Chicken Farmers of Ontario show how to encourage flourishing niche markets

According to a story on Better Farming, the first wave of Ontario artisanal chicken farmers — approved under a new program sponsored by the Chicken Farmers of Ontario in response to community consultation — should already be raising chickens for sale outside the quota system this spring (of 2016).

Among the 80 participants in the program are farmers from the east, west, central and northern regions of the province. The program was started last year to accommodate non-quota-holding producers who wanted to raise chickens for local markets such as to be sold at farmers markets in order to address a previously unsatisfied demand for locally raised chickens.