We need your help and other news

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We Need Your Help

and Other News

On June 25th we received an email from our provincial government's food safety devision, which oversees the On Farm Slaughter Operations (OFSO) program. We have held a license under this program since 2022, which allowed us to slaughter animals on our farm, for our customers. Given the lack of options for local abattoirs (slaughter houses) this is a needed program for small farms like us, especially for poultry as there are no local options available. In the email we received we were informed that the program would be severely restricted, limiting licence holders to 5,000 pounds live weight of animals slaughtered, per year. To give some perspective, we will be slaughtering around 15-18,000 pounds of live weight animals this year. And by all accounts we are still a very small farm.

If this change goes unchallenged it will mean we cannot continue to operate as we have and time, labour, and stress on the animals would all increase as a result. We are also hearing from other farms who hold this license that they could simply not continue to operate financially viable business under these new rules and that their customers will not be able to purchase fresh, local meats from them anymore.

Then, this morning (Monday) we received another email which stated that, due to significant pushback from licence holders and the public, the new rules would be paused and surveys would be sent out to licence holders. And while we are encouraged by this development, we have no certainty that the new rules will be repealed or that they would not simply be replaced by another set of newer rules.

This is where you come in. If you can spare a few minutes, would you please help us to keep providing you with quality, fresh local meats, by contacting your local MLA and letting them know that you are concerned about these new rules. For most of you your MLA would be either Ron Wiebe or Nolan Dyck.

Ron Wiebe:

[email protected]

Nolan Dyck:

[email protected]

We also have some additional email addresses you can send letters to.

[email protected]

(Agricultural Minister)

[email protected]

(Alberta Food Safety)

[email protected]

(Chief of Staff to Ag Minister)

[email protected]

(Danielle Smith)

Below is a template you can use for inspiration, or simply copy. Please help us, and many small farms across our province, to keep the ability to provide you and your family with fresh, local, pastured meats.

Thank you!

P.S. If you have any questions or want more info around this topic, please reach out to us. We are happy to tell you more.

Ruth: 780-897-3158

Norwin: 780-897-9462

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Two weeks ago, the Alberta government quietly introduced new restrictions to the On-Farm Slaughter Operation (OFSO) program—limiting farmers to 5,000 lbs live weight per year. For many small-scale producers, this is an unsustainable cap that will severely impact their ability to continue offering local, ethically raised meat to their communities.

This decision was made without legislative debate, public notice or proper consultation with the farmers and consumers it directly affects. Small farms are a vital part of Alberta’s food system, and these limits significantly restrict access to local, pasture-raised meat and reduce consumer choice. It also directly undermines efforts to improve food security, support local economies and provide low-stress, on-farm slaughter options that many Albertans intentionally seek out.

I urge you to consult with affected farmers and their consumers. These new limits disproportionately harm small producers, limit food sovereignty and make it harder for people to access the kind of food they trust and believe in.

This is about more than policy—it’s about protecting local economies, supporting animal welfare and preserving food freedom in Alberta.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further.

Sincerely, [your name]

This year we are trying things a little different with our laying hens. We have been setting their nets up in a long strip and moving the eggmobiles daily within that strip. This seems to be helping to distribute their grazing and scratching a little better.

Lots of Extra Eggs

We have lots of extra eggs! The hens hit their full stride just as everyone went on holidays! So if you like to do lots of baking or would like to try freezing or drying eggs, now would be a great time!

Egg Recipes

Speaking of lots of eggs, I started a facebook post series on all the different ways we use and enjoy eggs. So if you aren't already, feel free to follow along and share your own twists to common recipes!

I plan to make a blog post with all the recipes once I am done.

Facebook

Pastured Chicken

We have room for orders of about 12-14 more chickens for our upcoming batch (Butchered July 17th), if you would like to order a few on short notice.

Chicken Info

The second group of piglets have arrived. 17 of them! And they have some pretty fun colours!

Aug 16 & 17

Open Farm Days is coming up! Sat, Aug 16th we are opening our farm up for tours (more details to come) and Sun, Aug 17th we will be out at Evergreen with samples of our pork!

View Details

Have a sunshiny day everyone!

Norwin & Ruth Willis

Good Food Farm

780-897-3158

[email protected]

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