Craig Hunter has been officially inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades-long dedication to strengthening and modernizing Ontario’s egg and pullet sectors. With a career defined by innovation, collaboration, and industry leadership, Hunter’s work has had a lasting impact on poultry farming not only in Ontario, but across Canada.
Throughout his professional journey, Hunter focused on improving the viability and long-term stability of the province’s egg and pullet industries. His efforts extended across the supply chain—from hatcheries and grading facilities to farming operations—and were driven by a forward-looking approach to bird health, welfare, housing, and product development.
A significant portion of his career was spent as Vice President of Grading and Poultry Operations at Burnbrae Farms. There, working alongside the Hudson family, Hunter helped implement enhanced biosecurity standards and championed advancements in bird health and nutrition. He played a key role in product development, leading to the introduction of popular consumer products like Naturegg Omega 3 and Omega Plus eggs. These innovations came about through research partnerships with the University of Guelph, where flax was added to hen diets to improve the nutritional value of the eggs.
Hunter also guided the transition toward more humane and sustainable housing systems. He was an early advocate for free-run and organic egg production, making these options more accessible to Canadian consumers and setting a new standard for variety in egg products.
His leadership extended far beyond Burnbrae. Between the 1980s and 2022, Hunter was a core contributor to three successive editions of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens. These guidelines continue to inform farm audits and on-farm standards across Ontario. He also played a pivotal role in shaping on-farm practices to control salmonella, participating in several national task forces and advisory groups.
In 1984, Hunter was instrumental in establishing the role of Ontario Poultry Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and played key roles in multiple industry organizations. These included the Egg Farmers of Ontario, where he served as a board member from 2011 to 2021, and the Pullet Growers of Canada, where he acted as a provincial representative. He also served on the board of The Center for Food Integrity in the United States from 2010 to 2016, helping to build consumer trust in agriculture.
Hunter’s contributions have been widely recognized. He was named Poultry Worker of the Year by the Poultry Industry Council in 2008, received the Get Cracking Award from Egg Farmers of Ontario in 2021, and was honoured with the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council’s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2022.
Now, with his induction into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame, Craig Hunter’s legacy is formally recognized. His tireless efforts to enhance animal welfare, improve food safety, and innovate egg production have earned him a place among the province’s most influential agricultural leaders.
