Online story of egg farmer missing key details: EFA

By Lethbridge Herald on May 1, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Egg Farmers of Alberta is setting the record straight about a claim regarding a southern Alberta farmer being “arrested for selling eggs outside of quota system.”

What started as a social media post done by Lindsay Van Essen, daughter of Hank Van Essen, about her father being arrested “because of chickens and because of eggs,” and “more specifically because the Egg Farmers of Alberta don’t like that he can sell inspected eggs to people without paying millions into their quota system,” sparked anger among Albertans who were under the impression that Van Essen was being “targeted” by the EFA for selling eggs. 

David Webb, manager of public affairs with Egg Farmers of Alberta, says the claim that the EFA had a farmer arrested is simply not true. 

“With regards to Sundial Poultry, the recent arrest was not related to egg production,” says Webb. “The farmer in question, who is the owner of Sundial Poultry, was arrested by RCMP under a warrant for his arrest issued by the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta.”

The warrant was in conjunction with an Order to Appear, because Hank Van Essen was found in civil contempt of court, for refusing to comply with multiple court orders and to appear in court as ordered. 

“There was nothing in the arrest warrant related to egg production. It was 100 per cent related to his repeated dismissal of the court orders and not appearing in court,” says Webb. 

He adds that in Alberta the EFA has more than 170 registered egg farming families and Hutterite colonies who operate under a system called supply management, where quota is required to produce commercially.

He explains that in Alberta, a small-scale unregulated producer can raise up to 300 laying hens without requiring quota and those eggs can be sold directly from their farm or at farmer’s markets. 

There are hundreds of small-scale farms across the province that operate within the 300-hen limit without any issues and the EFA is supportive of those farmers. 

But for eggs that do not go through a grading process, the farmers selling them are required by provincial law to mark them as “uninspected,” in large black capital letters. 

“That tells you that those eggs have not been through a CFIA certified grading station,” says Webb. 

Egg producers that are part of the EFA also have specific programs and standards they must adhere to. 

“In Canada we have a national on-farm food safety program called ‘Start clean and stay clean,’ to make sure that every egg produced is fresh, safe and healthy,” says Webb. 

He adds that they also have a mandatory national on-farm animal care and welfare program that includes not only inspections from egg industry representatives, but also third-party audits. 

“If you want to make sure you are buying an egg that follows all these programs and has been to a certified grader, look for the EQA (Egg Quality Assurance) logo on the carton,” says Webb. 

He adds that the logo includes a maple leaf, which also guarantees the eggs are Canadian.