Eggs are a staple food for many consumers – even those who don’t prefer an omelet for breakfast value eggs in their baked goods, sauces, salads, and more. When egg prices increased dramatically in late 2022, the impact was far-reaching. Those cost increases were caused by general inflation, higher production costs for farmers, and a hard-hitting avian flu outbreak. Rising egg prices actually led to a spike of interest in raising backyard chickens although homegrown eggs may not necessarily be a money-saver when the cost of feed, shelter, chicks, and labor is factored in.

While prices are now starting to come down, the event drew attention to an affordable source of protein that is a staple food in many households and that our local Berkshire farmers produce in large quantities.

So, it’s the age-old question: how are eggs made? Hens can lay regularly regardless of the presence of a rooster, a rooster only provides fertilization to turn that egg into a hatching baby chick. Each egg starts its journey through the hen’s reproductive system as a tiny yolk, which is first covered by the protein-rich egg white and finally protected by the shell, before being laid. The shell formation takes the longest of any step, and depending on the breed, different pigments deposited during that stage determine the egg’s color. An egg takes about 25 hours to produce, and hens’ laying abilities are determined by breed, nutrition, and daylight hours. Most hens will lay less frequently in winter when the days are shorter, though some farmers use artificial lights to increase winter egg production.

Farmers producing eggs commercially must meet their hens’ basic needs - food, water, shelter, and a safe spot to lay eggs – while also maximizing efficiency and operating at a large enough scale to profit. While local farmers aren’t running massive industrial egg operations, many are working with flocks that include hundreds – and often thousands of birds. Egg producers need appropriate warm and cold weather shelter for their flocks, protection from predators, efficient systems for providing feed and water, and facilities to wash, pack, and store eggs for market.

As with other livestock, there is a wide range of management practices that farmers use to raise laying hens. Some raise their chickens entirely indoors, either confined or free-running. While this practice offers farmers a great deal of control over the safety and condition of their flocks, it raises concerns about the animals’ well-being.

Many farmers prefer to raise their birds outdoors, allowing for a more natural lifestyle. The chickens might be kept in one area with a permanent shelter or rotated through pastures with portable fencing and coops. Moving the chickens frequently gives them continuous access to high-quality forage while spreading their manure around and maintaining a healthy pasture.

At Off the Shelf Farm, farmer Anna Houston moves her chickens frequently through pastures, using mobile coops with built-in feed storage, waterers, and egg conveyor belts. Off the Shelf currently has about 2,800 laying hens and has been scaling up their egg production since the farm’s beginnings. “We’ve been growing pretty steadily since we started, both since the demand was there and just to make it work business-wise,” says Houston. “Part of the scaling has been adding more animals but also adding labor-saving equipment.” The mobile coops, grain and water storage equipment, and a commercial egg-washing system have all contributed to the farm’s ability to scale their egg production.

Berkshire Grown’s Farm to Food Access program has worked extensively with Off the Shelf to source eggs for food access sites, and that support has contributed to the farm’s ability to scale up. “At least 30 percent of our eggs go to food access,” says Houston. “It’s been amazing to scale up specifically for that.” Eggs are a relatively low-cost protein source and are an important product for food access programs, often in high demand at food pantries.

Working with the Berkshire Community Land Trust and Jane Iredale, Houston and her partner Rob Perazzo recently secured a long-term lease at the River Run Farm site. They are now able to consolidate their farm operation, which has been spread over several parcels of rented land. “Land access is key; it allows us to make these investments in our farm business,” she says.

Whether you prefer your eggs over-easy or in your favorite baked goods, from chickens or from ducks, we hope that you’ll consider the care that farmers invest in producing nutritious eggs for you to eat.

Berkshire Food Co-op believes in giving back to the community through their "Round Up for Change" program. During the month of June shoppers will be asked at the register to round up their change to donate to Share the Bounty, a Berkshire Grown program.

Share the Bounty supports our community in two ways: Berkshire Grown purchases CSA shares directly from farms in the winter months, tiding them over with funds to help purchase seeds and supplies prior to market season. During the harvest season these farmers provide fresh, locally-grown food to local food pantries, meal sites and various programs for community members experiencing food insecurity.

Thank you Berkshire Food Co-op shoppers! Berkshire Food Co-op is located at 34 Bridge Street, Great Barrington.

Find locally grown food and products from Berkshire farms in the 2023 Guide to Local Food & Farms

The 2023 Guide to Local Food & Farms remains the region’s most comprehensive guide to local farms, farmers markets, and restaurants offering local foods. Use it to find farm stands, CSA farms, pick-your-own farms and orchards, as well as locally sourced value-added products like charcuterie, preserves, and fermented foods and locations and hours of food pantries spread across the county.

You can also find the best in locally grown food and products near you by using Berkshire Grown's searchable map!

It's summer time - the time of year when the the outdoor Berkshire Farmers Markets are overflowing with fresh local produce, meat, eggs and much, much more!

Farmers markets are a great way to meet your local farmers and shop for food grown on nearby farms. They offer everything from veggies, fruit, eggs, and meat to seedlings, flowers, yarns and maybe even some knife sharpening! Add music, egg sandwiches and grilled sausages and your local farmers market becomes a gathering place that brings the community together. Visit all the Berkshire Farmers Markets this season -- each one is unique.

Use SNAP or HIP or Senior Coupons? Many of the markets offer Market Match and other budget-boosting programs. Visit Berkshire Farmers Markets for dates, locations, and more information on where SNAP, HIP and other benefits are honored. Click here to learn about HIP program basics and frequently asked questions.

Berle Farm, Hoosick, NY

Chaseholm Farm and Chaseholm Farm Creamery, Pine Plains, NY

Cricket Creek Farm, Williamstown

Dandelion Hill Farm, (goat milk), Sheffield

Hawthorne Valley Farm, Ghent, NY

High Lawn Farm, Lee

Joshua's Farm, Sandisfield

North Plain Farm, Great Barrington

Sidehill Farm, Hawley

the GOAT PROJECT, Bennington, VT

Thomas Farm & Dairy, Sunderland

The term organic simply refers to on-farm practices. All milk produced in the United States must adhere to the same strict federal standards for quality, purity, and sanitation. Those using the “USDA organic” seal must ensure that the milk comes from dairy farms that meet the following criteria:

You can read more about milk’s journey from farm to table here or check out some dairy farmer stories by watching the latest episode of This American Dairy Farmer.

Read the full article here.

By Lisa Deaderick for the San Diego Union Tribune

Toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of increased food insecurity was quickly becoming a reality. For Kaia Shivers, an assistant clinical professor of liberal studies with New York University, thinking about how this food insecurity would look in Black communities compelled her to start working on the Black Farmers Index, a nonprofit listing of Black farmers who work directly with consumers.

Shivers, the founder and president of the Black Farmers Index nonprofit, enlisted family and friends to help her comb through documents and research Black farms to include in her list. (And she isn’t the only one passionate about this work. Another list, compiled by Shannon Lai with inspiration from A Growing Culture, an organization that works to increase the autonomy of farmers and agricultural innovation, can be found here.) What started for Shivers as a list of 150 farms, has grown to more than 900.

To discuss the connection between Juneteenth and Black farming, Shivers, who is also founder and editor-in-chief of the subscription-based storytelling site Ark Republic, is joined here by Jillian Hishaw. Hishaw is an attorney, the author of “Systematic Land Theft,” and the founding director of Family Agriculture Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), a nonprofit that provides legal and technical assistance to rural, small farmers of color. (These email interviews have been edited for length and clarity. )

Click here to read the entire column.

Watch all five short videos here: