced potatoes so the omelet is between 2 – 2 ½ inches thick. Leftovers are great the next day.

Serves 16 in tapas, 8 for breakfast.

• olive oil for the pan
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ½ lbs. (1 kg) potatoes
• a sprinkle of Spanish paprika
• salt and black pepper
• 5 eggs

Heat a generous amount of oil in a well-seasoned cast iron pan and fry onion and garlic over medium-high heat without burning. Finely slice potatoes and add to the pan, seasoning to taste. Fry, covered, over low heat until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently.

Beat eggs thoroughly and add to the pan. Cover and cook over low heat. After about 15 minutes, loosen omelet’s edges, cover with a flat tray or plate, and flip over. Return inverted omelet to pan. Cook another 5-10 minutes. Serve in wedges.

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Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Ingleside, Ont., at the Lactalis Canada cheese plant to make the Feb. 5 announcement. The projects are through the six-year, $397.5-million Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, which is part of Ottawa’s commitment to help sectors that lost market share due to trade agreements.

The funding is available to dairy, egg and poultry processors to buy and install automated equipment and technology so they can boost capacity and be more productive. Examples include milk pasteurizers, ultrafiltration systems, robotics for packaging systems and new machines to grade, set and break eggs. The projects also address environmental challenges and labour shortages.

Lactalis will receive more than $3.4 million for automated cheese processing and packaging equipment. The government said the upgrades will help modernize the plant, reduce waste and improve productivity and the company has already invested $11 million in the project.

The fund provides non-repayable investments that support up to 50 percent of eligible project costs for small and medium-sized processors and up to 25 percent for large companies with 500 employees or more.

While much of the investment is in the East where supply managed industries are more common, several western Canadian companies are also receiving money.

In Alberta, Crystal Springs Cheese at Coal Hurst will get $544,100 to install a two-phase milk ultrafiltration system. Jenner Colony Farming Co. in Jenner will get $43,600 to upgrade its refrigeration system and install new processing equipment in its poultry operation.

Sun works Farm at Armenia will automate poultry slaughtering, cutting and deboning with a $160,000 investment, and Tiras Dairies from Camrose will get $121,900 for an automated yogurt line.

Several large investments in British Columbia of $5 million each will see Golden Valley Foods in Abbotsford install a fully automatic egg grading system, Punjab Milk Foods in Surrey install an automated state-of-the-art processing line for its paneer cheese and Vitalus Nutrition of Abbotsford put in an automated powder handling and packaging system in its dairy processing facility.

Ridgecrest Dairies at Mission will use its $227,600 to install a walk-in cooler extension and new automated processing equipment such as a cheese press, cutter and vacuum packaging, while Rossdown Natural Foods at Abbotsford will get $1.5 million for automated poultry processing equipment.

In Saskatchewan, Star Egg in Saskatoon is set to receive $5 million to modernize and automate packaging and install new equipment for in-house egg processing.

Processor associations welcomed the announcements.

Mathieu Frigon, president of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, said the fund is valuable because it leverages increased investments.

Similarly, Mark Hubert, president of the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, said numerous processors have been able to make important investments.

“New investments in equipment and technology will facilitate companies’ efforts to increase productivity and efficiency and enable Canadian poultry and egg processors to undertake valuable and leading-edge modernization projects,” he said.

MacAulay said he will always stand up for Canada’s supply management system.

“With this funding, dairy, poultry and egg processors will be able to modernize their operations so they can continue providing Canadians families with high-quality products while supporting small, rural communities across the country,” he said in a news release.

—Karen Briere writes for the Western Producer from Saskatchewan.

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The ban, which aims to protect the health of the Philippines’ poultry population, covers imports of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry meat and eggs, the ministry said in a statement.

All shipments coming from California and Ohio that are already in transit, loaded, or accepted at Philippine ports before Jan. 15 will be allowed entry if they were slaughtered two weeks before the outbreak began, it added.

In 2023, the Philippines imported 166,356 tonnes of poultry products worth $175.8 million from the United States, which is the second-largest supplier to the Southeast Asian nation accounting for 40% of arrivals, government data showed.

Earlier this month, the Philippines halted imports of poultry products from Belgium and France, also because of a bird flu outbreak.

Bird flu is carried by migrating wild birds and can then be transmitted between farms. It has ravaged flocks around the world in recent years, disrupting supply and pushing up food prices.

–Reporting for Reuters by Neil Jerome Morales.

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