Perspectives: Happy National Chicken Month

Did you know that September is National Chicken Month? Each year, Chicken Farmers of Canada has celebrated chicken farming throughout the whole month of September and this year we are as excited as ever.

What is National Chicken Month?
It is a time to celebrate chicken farmers from coast-to-coast – they work hard to provide Canadians with fresh, high-quality chicken on a daily basis. Not only that, but we celebrate the benefits chicken farming brings to Canada, whether it’s economic contributions, a safe and steady food supply or even how nutritious and delicious chicken is.

National Chicken Month is also a time to talk about the care our farmers take when it comes to raising their birds. Our farmers all follow the mandatory Raised by a Canadian Farmer  programs – they set out regulations and guidelines for the care and handling of the birds our farmers raise. Each program has strict guidelines that are audited on a regular basis.

The  Raised by a Canadian Farmer logo provides additional assurance that the chicken Canadians buy is safe, fresh, of high quality and was raised by caring hands.

Why National Chicken Month so important?
As the years go by, we’ve noticed a disconnect between consumers and their knowledge of where their food comes from. In fact, 84 per cent of Canadians purchase fresh chicken, yet most of them do not understand how the chicken gets to their local retailer.

This is why National Chicken Month is so important; it gives us the platform to tell the story behind Canadian chicken farming, and debunk myths surrounding our industry. For example, 43 per cent of Canadian consumers believe that chickens are raised without hormones or steroids, when in fact hormones and steroids have not been used in Canadian chicken production for more than 50 years. By continuing to deliver our messages through fun activities and contests, we are able to reach Canadian consumers and help them understand how their chicken went from gate to plate.

So, what do we do to celebrate these hardworking farmers? Chicken Farmers of Canada is proud to put on and promote various activities throughout the month in order to get people talking about everything chicken. In past years, we have had activities such as a Twitter Party, a National Recipe Contest, a Farmer Selfie contest, and even a Pool Peeps colouring contest – which brings everyone together.

Our farmers’ personal favourite is our annual Cook Off videos called Chef D’Oeuvres, which is created in partnership with Swimming Canada. This head-to-head cooking competition takes farmers out of the barn and into the kitchen to compete against National Canadian swimmers. This year we have farmers Catherine and Tatyana Keet go up against Olympians Martha McCabe and Savannah King as well as farmer brothers Félix and Anthony Morin battling Olympian Charles Francis and Paralympian Camille Bérubé. These fun videos will be posted throughout the month, with Canadians voting on social media as to which recipe reigns supreme. Missed any of the previous videos? Make sure to check out our YouTube channel to see them all.

How can you take part in this year’s National Chicken Month?
Simple – head over to our website chickenfarmers.ca to see what we have in store. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for prize and loads of fun. We promise you this year’s National Chicken Month will be the best one yet!

Aline Porrior is the public relations officer at Chicken Farmers of Canada, which represents the 2,800 chicken farmers from coast-to-coast.