For the last two weeks I've promised an article on the current Bird Flu situation in the U.S. Well here it is! There's more going on than meets the eye, but also more hope than you might have been given by news outlets to this point. There are many factors involved in the current egg situation in the U.S., so please bear with me as I do my best to explain what I know in a way that makes sense and doesn't take too much of your time.
As the demand for our pasture-raised chicken was growing, we were working hard to increase supply so our customers didn't go without. We decided to start a batch of broilers in October, later than we ever had before. At the time, we raised our broilers—meat chickens—in "chicken tractors", which were floorless coops that we had to move by hand with a dolly. This worked great on pasture in warm temps, but not during that time of year.
I'm sure by now you've heard the news that the FDA recently revoked authorization for the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. 👏 Hopefully you know us well enough to know that this change means absolutely nothing for us, and that my subject line was simply rhetorical. 😁
What happened on Thursday had people holding up traffic to take a second look.
No, we don't have nomads camping on a corner of the farm...at least not that I know of. Today I'm referring to a different kind of hitchhiker; two plant species in particular. What are all those little seeds stuck to my shirt? While many folks refer to them using curse words, we call them sticktights. They are covered in tiny hooks that grab onto clothing, hair, and fur. These Velcro-like seed pods come from a plant called Beggar's Lice, or Tick Trefoil.
It's easy to get discouraged while surveying today's US food and economic landscapes. A large concern lately has been family-owned farms going out of business, and their land being purchased by corporations. Times get tough, the little guys go out of business, and the big guys just get bigger. Not the situation we'd choose, especially when some of those corporations are owned by foreign entities. 😬 But there's hope!
Eggs are quite an impressive food. They contain all the nutrients essential for developing new life, and thus have extensive benefits for us as well. Here are the answers to 19 Frequently Asked Questions about chicken eggs that we’ve received throughout the years. (If you have a question that I didn't answer here, send it to me so we can make it an even 20!) My hope is that this post will reinforce the status of eggs as a superfood, and leave you better educated as a consumer. In this post I am specifically referring to chicken eggs, but nearly all of the same principles apply to other eggs as well.
It seems that in the world of food and supplements, the cleanest, most natural option tends to come at the highest price. But often, the best supplement is hiding right under our nose. If you're looking for a natural and sustainable way to boost your calcium intake, consider using eggshells! Eggshells are an excellent source of calcium, with one medium-sized shell providing about 700-800 mg of this essential mineral. Ready to try it at home? Here's a simple guide on how to safely prepare eggshells for consumption.
The truth is, most chickens in the US are not eating a vegetarian diet. And if they truly are vegetarian, then it's an indication of bigger problems. Let's look at what a Vegetarian-Fed chicken is, and the reasons why this is an unnecessary goal and somewhat bogus claim for poultry.
