Frequently Asked Questions
All your questions answered in one place.
General
Q. What’s the difference between Free Run and Free Range?
Free Run animals are raised in barns with the ability to roam freely. They do not have access to the outdoors. This type of housing is most commonly used when raising animals where biosecurity protocols are especially necessary to keep animals healthy and safe. This system allows farmers to protect animals from predators and reduce the risk of bacterial or viral contamination.
Free Range animals have access to the outdoors. This system is most commonly used when raising hardy animals for which biosecurity is less of a concern, such as beef and lamb.
Q. Which system are your animals raised in?
• Rowe Farm Eggs – Enhanced Housing System – See “Laying Hens” section for more info
• Rowe Farm Omega 3 Enriched eggs – Free Run
• Rowe Farm Organic Eggs – Free Range
• Beef – Free Range
• 100% Grass Fed Beef – Free Range
• Pork – Free Run
• Tamworth Pork – Free Range
• Chicken – Free Run
• Turkey – Free Run
• Lamb – Free Range
Q. Are your meats certified organic?
Q. Are your meats gluten free?
We do however offer a selection of marinated meats that may contain gluten, including cuts marinated with our jerk, teriyaki and Korean sauces. If in doubt, just ask our retail staff and they will be happy to advise.
Q. How do you source ingredients used in your marinades?
• Low in sodium
• Contain no artificial preservatives
• Contain no artificial flavours
• Contain no artificial colours
• No refined sugars
• No moisture enhancers
Q. Why doesn’t all your labeling indicate no growth hormones? Does that mean you add hormones to chicken and pork?
Q. How do you decide what you pay your farmers?
Q. Can the public visit an operating farm?
Absolutely! We organize an annual “Farm Day” where we invite the public to tour a working Rowe Farm and experience first hand how Rowe supports sustainable farming and the humane treatment of animals. If you’re interested in attending Farm Day, please send an email to info@rowefarms.ca and we will add you to our mailing list and email you when the date has been confirmed.
Q. How do you guarantee animals are raised in accordance with your principles?
• 4 annual Rowe Farms inspections
• Annual Rowe Farms audit
• Annual third party audit
• Farmer signed affidavits covering animals sold to Rowe Farms
• CFIA review and approval of method of production and label claims
Q. How can I join the Rowe Farms team?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Animal Feed
Q. Does your feed include animal by-products?
All our animals are raised on strictly vegetarian feeds with absolutely no animal by-products or stimulants. In conventional agricultural operations, animals are commonly fed feather meal, bone meal and fish meal as a cheap protein source. We work in partnership with Grand Valley Fortifiers (GVF), a leading livestock nutrition company, to ensure that our animals are raised on vegetable grain feeds with no animal by-products, no antibiotics and no growth promotants … ever. Our feeds are carefully formulated by nutritionists from GVF, ensuring that animals receive all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that promote robust immune systems that ward off disease and health stresses resulting in healthy and happy animals. This, in turn, results in the provision of high quality, safe, wholesome and great tasting pork, chicken, beef, turkey and lamb for our customers.
Q. Are you using feeds that contain arsenic as a parasite control method for poultry?
Q. Does your feed include GMOs?
• Chicken – Yes
• Turkey – Yes
• Pork – Yes
• Tamworth Pork – No
• Beef – Yes
• Grass Fed Beef – No
• Lamb – No
• Wiltshire Horned Lamb – No
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Laying Hens
Q. Are all of your eggs raised in Free-Run environments?
Q. What happens to male chicks in your egg laying operation?
Q. What causes blood spots in eggs?
Blood spots occur in less than one percent of all eggs laid. They may appear in a pullet’s first few eggs, but are more likely to occur as hens get older. Blood spots may be triggered by too little vitamin A in a hen’s diet, or they may be hereditary – if you hatch replacement pullets from a hen that characteristically lays spotted eggs, your new flock will likely do the same. It is safe for humans to eat eggs with blood spots.
Q. Why do your eggs have more blood spots than the white eggs I generally buy?
Q. Are your laying hens debeaked?
Q. Why do your eggs occasionally taste fishy?
There are two possible scenarios causing the fishy taste:
1) The chickens who laid the eggs for some reason ate a higher than normal percentage of flaxseed, likely because the feed was not blended well enough.
2) The consumer who ate the eggs is particularly sensitive to the taste of fish. Some people just don’t like omega-3 eggs because they can taste the fish. We recommend that these consumers eat a different variety.
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Beef
Q. What’s the difference between your regular beef and 100% grass fed beef?
Our 100% grass fed cattle is not finished with any grains whatsoever. The entire diet is grass and forage. This produces a much leaner product that is higher in vitamins, omega-3 and CLA. It is also lower in calories and fat.
Q. Why don’t you sell Grass Fed Beef year round?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Chicken & Turkey
Q. Do your chickens go outside?
Q. Do you debeak your chickens and turkeys? What’s the process?
Turkeys are a far more aggressive bird and feather pecking is a common problem. Our turkey producer uses beak blunting to minimize the impact to the flock. Birds have the tip of their beaks passed under a laser which deadens the skin so the tip falls off. This is performed on birds when they are only 2 days old and it only affects the very tip of their beak. Beak cutting is strictly prohibited. It’s important to note that both the Organic and Certified Humane standards allow beak trimming.
Q. Why feed chickens and turkeys vegetarian diets if they are omnivores?
Q. Why are your chicken and turkey air chilled?
Q. What is your breed of chicken?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Hogs
Q. Are your pigs raised in gestation crates?
Q. Do you use farrowing crates?
Q. When medicating is required (including deworming) is the entire herd medicated?
Q. What happens if a hog dies during transport?
Q. What makes your bacon so tasty?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Deli Meats
Q. Do you use nitrates in your cured meat?
Q. Why do you use nitrite in your cured meat?
Q. Do your frozen beef hotdogs contain preservatives?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.
Abattoirs
Q. Do you have your own abattoirs?
Q. How do you ensure your animals do not become contaminated with conventional products?
If you have any questions not answered here please email info@rowefarms.ca for more information.