Let's face it. Grocery shopping ain't as easy as it used to be! With so many different brands and price points, it's hard (even for us!) to navigate the aisles, all the while making healthy, budget-friendly choices. A dollar a dozen eggs are gone...sayonara 1990s. It's 2014 and if you want the best eggs money can buy (ahem pasture-raised organic), you're looking at upwards of $7 per dozen. Need justification? Here you go!
What it means to be pasture raised:
Hens receive a minimum of 108 square feet of rotated pasture with fresh vegetation during daylight hours to ensure a varied diet. The hens are moved to a fresh patch of grass every few days in order to allow the grass to replenish.
What do pasture-raised hens eat?
Grasses, weeds, bugs, worms, egg-zactly what they're supposed to! Farmers often feed their hens a supplemental diet to keep them regularly laying eggs. Ideally, hens will be fed 100% vegetarian, antibiotic and hormone free, certified organic feed, which means the grain is grown without pesticides and herbicides.
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What it means to be cage-free:
Hens are allowed to lay their eggs in nests and walk around but are only guaranteed enough room to spread their wings. Cage-free does not guarantee cruelty-free practices. These hens have their beaks burned off without anesthesia in order to prevent them from pecking at each other in these confined areas, and also to discourage the birds from eating so much (which means that farmers save money by spending less on feed).
What it means to be free-range:
Hens are given open air access for at least five minutes each day, with the ability to "free range" within a facility. Many farmers receive the USDA's stamp of approval by opening the windows to the chicken coop for three hundred seconds. Sounds generous, right?
What do cage-free and free-range hens eat?
Whatever is put in front of them, and that usually includes corn, soy, and cottonseed meal with many types of additives mixed in (growth hormones, fish and bone meals, antibiotics and chemicals).
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What it means to be conventionally raised:
Hens are packed into cages and aren't able to stand up. Flies and fecal matter abound in these conditions, and staff and visitors (which are rarely allowed) must wear masks in these houses. Often the chickens’ talons grow around the cage floors because they stay in one place for so long. Blindness and ammonia burns on the bottoms of the chicken's feet are common due to the accumulation of ammonia fumes from waste in the houses. Caged eggs are now illegal in California and in Europe and they are the source of 99% of all eggs sold in the US. If we treated cats and dogs this way, there would be an uprising! Chickens have feelings too, people!
What it means to be pasture raised:
Hens receive a minimum of 108 square feet of rotated pasture with fresh vegetation during daylight hours to ensure a varied diet. The hens are moved to a fresh patch of grass every few days in order to allow the grass to replenish.
What do pasture-raised hens eat?
Grasses, weeds, bugs, worms, egg-zactly what they're supposed to! Farmers often feed their hens a supplemental diet to keep them regularly laying eggs. Ideally, hens will be fed 100% vegetarian, antibiotic and hormone free, certified organic feed, which means the grain is grown without pesticides and herbicides.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What it means to be cage-free:
Hens are allowed to lay their eggs in nests and walk around but are only guaranteed enough room to spread their wings. Cage-free does not guarantee cruelty-free practices. These hens have their beaks burned off without anesthesia in order to prevent them from pecking at each other in these confined areas, and also to discourage the birds from eating so much (which means that farmers save money by spending less on feed).
What it means to be free-range:
Hens are given open air access for at least five minutes each day, with the ability to "free range" within a facility. Many farmers receive the USDA's stamp of approval by opening the windows to the chicken coop for three hundred seconds. Sounds generous, right?
What do cage-free and free-range hens eat?
Whatever is put in front of them, and that usually includes corn, soy, and cottonseed meal with many types of additives mixed in (growth hormones, fish and bone meals, antibiotics and chemicals).
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What it means to be conventionally raised:
Hens are packed into cages and aren't able to stand up. Flies and fecal matter abound in these conditions, and staff and visitors (which are rarely allowed) must wear masks in these houses. Often the chickens’ talons grow around the cage floors because they stay in one place for so long. Blindness and ammonia burns on the bottoms of the chicken's feet are common due to the accumulation of ammonia fumes from waste in the houses. Caged eggs are now illegal in California and in Europe and they are the source of 99% of all eggs sold in the US. If we treated cats and dogs this way, there would be an uprising! Chickens have feelings too, people!
What do conventionally raised hens eat?
The hens are fed low-quality feed made from feather and fish meal (we're talking ground up unsellable, diseased fish).
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Why spend the egg-ztra money on pasture-raised eggs?
Pasture-raised hens are raised in a humane and caring environment!
And their eggs are healthier! Compared to a conventional egg, pasture-raised eggs contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta-carotene
At the end of the day, we vote with our wallets. If we spend money on food coming from animals that are being abused, we are in effect saying that it is okay. Spending the extra $5 not only means MUCH healthier product for us, but we are supporting the end of animal cruelty. If you are an animal lover, you can't possibly ignore the fact that our food supply is mainly coming from abused, diseased animals.
What eggs receive our stamp of approval?
We love Vital Farms, a local Austin company that is now in partnership with over 52 small family farms in 6 different states. They offer 6 types of eggs, including pasture-raised organic, pasture-raised non-GMO, and pasture-raised conventionally-fed in order to meet any family's budget.
If you are on-board but aren't ready to spend quite that much money on your eggs, there's a cheaper option! Check out your local farmer's market, just be sure to ask questions! You can often find pasture-raised organic eggs for around $4 a dozen.
Where can you find Vital Farms eggs?
Visit these links to find a grocery store or Austin restaurant near you that carries Vital Farms eggs.
Success Stories:
Congrats to Beth and Lisa for all of your hard work!
Recipe of the Week:
Avocado BLT Egg Salad
Ingredients:
1 avocado
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and allowed to cool in the fridge
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tsp garlic granules or powder
1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, avocado, garlic and salt and smash with a fork until combined. Add in bacon pieces, tomatoes and scallions. Mix well.
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