Frequently Asked Questions

Proudly, yes. All of our products are certified organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd, one of North America’s foremost independent organic verification organizations. To ensure our products meet the highest organic standards, we certify every step of the organic chain, from the land that supports our animals and grains, to the farmers raising our animals, to the processing and handling facilities preparing our products. Detailed records are kept to validate that every product that reaches your table is genuinely organic.

The organic system is the purest way to minimize chemicals in our food, promote a healthy environment and ensure high standards of animal welfare. You may see terms like humanely raised, all natural, antibiotic-free or free-range. These are not to be confused with organic. Only foods that are grown, processed and inspected to strict organic standards can be labeled organic.

All of our products are soy-free. You can read the full list of ingredients on our Products page.

A note for those with food allergies: The federally-inspected facilities where we produce our products have allergen control programs in place, but it’s important to note that these are not allergen-free facilities. That’s because the facilities also produce non-Yorkshire Valley Farms products which may contain sesame seeds (and derivatives), dairy products (i.e. milk, lactose, caseinates, whey), eggs, fish, shellfish, soy products, wheat, sulphites.

All of our fresh products are wheat-free (gluten-free), as are our bulk frozen products. However, our frozen breaded chicken bites, breaded fillets, chicken pot pie, and turkey pie do contain wheat-based ingredients. You can view the full list of ingredients for each item on our Products page.

A note for those with food allergies: The federally-inspected facilities where we produce our products have allergen control programs in place, but it’s important to note that these are not allergen-free facilities. That’s because the facilities also produce non-Yorkshire Valley Farms products which may contain sesame seeds (and derivatives), dairy products (i.e. milk, lactose, caseinates, whey), eggs, fish, shellfish, soy products, wheat, sulphites.

All of our products are dairy free, with the exception of our frozen chicken pot pie (both family-size and small). You can view the full list of ingredients for our chicken pot pies on our Products page.

A note for those with food allergies: The federally-inspected facilities where we produce our products have allergen control programs in place, but it’s important to note that these are not allergen-free facilities. That’s because the facilities also produce non-Yorkshire Valley Farms products which may contain sesame seeds (and derivatives), dairy products (i.e. milk, lactose, caseinates, whey), eggs, fish, shellfish, soy products, wheat, sulphites.

Our frozen bulk products are flash frozen, also called individually quick frozen (IQF). Based on feedback received over time, we introduced a seasoned version of our frozen chicken breasts to help retain moisture. The seasoned breasts are lightly brined with salt and water, and then dusted with cornstarch to help prevent sticking during the freezing process. We recognize that some people prefer a plain breast and others prefer the seasoned, which is why we offer both options. Check with your local retailer to see which products they carry.

Our fresh organic chicken turkey products are available through a variety of retail partners in Ontario. Many of our frozen products are available nationally. To find a retailer near you, visit our Where to Buy page.

All of our poultry farms are located in Ontario. We work with a close-knit group of organic farmers to raise our chickens and turkeys. Our two main chicken farms are in the Peterborough area, and our main turkey farm is near Stratford. All of our farms are family owned and operated.

At this time we are not able to offer an open invitation for people to visit our farms. Because we never treat our animals with antibiotics, it is especially important for us to maintain high sanitation standards within the barn. Preserving a clean environment for our chickens is very important to us, and to the health of the chickens. Learn more about our farmers.

Our organic farms are bustling with activity! Raising organic chickens and turkeys is our main focus. To support our poultry flocks, we also manage over 3,000 acres of organic crops, which go into our organic, non-GMO, all grain feed. Outside of their role as poultry growers for Yorkshire Valley Farms, some of our farmers produce other organic products like maple syrup, or they raise other livestock like beef and lamb.

Through years of trial, we have developed a proprietary all-grain organic feed mix that we think produces the tastiest chicken. Our chickens enjoy a non-GMO grain diet of corn, soy, wheat. We never add antibiotics or animal by-products to our feed. Our chickens also have constant access to water that has been pH-balanced to better suit their digestive systems.

No. All of our corn, soy and wheat grains are non-GMO. This means our feed may cost a little more, but we think it’s well worth it.

No. We never add animal by-products to our feed. Our chickens enjoy an all-grain organic diet made up of corn, soy, and wheat.

No. The crops that grow our feed are never treated with chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides. We follow the highest standards of organic crop management for our grains.

Our animals enjoy a non-GMO, all-grain diet made up of corn, soy and wheat. If you have an allergy to one of these grains, it is very difficult for us to determine how the animal’s diet may or may not affect your food allergy. At this time, we are not aware of any definitive science on the topic of animal feed and food allergies. If you have a severe food allergy, we encourage you to speak with your doctor to help guide you for your specific dietary needs.

No. Like all poultry in Canada, our animals are never given hormones.

No. We never give our animals antibiotics. Our organic practices reduce bird stress and encourage the animals’ own immune systems to keep them healthy.

Yes. Our barns are equipped with natural ventilation systems that allow fresh air to circulate through the barn. All of our barns have windows, allowing natural light in. We do not use artificial light to over-stimulate our animals. The birds also have seasonal access to organically managed outdoor pastureland, weather permitting.

