Canadian Egg Grading Stations

I finally received a copy of CFIA's current list of approved table egg grading stations.

CFIA stated that they soon hope to have the list post on CFIA's website.  I assume CFIA's "soon" means some time between next year and Year 2030.  Please stand by!

I suggested that they prepare the listing so that the Address and Postal Code is readily available for linking through free on-line mapping software (such as Google Drive, Fusion Tables, and Google Maps) so that people can readily see the location of the egg grading sites, and where they are located in relation to their farm or home.

I got no response from CFIA, so I'm not sure if they are willing to entertain that idea.  Perhaps by making that suggestion, I've created total chaos within CFIA, and delayed the posting of the list on their website by another decade or two.

Only time will tell.

I tried doing a quick porting of the pdf file to a spreadsheet so that it can be imported to a Google Fusion Table, but CFIA, for whatever reason, used multiple sizes of output pages in their pdf report.  When I tried to create the spreadsheet, it couldn't automatically parse the pdf file and get the data into the correct columns.  It will have to be done manually, at many man-hrs; but I'm not willing to do that busy work for CFIA.

From the pdf properties, I see that CFIA created the pdf from an XLS file.  Perhaps I can get a copy of the XLS file from CFIA, which would greatly simply the mapping of the data.  I will try.  I'll let you know what I get back, if anything.

A friend was reading the Feb 2014 issue of Small Farming magazine which suggested individual farmers starting up their own CFIA approved egg grading station.  I previously had the same idea.  Then I read the CFIA regulations and mandatory requirements.  It almost seems as if the complete manual on how NASA got astronaunts to the moon was smaller, easier, and more affordable than getting an egg grading station.  If you have insomnia, let me point you to a sure-fire cure: 

• CFIA Simple Minded Explanation of Egg Grading, intended for Consumer
  
• CFIA's Shell Egg Manual, Chapter 2:  Registration
  
• CFIA's Application Form for Getting Egg Grading Station Approved
  
• CFIA's list of approved Packaging & construction materials
  
• Process Water requirements for Egg Grading Stations & Potable water supplies
  
• Application for Credit for future CFIA Charges (you didn't think CFIA worked for free, did you?  This is the gift that keeps on giving, forever)

I heard about one farmer near Massey ON, in the near North, who was brave enough to start on this process to get his own grading station, so that he could sell his eggs at the local Farmer's Market.  After many years effort, and many thousands of $ (multiples of what he originally budgeted), and more frustration than what should enter anybody's life, he eventually managed to escape with his life, had all his original body parts still attached, and obtained a CFIA egg grading station certificate.  While I haven't spoke to him personally, he is reported to have told many others that he would never recommend this as a viable option for any sane person to consider.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

In the interim, here's the list of CFIA approved Egg Grading Stations:

CFIA Approved Egg Grading Stations in Canada
(CFIA_ACIA-#1348801-v21, as of 2014/01/15 10:11 AM)

Note that most of these egg graders will buy your eggs at deep discount prices, and you can't get your eggs back for you to sell at Farmer's Markets, farm gate, or door-to-door.  You eggs disappear into the official Supply Management beast, never to be seen again.  Your paltry cheque with all the fees and discounts already deducted is available only after 30 to 60 days.  When I did this last January 2013, I had to ask for special permission to get the cheque sent to me.  They normally hold your money in the egg grading station's bank account until you specifically ask for it.