He left me questioning my right to ask him. It was the same question I’d asked many farmers -- and encouraged others to ask. When I asked last week, he was offended.
I’ve known “Mr. Farmer” for at least ten years and even been to his farm. At a farmers’ market in the next town I was surprised to run into him. He’s usually in Little Rock. Not many things were on his table; for years he has been downsizing. I was happy to see eggs. He had 4 dozen and I wanted them all.
Off the cuff I asked, “Your chickens are on grass aren’t they?”
His guffaw of incredulity said “You shot my momma and left her on the side of the road!”
Once home I cracked the first egg. It was paler yellow than the cheapest of grocery store eggs. I thought, “Must be a fluke. This poor hen has been cooped up, maybe broody and won’t go out.”
The next egg was also extremely pale. Weird. Do I have the right carton? Sure enough it was the carton from Mr. Farmer. The third and fourth eggs were also the color of a child’s crayon chosen for sunshine. I was shocked.
Yolk color is one indicator of nutrient density, when stems from the animal’s living environment.
My family lived in Fiji for 6 months (two years ago, last week!) While there, one of my goals was to eat all the butter and eggs we could. Lush rainforest provides the perfect environment for quickly growing grasses and creates nutrient dense eggs and dairy. All because the animals are given freedom to roam. The butter is a beautiful golden yellow - prettier than any Kerry Gold Butter from Ireland. Because of scarcity and cost, grain is rationed in the middle of the Pacific. Bugs are plentiful for chickens. Egg yolks in Fiji are almost orange.
Eggs from hens allowed to feed on pasture contain four times more vitamin D, three times more vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene, compared to industrial eggs.
- Mother Earth News, June/July 2011
Inexpensive grocery store eggs - from chickens that eat strictly grain and are trapped in small cages with 12+ hours of artificial fluorescent light a day - those eggs will be yellow.
A bird on green pasture, where the bugs are plentiful and the sun rises and sets as God ordained it - that bird will deliver beautiful eggs with orange yolks and hard shells.
The eggs from Mr. Farmer were likely from chickens in a mostly dirt pen.
Eggs from chickens in a dirt pen are still better than eggs from the grocery store; they're just not as good as chickens that have ample room to roam.
What if I can't find a source for local eggs?
Money talks. In the last 15 years, we have observed label changes. We used to have few egg options. Now the labeling is diverse and confusing! Educated consumers demand to know what is in their food.
“We vote 3 times a day with our fork.” Michael Pollan
Terms Defined
If you are hard pressed to find pastured eggs or at second best - dirt yard eggs, buy organic eggs from the grocery store. The term organic means the birds have not been fed antibiotics or given grain that is genetically modified. Most, if not all, industrial raised layers (i.e. chickens that lay eggs) are given antibiotics whether they need it or not. These antibiotics are passed on to the consumer through the egg and is why we are seeing resistance to antibiotics.
If you cannot find organic eggs, buy eggs that say "cage-free" or "free range".
This is where the labeling gets a little squishy. These terms, "cage-free" or "free range" mean the birds are not confined to a very small pen. The birds could be crowded together on the floor of a barn or building with concrete floors. "Free range" means the birds have access to the outdoors through a small door but most choose never to use it. Most industrially raised hens that are "cage free" have their beaks filed so they will not peck each other to death in their close living quarters. As you can imagine this is not humane.
The price difference is worth it. Truth be known, I've paid more than $5 for a drink that's nothing more than empty calories.
Here's the order in which I buy eggs:
pastured, from a farmer I trust or a neighbor's back yard that has green grass
grocery store pastured - Vital Farms is a trusted brand
farmer or back yard that is a dirt pen
organic from grocery store
free range or cage free from grocery store
dirt cheap eggs from grocery store
Industrial eggs from the grocery store are still real food. They have a shell. There is nutritional value to them. And they are a cheap source of protein and nutrition.
Unless I am starving (literally), or in a very awkward social setting, I will not eat powdered eggs or eggs from a carton.
In the beginning stages of your food journey? Pay more for eggs. Look for a local source to buy eggs from chickens that have access to fresh air, sunshine and bugs that nourish the chicken to give you a healthy egg. Start with a farmers’ market and ask the farmer to describe the area where his chickens roam.
When I see Mr. Farmer again I’m going to ask him to describe his chicken pen. I have a strong feeling that our definitions are different. The pale eggs are proof.
Friends and Family
There’s currently a 15% off semi-annual Friends and Family Event with Beautycounter. Some things are 30% off. After using the makeup for 3 years, I decided to become a consultant. I love the mission of the company is to get safer in the hands of everyone. Most recently I started being diligent about skin care and the anti-aging skin care regime has honestly changed the texture of my skin. Every other night I use the Overnight Resurfacing Peel and it’s pretty amazing. I love that I can trust the transparency of this company - they are leading the industry of clean beauty. If you’d like to try samples of anything please reach out, I’d love to help.
Feedback
This week’s email was a bit more “blog style.” In weeks’ past it has been more sharing of recipe links. Which do you like best? You can reply to this email or click through to the website to leave a public comment. My favorite is when you share the letter with friends and encourage them to sign up for their own copy.