Farm Fresh Eggs vs Organic Free Range Grocery Store Eggs

Why choose local eggs over grocery store eggs? I decided to share a few facts on chicken eggs because every time I share this info with new friends they’re so surprised to learn what’s allowed on big farms and how chickens are treated. Usually this conversation is coming up as we are walking around our farm, chickens following in hopes of a treat, some pets, or a grasshopper to munch on!

We talk about how often chickens lay eggs, what a bloom is, why we don’t wash or refrigerate our personal eggs, what they eat, and why we let them wander around the farm all day. All of this usually leads to what the alternative of farm fresh eggs look like.

Did you know that in the US, when eggs hit the grocery store shelves they are allowed to be 3 months old??? They’ve been pasteurized, cleaned, stored, and transported - then you add the “expiration date” to that and man, you’ve got some less than fresh eggs that have often traveled quite a ways, and that doesn’t even account for the long distance travel of the chickens’ feed.

Often times verbiage like “free range” and “organic” is just as misleading as the expiration dates. Most organic chicken feed is actually imported from China, India, and Argentina. Even with the label of “organic” it’s hard to say what both the growing and labor practices are of the mega farms where chicken feed is sourced. Many chemicals are allowed under USDA growing practices that are harmful to people, the land, and pollinators.

Our chickens are fed local, non-GMO feed from the Delta Grain Elevator, who works with local farms to ensure healthy feed for local farm animals. This means when you buy local eggs you’re also supporting the local economy on an even deeper level.