When we got our chickens we never thought about what we would do with our excess eggs. For a while we gave away our overage to friends and neighbors though sometime a little reluctantly on their part. It was funny the responses we got from people who had never been given free range eggs straight from the chicken. One younger friend was concerned that they wouldn't be safe. She felt the "store bought" eggs had to be healthier and free of disease. Worried that they weren't government approved she never did ask me for more eggs.My yuppie neighbor took my offer of eggs but quizzed me on how to prepare them. "Do you just cook them like regular eggs?" she asked. It seemed like people around me could not grasp the idea that eggs start out somewhere before they hit the refrigerated section of Wal-Mart. It was becoming a chore sometimes just to hand out free eggs.
A health conscious co-worker started asking for some of our free range eggs but after the first dozen he was insistent that he pay me a fair price. I hadn't even considered selling my extras but realized a few bucks here and there to help out with rising feed costs might be reasonable. He was happy to get healthy free range eggs, I was happy to have the extras go to someone who appreciated the value of really fresh eggs. Win-win situation all around.
Shortly after that several senior ladies in a nearby retirement development started calling asking for eggs. These women had been raised in the country and in a time when more people kept chickens for eggs. They were thrilled to get my eggs and each had a story that started, "when I was a young girl..." and "back on our farm.." Each one remembered how great farm fresh eggs were and they even started saving empty cartons for me. I quickly learned that it is futile to argue with eighty year old women to just take the eggs for free. We eventually agreed that market price was fair.
Now I have more people interested in buying eggs than I can keep up with. If I were living in an area that would permit me to increase my flock I could actually make a small side business out of this. While it is sad that some have been brainwashed to believe that safe and healthy food cannot come from your own backyard, thankfully I have been lucky to find that segment that finds value in a freshly laid free range egg.
I'd be buying a dozen from you right now! Good work providing local food for your neighbors. I'm very much looking forward to doing the same as soon as we are able.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about many people have been brainwashed about store bought white eggs. My hubby is one of them. He didn't say that they are safer but he insisted that white store bought eggs taste better. How can that be? He refuses to eat farm fresh eggs, even if I use them in baking. So, I have 1/2 dozen of white eggs around and I always sneak in farm eggs in my baking and cooking. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?
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Hallie
That is too funny! It's like someone asking what to do with a tomato they took off the vine. One of my coworkers was squeemish about eggs from my neighbor, but not quite like that...
ReplyDeleteHow cool. I would buy some if you were my neighbor!
ReplyDeleteI started getting eggs from a co-worker with chickens. My husband was hesitant to eat them. He would make a face every time he looked at the brown eggs. He finally wanted bacon and eggs for breakfast one Sunday. He ate 3 of them and survived.
ReplyDeletehaha, that's crazy! I love brown eggs, and this post makes me want chickens even more.
ReplyDeletePeople are nutty, aren't they? I give my neighbor the same price I was paying for store-bought organic free range eggs. It helps her with feed costs, and I get even fresher and better eggs for the same cost-it's a win-win for both of us.
ReplyDeleteLOL good post lil ant! Gotta love the sheeple I suppose! We have a barter arrangement with some folks who have chickens....eggs for veggies... Everybody's happy!
ReplyDeleteA nice couple in my suburban neighborhood sells them for $2/dozen. The shells are thick, the whites are springy and the yolks are a deep orange/gold color. They're the only eggs I use. I know those chickens get to wander around the yard eating bugs and they have beaks. Even Nest Fresh farmers debeak their chickens, a practice allowed under the Certified Humane requirements.
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