Earth Day | 2021

EARTH DAY 2021

SATURDAY APRIL 17, 2021 7

Manitoba farmers making huge strides in ‘greening’ the egg industry

A be Loewen, a Manitoba egg farm- er, is reducing the environmental footprint on his family’s farm near Arborg, Manitoba. The Loewens re- cently invested in solar panels to heat and cool the family’s home along with the entire 12,600 laying hen barn on their property. “We enjoy seeing how sunshine can produce energy for our farm,” said Abe. “The solar panels produce 90 per cent of the power required for the farm. The lights, the fans, feeding systems, water and pretty much everything else,” said Abe’s son Dylan Loewen, second generation egg farmer. “We

Regulated egg farmers like Abe Loewen are making huge strides in greening the egg industry. In fact, the environmental footprint of Canada’s egg production supply chain declined by almost 50 per cent between 1962 and 2012, while egg production increased by 50 per cent. In that timeframe, the Canadian egg industry used 81 per cent less land, 41 per cent less energy and 69 per cent less water. The industry produced 61 per cent fewer emissions that contribute to acid rain, 68 per cent fewer emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus and 72 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Laying hens themselves have been doing their part, as their feed efficiency or ability to convert feed into a source of protein is remarkable. On average, for every 1.7 kilogram of feed, a hen produces one kilogram of high- protein eggs.

are saving about $16,000 a year.” The Loewens’ investment has paid off in many ways; the system is working beautifully and is extremely low maintenance. The only requirement so far has been cleaning snow off the panels about half a dozen times throughout the winter. The Loewen family has proven to be early adopters as they were among the first egg farmers in the province to move away from conventional cages to new enriched housing. The enriched environment provides the birds with more space and enables them to express natural behaviours like perching, scratching and laying their eggs in private nesting areas.

The eggs available in Manitoba grocery stores are produced by local egg farmers like the Loewen family of Arborg, Manitoba. Locally produced Eggs

Regulated egg farmers meet high standards in food safety and hen care.