Organic practices mandate double the barn space of conventional poultry standards. The animals have room to roam within the barn and are able to display natural behaviours like spreading their wings and dust bathing. The chickens are never kept in cages or forcibly confined within the barn. The animals also have seasonal access to organically managed outdoor pastureland, weather permitting.

Yes. All our barns allow for seasonal access to outdoor pastureland that is also managed organically, which means we never treat it with chemicals, herbicides or pesticides. Once the animals reach a certain age and size, they have the option to go outdoors. The varied climate of Ontario can be a challenge for our animals, so our farmers take into consideration temperature and weather, as well as how to manage potential predators. Our farmers are always conscientious of maintaining optimal animal health and providing a safe environment.

In all of our animal handling practices, including during transportation and processing, we work to minimize stress, injury or suffering. We follow organic practices, which require that livestock shall be managed responsibly, with care and consideration. During transportation, we work to maintain a safe and temperate environment, ensuring the animals have shelter against inclement weather, such as wind, rain and excessive heat or cold. As well, we strive to keep the duration of transportation as short as possible.

The animals are processed in a federally inspected facility, following practices established to ensure humane treatment. Our chickens are always air-chilled, ensuring no additional water is added during the chilling process. To create the various cuts of chicken that we offer, we hand-cut to provide greater flexibility and variety. Our chicken products are then packaged and transported to stores.

Keep poultry refrigerated or frozen. The safest way to defrost poultry is to keep the meat chilled until you are ready to cook. Place chicken on a tray in the refrigerator and allow to defrost overnight. As turkeys are much larger than chickens, you will need to allow more time to defrost. We suggest approximately 5 hours per pound of turkey.

When preparing, keep raw poultry separate from other foods. It is important to wash working surfaces (including cutting boards, utensils, and hands) after touching raw poultry.

We do not recommend washing raw poultry, as this can increase the risk of cross-contaminating sinks, towels, and other work surfaces. If you wish to remove moisture on the surface of the poultry, you can simply pat it dry with a paper towel. Be sure to safely discard the paper towel right after use.

The best way to ensure your chicken is safe to eat is to cook it thoroughly. If cooking whole, a meat thermometer inserted in the inner thigh should read 185ºF (85ºC). If cooking individual cuts, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read 165ºF (74ºC).

Because our chickens are raised on an organic, all-grain diet made up of corn, soy and wheat, their diet has higher levels and more complete blends of amino acids than non-organic feeds. You may find that YVF organic chicken may have a slightly stronger smell and taste over conventional chicken.

How to assess if chicken has spoiled:

Best Before Date: When buying chicken, you need to check the Best Before Date as well as have a quick look at the packaging to ensure its integrity (no damage). It is always recommended that chicken be cooked or frozen as far prior to the Best Before Date as possible.
Color: Observe the color of the chicken. When fresh, raw chicken has a pink fleshy color. As you reach the the Best Before Date, the color fades to gray and looks dull.
Odor: Sniff the chicken. If it is spoiled, it will have a foul unpleasant odor, a scent similar to ammonia, or a “sweet” smell.
Touch: Feel the chicken with your fingertips. Chicken that has gone bad will feel slimy rather than moist on its surface.

The safest way to check if your chicken or turkey is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. If roasting a whole chicken or turkey, insert a meat thermometer into the inner thigh. It should read 185ºF (85ºC). If cooking individual cuts, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read 165ºF (74ºC).

The box for each frozen product contains specific preparation instructions. You can check our Products section to find information on specific products. With all of our frozen chicken products, you want to reach an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) at the thickest point to ensure it is fully cooked.

It all comes down to the diet of the hen who laid the egg. Hens eat grains and plant-based matter that contain carotenoids (aka pigments), which influence the shade of the yolk. The hens that produce eggs for Yorkshire Valley Farms eat a mixture of non-GMO grains – like corn, soy, wheat and other plant-based elements – as well as have access to forage on grass, clover, insects and other edibles found in the organic pasture. Because diet ranges from hen to hen depending on what each hen fancies, yolks can vary from a darker yellow-orange to almost white in colour. Either way, the nutritional value and flavour remains the same.

All Yorkshire Valley Farms eggs are raised following organic practices. During pasture season, some of the farms are able to provide an enhanced pasture environment that gives the hens daily access to larger pastures with more space to roam outdoors to forage and enhance their diet with grasses, insects, and other natural matter. The pasture program is a special seasonal offering, available in limited quantities late spring to early fall (weather permitting).

Learn more about our pasture-raised standards.

Our organic eggs (which we call our ‘year-round’ program) come from the same farms as the pasture-raised eggs. But outside of pasture season, we do not label the eggs as ‘pasture-raised’, as the seasonal weather conditions in Ontario do not allow the hens to have enhanced pasture access all year long.

