There is something delightful about knowing that you are using your dollar to support local farms and to vote for real food. Yes, it feels very democratic and satisfies the little revolutionist in me. However, what really tickles me about farm eggs is opening a dozen and finding natural easter eggs year round. Truth be told, my current farmers do not keep Araucanian hens, so we do not get to enjoy those beautiful blue eggs, but when I first made the switch to real eggs (pastured hens, living as hens
were designed to live, eating things like BUGS and food scraps and some occasional soy-free grain), we always had an assortment. They are healthier, yes, but they are also just plain beautiful. There is an irresistible aesthetic with real food for me. I buck at conformity. I enjoy seeing eggs of slightly differing color and texture and shape. It shouts "REAL" to me in a way industrialized, standardized sameness does not. In real life there are no identical trees, no identical people, no identical eggs. When everything is unique, everything is worth studying. In the case of eggs, it might be a short study, but a satisfying one every time.
Real eggs are delightful, and worth the slightly elevated price. Find a farm near you!
(photo credits from top to bottom: Farm Fresh Eggs Sign, Eggs of Many Colors, Eggs in Basket)
yay for happy chickens!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this post beginning to end, though for me it might lean heavier on the taste aspect than the look. I can't even believe how much more flavor there is in a farm egg compared even to a store bought organic free range egg. And believe it or not farm eggs are cheaper than those!
ReplyDeleteFarm eggs are the best. Really. My girlfriend gives us eggs often and she has many "easter eggers" and it has totally renewed Elliot's interest in eating eggs when they come in blue or light pink shells.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that often the double-yolked are laid by the same hen? So fascinating!
I find it best to just make friends with all the people who own chickens and avoid paying altogether :)
Dang, Summer took the words right out of my mouth.
ReplyDeleteEggs were one of the first things hubs and I changed to organic, solely based on taste reasons. Farm eggs actually have a taste and richness to them! I didn't think it would be such a difference, but indeed, we have been pleasantly surprised.
The colors are nice too. :) I can't wait for the farmer's market to start back up!
not here, they aren't...cheaper that is...$5/dozen at our local farm. I. Just. Can't. Fork. Over. That. Much.
ReplyDeleteBut, the farmer's market in Madison has them cheaper and my friend Jill sells them in her shop for a little over $3.
And yes, the taste is remarkably different than commercial eggs.
Jennifer - Yes! I love happy chickens, and I love knowing the chickens who feed us.
ReplyDeleteSummer - You know, I wrote this quickly, and I really should have mentioned the taste. There is no comparison. I will not eat a store egg if I can help it...it's just too disappointing!
Jenn - I love that you have a good source of free eggs! We have a couple friends who keep chickens, but not enough for the amount we eat. I did not know the double-yolkers were usually the same bird. Perhaps it's like how twins only run in certain families? Thanks for the tidbit!
Charlotte - I just love that everyone else is also enjoying eggs from healthy chickens! I am also excited for the growing season to be back!
Steph - $5 a dozen at the farm!? Crazy. Though, there were some that price in the Portland area, but not all. I have almost always been able to find them for $3 a dozen out here (Seattle, Portland, and Eugene). I wouldn't be able to justify $5 a dozen, that's almost as much as our farm milk!
I love this post! The eggs looks beautiful. I'm hoping to have my own chickens some day. I'm curious whom the people are who the commercial gods that be think prefer regularity; I'd much rather see an imperfect, but fresh, set of eggs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cydney! We hope for our own chickens someday too. Seriously, who filled out "I really like conformity" on a consumer survey?
ReplyDeleteOur eggs-straight-from-a-farm are $5 a dozen as well, and I happily pay that much because they are such a staple of our diet (we do live in one of the most epensive food areas, though, third to only NYC and the Bay Area I've heard). If we are eating less meat and substituting eggs the cost more than makes up for itself and the quality is so well worth it. I'll never be able to back to .99/dozen eggs :)
ReplyDeleteI should clarify - by less meat I mean every other day, or only once a day instead of the lunch and dinner meat portions we consumed a few years ago :)
ReplyDeleteSarah - I didn't realize food was so expensive where you are! I know the Bay area is the worst on the west coast. Your point about good eggs being a substitute for some meat is a great one (I wasn't worried you were going vegetarian, I know your love of steak =)). We typically do eggs for one meal and some form of meat for the other (and some form of vegetarian for the other), but sometimes that is just a bit of meat in soup or salad.
ReplyDeleteStill, $5 a dozen for eggs! Sheesh! I think that would kick me over to a hen keeper pretty quickly (if it were feasible).
ps - ask jill how much she paid at the san francisco farmers market for eggs ($8 a dozen!!!!)
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