yesterday i got this note from a reader in denver, colorado. she had read my words about eggs and did something about it. sutton, you made my day. and knowing that you have changed your egg buying from store to farm has put a smile on my face i dare say will last through the weekend and into next summer. thank you.
I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I read the post on longest acres about eggs & chickens-- as a result I decided to no longer purchase the organic eggs, we usually eat in our house (from the grocery store). I sought out and found a farmer about 30 minutes outside of Denver (where we live) and starting this Sunday, my husband and I, along with your two year old little boy (Hawke) will be driving out to pick up 2 dozen eggs every two weeks from him. The small farmer, Craig, is helping his son earn money by selling the eggs from his son's chickens. He told me how the chickens have the run of their small farm, are cuddled daily, and well loved, as well as what they eat. He said they are very spoiled chickens, which really made me smile. He encouraged me to bring any kids we may have, because they have horses and 4 week old chicks for kids to touch and see first hand. I am really excited about this! I was also stoked when he gave me directions to their farm and they included "past the llama farm after the road changes from concrete to dirt"-- Thank you for opening my eyes about this important issue! -sutton 3/15/12
if any of you want to change your egg purchases from store to farm and are having a hard time doing so, please let me know! write to me and i will do all i can to help you find a farmer who will sell you their eggs. i promise. it means that much to me.
**update** several readers have found GREAT help through searching for "eggs" in their local craigslist. definitely try that! but please don't hesitate at all to contact me here or through kathryn.maclean@gmail.com for further help!!
Thank you for your knowledge and for your encouragement in chicken love/health. We moved from oneside of the country to the other and could not bring our chickens with us. I was sad to have to give my "babies" to a good friend. I am glad now that we have found a place with enough land and conditions for us to get back to raising our own chickens. I love that there are others who are passionate about the subject.
ReplyDeleteI love your work on this - educating readers on the importance of where they purchase food and lending support. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if you could tackle the Whole Foods issue at some point. My partner and I try to go to the Farmer's Market as much as we can (here in Durham, NC!) but so often get caught last minute meal planning and shop at Whole Foods regularly. We always try to source locally with products as we can - but it's hard to know just what the habitats of these animals were. It's hard to trust Whole Foods, even though I and so many people in this country do, explicitly.
Thoughts?
When I met my husband, he was a Mountain Dew guzzling, processed food junkie. 3 years later, he is now a local foodie, and is very picky about his eggs. He has to inspect the local buyers, mostly because he wants to cuddle the chickens himself, and likes to know they are happy. We buy 3 dozen a week from two farmers, and he wouldn't have it any other way. I guess I rubbed off in a pretty positive way. Hooray for happy chickens and good eggs!
ReplyDeleteI switched to a Brooklyn CSA that includes eggs last week! I'm so glad to feel less guilty about eating eggs. Thank you for the good work you are doing.
ReplyDeletethat is awesome! what a sweet story :)
ReplyDeleteHi there, i live outside of Denver and was wondering if Sutton might share the info for the farm she is getting her eggs from? we have purchased eggs from farmers markets in the summer but the farmers markets are closed during the winter here, making it hard to source local, straight-from-the-farm eggs.
ReplyDeletethanks!
Kate, I just want to say that I recently did the same thing thanks to you. Within minutes of reading your post I thought, "There is no reason for me *not* to be getting farm eggs." There are some major egg-producers in my area (Ottawa, Ontario) that kind of monopolize the farmers markets, but when I looked them up I wasn't very impressed. I don't know very much about farming or chickens or eggs, really, but they sounded like they were just factories with a good marketing team.
ReplyDeleteI spent a few minutes searching on Kijiji and was able to find a family that lives just outside my city that has a few backyard chickens and sell their extra eggs. They were so sweet - one of them works at an office near my house, so we agreed that she would bring some eggs with her into the city for me once a week and I'll pick them up from her. I'm so excited to pick up my first dozen next week! Thank you. :)
This is so great. I live in Oklahoma City but I'm not sure how I would find a farmer near me that sells eggs. Do I google it? That sounds so dumb, I know, but I'm entirely new to this but this is something I really am interested in.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I eat a combination of organic (from store) and farm supplied. I'm officially making the switch to farm only.
ReplyDeleteYou are making an official difference.
How many get to see that in their day so clearly? Awesome.
Ethaney, you could try Craigslist: http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/search/?areaID=54&subAreaID=&query=farm+eggs&catAbb=sss
ReplyDeleteI think may of us are unaware that cage free organic eggs are not all they are cracked up to be (no pun intended). In larger cities, there seem to be farmers markets available to buy really Happy Eggs, however I am in the suburbs and the farmers market only comes in the summer. It is 45 minutes to the nearest one which I don;t like to do weekly. I do plan to ask the farmers this Spring if we can arrange an egg drop off every two weeks. Perhaps a group can place an order and we can alternate picking up. Keep up educating us about chicken life.
ReplyDelete@anne! thank you for helping out @ethaney!! yay readers!
ReplyDelete@anaya, sutton found her egg seller off of craigslist! AND the farmer's name is craig which i found hilarious. email me at kathryn.maclean@gmail.com and i can try to help you out more!
I know that you've been around Boston this past year, and I wondered if there were any farmer's markets in the Cambridge/Somerville area where I could get fresh eggs. Of all the farmer's markets that are available, I've never encountered eggs!
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions would be appreciated!!
Thanks,
Mel
You have changed my mind as well on egg purchasing. I will never again buy eggs from a supermarket. Only from farmers :)
ReplyDeleteYay, Kate! You've started a revolution :D And yay everyone buying eggs from local farmers!!
ReplyDelete-Jaime
@anaya-- he is out in Parker. Shoot me an email and Ill give you his # and address: lss429 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeletethanks again, kate!
Hi Anne -
ReplyDeleteI'm in Ottawa too - I'm wondering who you contacted? I currently purchase my eggs from Beking.
Thanks!
I was going to post that after reading your article, my boyfriend and I have found several, local individuals who are keeping us nicely stocked with eggs (even offering a few here and there for free!)... but now I just feel like a follower! But this is one of those instances where going with the crowd is a good thing (Martha Stewart pun not intended), and we have also been educating our friends and family on the matter, whether they want to hear it or not.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thank you so much for your post. It has definitely made a difference in this Sacramento couple's lives. xo
the movement can be started with one. never forget that. thank you for your sweet passionate heart.
ReplyDeleteI live in the DC area and buy Vital Farms (http://vitalfarms.com/) eggs, that are sold at Whole Foods. I have only found good information on the farm's practices, but I also plan on utilizing the Farmers Market this summer. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I got five chickens last year (one being a rooster). In researching getting chickens I discovered, as you have written, the lives that chickens really live in warehouses. In the year that I've had my girls I am grateful that they can room in my small backyard here in Reno. I enjoy their chatting, when they follow me during yard work, wait for me at my back door when making lunch, chasing my cat back into the house, dust bathing, staring at me sideways, I can go on and on. They are social birds. I'd like to think that I am thanked for caring for them and that they thank me with my eggs. They are my chicken dogs that live outside and I get sad when I see images of chickens in warehouses because that could be one of mine. My husband reminds me that they are not. Thank you Kate for your posts and for getting that information out there. Take care.
ReplyDeleteJust have to reiterate again how THRILLED it makes me to see these comments. to hear you all buying better eggs and helping each other find nearby farms. You all are the BEST readers a gal could ask for. So, Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI came here to learn about chickens and eggs, but have now read nearly every single one of your posts. I've learned so much! Thanks for sharing your journey
ReplyDelete