The holiday season is
a time of generosity and giving. To help you celebrate this time of year, we included
a few ideas in this FarmSense issue for your shopping list, your to-do list and
your holiday meal preparations.
Sincerely,
Brandy, Alyssa and Geoff The BC SPCA Farm Animal Welfare Team
PS. You can help spread awareness about the BC SPCA Farm Animal Welfare department and our many programs. Forward this email to friends and colleagues.
For the shopping list…
Looking
for a gift that has value to your taste buds?
Donna and Wes Gilmore
of Painted River Farm (Barnston Island, Surrey, B.C.) are offering
easy-to-use gift certificates for their SPCA Certified beef. Gift certificates
are available for the 30 lb 'River Pack' and the 60 lb 'Island Pack.'
This is a
perfect gift for friends and family! To order a gift certificate, or to place a
bulk beef order for yourself, contact the farm directly or visit their website.
The
perfect stocking stuffer for young animal lovers
Kids ages 13 and
under who love animals are guaranteed to enjoy a yearly membership in the BC SPCA Kids Club. For just $15, kids
receive four issues of Bark! magazine, monthly email
newsletters and posters focusing on farm animals, pets and wildlife. Avoid the
holiday rush and give the gift of membership – a gift that will give all year!
Holiday
giving with heart
The BC SPCA has a lot
of great gift-giving ideas that will warm the hearts of pet lovers and pets
alike.
You can buy something special for every person and paw on your list
without ever leaving your home.
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Annual Christmas on the Farm
When: Saturday, Dec. 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Where: 403 Lowry's Road, Parksville, B.C.
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
(LQC) at Morningstar Farm has been SPCA Certified since 2005. The farm is once
again hosting its ever-popular Christmas event. Come out with family and
friends and enjoy a day with the animals!
This FREE event offers something for
everyone, including milking demonstrations, SPCA Certified cheese snacks, live
Christmas music and hay rides around the farm.
Visitors should park at
Morningstar Golf Course and hop on the wagon for a ride to the farm.
Make sure to stop by the store to choose from an amazing
selection of fruit wines and SPCA Certified cheeses. Gift certificates are also
available.
Edible Vancouver is
an interesting and unique foodie magazine that offers tantalizing recipes,
stories from farmers and hobbyists, introduces new and little known retailers,
and more.
You’re sure to find a few
great holiday recipes to try inside this magazine. Find
your copy here.
Sparks Eggs is the newest SPCA
Certified egg supplier, distributing eggs throughout Alberta. Look for their
eggs under the ‘Farmer’s Finest’ free-range eggs label.
All of Sparks’ SPCA
Certified eggs are produced on a southern Alberta farm. Other SPCA Certified
egg retailers in Alberta can be found on our retailer page.
The
Happy Goat in Duncan, B.C. now raises SPCA Certified chickens
Kirsten Thorarinson
and Cory Spencer have a simple philosophy when it comes to raising broiler chickens:
"plenty of sunshine, plenty of fresh air, and plenty of fresh, green grass."
Chickens at The Happy Goat are raised seasonally in the warmer
spring, summer and fall months so all the birds have a chance to get out to the
pasture to forage and search for insects to eat.
For a farm tour, or to
purchase SPCA Certified chicken, please contact the Happy Goat directly.
SPCA
Certified year-end report
About 700 million
farm animals are raised in Canada each year, and about 100 million of them are
raised in B.C.
In 2012, 1,022,139 million farm animals were raised to SPCA
Certified standards; a 290% increase over last year! That means 1,022,139 million
farm animals have lived a better life than they would have without the program.
SPCA Certified products can be found through numerous retailers, including
mainstream Canadian supermarkets, independent supermarkets, farmers’ markets
and at the farm-gate.
Undercover
investigation reveals disturbing and inhumane treatment of Canadian pigs
Recently the current affairs program, W5, aired an
undercover investigation that took place on a Manitoba pig farm.
The coverage
revealed disturbing and inhumane treatment of pigs, some of which is commonly
accepted on Canadian farms. If you missed the show, you can still watch it online.
Do you have concerns about the treatment of farm
animals?
Click here to learn about how the BC SPCA is changing farm animal
welfare for the better through our SPCA Certified humane
food labeling program and our work on revising the Canadian Codes of
Practice.
Also, learn how you can help!
Public comment phase
for Canada’s Equine Code of Practice now underway
Canada’s Equine Code
of Practice is currently under revision. The BC SPCA is representing the
Canadian humane movement at the Code table, and is helping bring concerns about
current farming practices to light to encourage change.
Do you want to be part
of the process? Well now’s your opportunity! You can provide your feedback on
the draft Equine
Codes of Practice (horses, donkeys, mules) online by visiting
the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) website between December 3, 2012
and February 14, 2013.
Since publication of
the revised Dairy Code of Practice in 2009, the National Farm Animal Care
Council has been the Canadian body overseeing the revision process for all farm
animal Codes, and has undertaken revision of eight other Codes of Practice. Learn more…
FarmSense includes news about farm animal welfare issues, research results, and information on the BC SPCA's activities that help farm animals in B.C. We welcome your comments and suggestions on FarmSense content. Please feel free to email us or call 604-681-7271 (or 1-800-665-1868 outside the Lower Mainland).
View or download (.pdf) previous issues of FarmSense on our website at spca.bc.ca/farmsense.
The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in British Columbia. The Society provides a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
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The BC SPCA has a lot
of great gift-giving ideas that will warm the hearts of pet lovers and pets
alike.
When: Saturday, Dec. 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
It's easy to support SPCA Certified farmers and enjoy your favourite holiday
foods at the same time! 
Kirsten Thorarinson
and Cory Spencer have a simple philosophy when it comes to raising broiler chickens:
"plenty of sunshine, plenty of fresh air, and plenty of fresh, green grass."
During
the winter holiday season pet caregivers need to know the hazards that could
cause problems for their animals. 
Recently the current affairs program, W5, aired an
undercover investigation that took place on a Manitoba pig farm. 
Canada’s Equine Code
of Practice is currently under revision. The BC SPCA is representing the
Canadian humane movement at the Code table, and is helping bring concerns about
current farming practices to light to encourage change. 