The colour of the eggshell is determined by what type of hen produced the egg. Generally speaking, white eggs are laid by chickens with white feathers and brown eggs come from chickens with brown feathers. Our farmers raise a mix of hen breeds, which is why you’ll find both brown and white shelled eggs from Yorkshire Valley Farms. There is no difference in the nutritive value or cooking characteristics of white and brown eggs.

‘Free run’ eggs are laid by hens that live cage-free in open concept barns with slat or litter-covered floors and that are equipped with nests and perches. ‘Free range’ eggs are produced in a similar barn environment, but these hens also have seasonal outdoor access. The varied Canadian climate can be a challenge for our animals, so our farmers take temperature and weather into consideration when allowing the hens to roam outdoors. Our farmers are always conscientious of maintaining optimal animal health and providing a safe environment.

Because our eggs are also certified organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd., our hens enjoy an all grain diet made up of non-GMO grains that are never treated with herbicides or pesticides, and we never add animal by-products to the feed. The outdoor pasture area to which our hens have access is managed organically, ensuring that it too is never treated with herbicides or pesticides.

Like all egg-laying hens in Canada, our hens are never treated with antibiotics.

Contrary to common misconception, a blood spot does not indicate a fertilized egg. Sometimes when a hen is laying an egg, a blood vessel may rupture while the egg is being formed, causing a blood spot on the yolk. Blood spots occur in less than 1% of all eggs laid and are harmless. They do not impact the quality of the egg. Eggs with blood spots are usually removed during the grading process, but it can be harder to spot blood spots in brown eggs because of the darker shell. Both chemically and nutritionally, an egg with a blood spot is fit to be consumed. You can simply use a spoon or the blade of a knife to remove the spot if you wish.

That white stringy bit is the chalazae (pronounced chuh-LAY-zee). The chalazae is a pair of spiral bands that anchors the yolk in the centre of the egg white (the albumen). Essentially, the chalazae holds the yolk in place. The fresher the egg, the more prominent the chalazae will be.

The chalazae is safe to consume. Once cooked, it disappears and will not affect the dish, so it is not necessary to remove before cooking. Certain baking recipes, particularly custards, may suggest removing the chalazae to ensure an even, smooth texture.

Our hens enjoy a vegetarian all-grain diet made up of a mix of organic, non-GMO grains like soy, corn, and wheat, along with other plant material that they may peck at while in the organically-managed pasture. The organic feed grains are never treated with herbicides or pesticides, and we never add animal by-products to the feed. The diet of our laying hens is carefully balanced to ensure they are getting the vitamins and minerals they require for good health. Our hens are never treated with antibiotics, like all egg laying hens in Canada.

Nope! Our barns are cage-free, allowing the hens to roam as they please with enough room to spread their wings and express natural bird behaviours like dust bathing. The barns have slatted or litter-covered floors, nests and perches for laying eggs, and access to natural sunlight and fresh air.

They certainly do. The farms offer organically managed pastureland to which the laying hens have seasonal outdoor access. When the hens are outside, temperature and weather are taken into account to ensure their health and safety.

Like all egg-laying hens in Canada, our animals are never treated with antibiotics.

Start by checking the best before date marked on all our egg cartons. We encourage you to store your eggs in the fridge and enjoy them before this date to ensure the freshest product.

If you’re still unsure, you can assess the egg physically. A fresh Canada Grade A egg will have a round, well centered, compact and erect yolk, surrounded by a very thick, firm white. With an older egg, the yolk becomes flatter, larger, and breaks more easily, and the white becomes thin and watery. A tell-tale sign that an egg has spoiled is an off odour.

Long story short, if in doubt, do not consume.

Yes, but only in certain circumstances.

If you open your carton and an egg is leaking through the shell, stuck to the packaging, is dirty or noticeably stained, or has a foreign material stuck to it, it’s not safe to consume.

If you accidentally crack the shell before you plan to use the egg, either discard it or immediately break the egg into a clean container, cover tightly, refrigerate, and use within two days in a recipe in which the egg is baked.

Yes, and we have some tips on how to do it successfully.

Crack each egg into individual compartments of an ice cube tray, then when frozen, remove the eggs from the tray and store in a container labelled with the date. They’ll last in the freezer for up to 4 months. Defrost only what you need in the fridge until fully thawed, and only use in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.

Raw or lightly cooked eggs are fine (and delicious!) to consume if proper food handling methods are practiced. It’s important to always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after working with raw foods. Use only Grade A eggs (no cracks, punctures, or dirty shells), and eat immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Keep the dish cold during serving and consume it the same day it is prepared. Discard leftovers.

You can use this chart from Eggs.ca to figure out how to adjust the quantity of eggs for your recipe. Scroll down within the page to find the Egg Size Substitutions table.

A child’s risk of developing food allergies is strongly influenced by the family history of allergies. Children without an allergic parent have a 15% risk of developing allergies. When one parent is allergic, the risk increases to between 20% to 40%. When both parents are allergic, a child has a 40% to 60% risk of developing an allergy. A child does not usually inherit a specific food allergy, but rather the tendency to be allergic. We encourage you to speak with your doctor to help guide you with regards to the specific dietary needs of your family.