WINGHAM, ONT. -- In this time of need, Ontario egg farmers are stepping up to help.
Gray Ridge Egg Farms, with headquarters in Strathroy, are donating 108,000 eggs or 600 boxes of eggs to communities stretching from St. Marys to Niagara Falls.
Gray Ridge is giving the eggs to 12 Ontario egg farmers to distribute in their communities.
“We felt working with the local producers to approach the communities here in Ontario to do the donating was the wise thing to do," says Mike Walsh, president of Gray Ridge Egg Farms.
"They know the need in their own backyard."
Listowel-area egg producer Tonya Haverkamp is one of the producers given the task of sharing free eggs with her neighbours in need.
“It makes my heart full knowing that we’re going to be helping people in need during this difficult time,” she says.
The donation comes at a time when egg demand and supply aren’t meeting up in Ontario.
With so few restaurants open and some grocery stores limiting quantities of eggs to purchase, there’s an abundance of eggs available in the province.
Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece is helping to deliver eggs to food banks in the community.
“They have an abundance of eggs they can’t get rid of. These eggs normally go to the restaurant market, and we know what’s happened to restaurants in Ontario," Pettapiece says. "Giving them away to food banks is a terrific idea.”
Haverkamp adds it’s not just egg farmers helping out.
She says Ontario Pork Producers recently donated 100,000 pounds of fresh pork to food banks, and Dairy Farmers of Ontario just gave Feed Ontario $100,000 to help buy milk for families in need.
