Last week, I was lucky enough to visit a few of the partner family farms that produce pasture raised, organic eggs for Handsome Brook Farm in Kentucky – aren’t these some of the handsomest chickens you’ve ever seen?!
I know that I always try to make the most conscientious decisions when shopping for food, but egg labels have been notoriously difficult to decode at times – labeling is not always strictly regulated or obvious and can be confusing! For example, cage free may sound good, but still means that the birds are cooped up in crowded barns. And even if the chickens are pasture raised, but not on organic pasture or with organic feed supplement, then you have no idea what or where they are fed.
{If you want to know more about egg labels and decoding the egg aisle in your supermarket, download a handy guide here!}
One of our first stops was Jeremy Schlabach’s farm in Auburn, KY where we got to see happy (and very friendly!) hens as they started their morning feeding, exploring, and taking “dirt baths” in the sunshine. Fun fact: chickens also quite like hanging out in woodsy areas for foraging, exploring and seeking some shade and shelter from hawks or other predators.
We then ventured onwards to Alvin Jantzi’s farm where Alvin and his family graciously welcomed us and hosted a beautiful lunch in the fields. It was really very warming to experience the unique farming model championed by Handsome Brook Farm that supports local farmers and allows them to make a living doing what they do best.
Of course, lunch included lovely dishes made with delicious fresh eggs – these were still warm as they came down the belt! Alvin still gathers all his eggs by hand, by the way.
A hen lays an egg approximately every 26 hours, thus producing about 6 eggs a week, and, on a given day, about 90% of the hens in the barn lay an egg. I also learned that the color of the egg shell is determined by the “lobe” behind the hen’s ear, not by the color of the hen’s feathers.
Brown eggs are not “better” or “worse” than white eggs (or blue eggs etc.) – the difference comes down to how the hens were raised and what they were fed. Even pasture raised chickens get highly specific (and in this case, organic!) feed supplements for extra nutrition.
It was a fun and very educational trip – I learned so much about what makes eggs taste better and how to make sure that they are produced in the most ethical and sustainable way, both on a small and large scale.
ps. I was a guest of Handsome Brook Farm in Kentucky and Tennessee.
