The Cost of Local Eggs: You Get What You Pay For

You’re driving down a country road and see a sign for “fresh eggs” for $3.50 a dozen.  Sounds like a good deal so you stop and put your money in the rusty tin box and you’re on your way.  At the supermarket you can get eggs for under $2 and you’re nearly blinded by the number of choices that vary from size, shape and color and price and a range of labels like organic, all-natural, cage-free, no hormones or antibiotics, etc.

The price of eggs at the supermarket (Shaw's) ranges from $1.59 for medium eggs to $5.00 a dozen for heirloom eggs from Pete & Jerry’s.  The current cost of eggs from local farmers, according to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH price index, is $4.75. And, prices are going up. I’ve heard local farmers are selling their eggs as much as $7.00 for organic, pastured chickens. 

The USDA reported this summer that record-breaking temperatures are affecting crops and reducing the production of corn and soybeans which will push up the price of meat, dairy and eggs.  Some farmers are feeling the heat already.

When Frank Harrison, from Harrisons’s Poultry, started selling eggs a few years ago, he charged $6.00 and was only making .50 cents a dozen. His eggs outsold the $3 eggs, because people liked the taste and quality.  But, the price of feed kept going up and eventually he just couldn’t make enough money to justify all the work that what went into raising them.  He just sold his hens and went into the insurance business.

You might be able to get cheap eggs from your neighbor down the road, or the supermarket, but don’t expect local famers to charge much less than $5 or they’re working for free. Make sure to ask them how the hens are being raised, what they are being fed, and if the farming practices are sustainable.   You may appreciate the value and price even more.

More than 90 percent of U.S. eggs come from caged hens which means the hens are confined in tight quarters with no access to roam free.  Research shows that chickens who forage for bugs and grass, have more vitamins and twice as much Omega 3 content then eggs from confined hens. Omega 3s are an essential fatty acid (that we must get from food) that reduces inflammation in our body and which many Americans are deficient in.  Lack of Omega 3s can cause a host of problems such as obesity, heart disease, cancer and depression.

Eggs are a great source of protein and are loaded with nutrients. They are also one of the few foods that contain Vitamin D.  And, if you’re worried about the cholesterol in eggs, don’t be.  More and more research is coming out which shows that eating eggs will not raise your cholesterol and it not associated with heart disease. 

Here are some things to consider when choosing your eggs:

Labels: Organic chickens are fed certified, organic grain which does not contain antibiotics, pesticides and other animal products and must have access to the outdoors, but it doesn’t guarantee their freedom.

Cage-free means that the hens are not confined in cages, but are kept inside a building. Free-range means that the hens have access to the outdoors, but it also doesn’t mean that they actually go outside. Other labels such as natural or fed vegetarian grain don’t mean much and chickens are not given hormones so don’t fall for labels that say “hormone free.”

Price:  Although the cost of organic, pastured eggs has gone up, it is still a great value.   It might seem like a lot to pay $5 or more for eggs when you can get them for less, but eggs are a powerful protein and can easily feed a family of 4-5 for breakfast, lunch or dinner. One egg is only .50 cents and it has much is cheaper than a four ounce burger or piece of chicken.

Taste:  If you’ve ever cracked open a fresh farm egg, you’ve seen the vibrancy of the orange yolk.  I think the taste is much richer and more flavorful- but do your own taste test!

You can get local eggs all year around, although, hens lay fewer eggs in the winter. Kate Donald from Stout Oak Farm in Brentwood sells eggs and also works with Seacoast Eat Local. She said that the chickens start laying more eggs in the spring when we start getting more light so its a good time to stock up.

If you don’t have chickens roaming around in your neighborhood and check out the Cornucopia Scorecard and see how your store bought eggs rate: http://www.cornucopia.org/organic-egg-scorecard/ 

You can find a list of farmers who sell eggs from Seacoast Eat Local in their Harvest Guide. http://seacoastharvest.org/