7 Things You Need To Know Before Eating Farm Fresh Eggs

Does this look like a fun life?

I don't think so. Honestly, it makes me want to cry.

I never pictured myself as a tree-hugging, nature-loving hippie, but here I am. I feel called to bring awareness to our current farming model and am determined to help change it for the better.

If you’ve never put any thought into where your eggs are coming from I can assure you this is it. As difficult as this picture is to look at, please know farmers have been pressured into making these choices. They had bills to pay and families to support and the "get big or get out" mantra of the 80's really shaped what we're seeing today.  

If that picture doesn't sit right with you then perhaps you should be seeking out pastured farm fresh eggs. 

But before you jump into farm fresh eggs there are some differences we should cover so you know what to expect.

8 Things You Need To Know Before Eating Farm Fresh Eggs

1) BETTER FOR THE BIRD

The picture above does a great job of summing up the horror known as factory farming.

Clearly you can see that these chickens don’t have access to fresh air or sunlight and they don't even have enough room to stretch their wings. Hardly seems fair, right?

Let me leave you with a more pleasant image of some of our chickens at Nature’s Pantry.

2) BETTER FOR YOU

In comparison to a conventional egg, pasture-raised eggs contain:

1/3 less cholesterol

1/4 less saturated fat

2/3 more Vitamin A

2x more omega-3 fatty acids

3x more Vitamin E

7x more beta carotene

4-6x more vitamin D

Higher folic acid levels

Do you know why? It’s because a pasture raised chicken eats more than just a diet consisting of corn. She’s allowed to roam free in the grass and munch on bugs and soak up sunshine & fresh air.

3) MORE FLAVOR

I hear this all the time...

“Your eggs are so yummy! We’ll never be able to eat eggs from the store again!”  "Even my husband thinks your eggs taste better!"

The diversity in her diet leads to higher vitamin and mineral content in the egg which leads to a higher quality, tastier egg for you!

The yolk of a pastured egg will have a deep golden, orange colored yolk. So not only will the egg taste different, it's going to look different, too. Can you tell which egg is from Nature's Pantry in the picture?

4) MORE EXPENSIVE

Farm fresh eggs/organic eggs are more expensive than regular eggs.

I once read that farmers are paid $.01/egg.  No wonder they’ve got barns with 10,000+ chickens in them -the farmer has no choice - the bills need to be paid. 

Small scale farmers have operating and feed costs to cover, too. And don't forget they're trying to support a family with an honest living.

Unfortunately, there's no way for small farmers to compete with the big guys. Getting paid $.12/dozen doesn’t pencil out no matter how sharp your pencil is. 

If you want high quality eggs for your family be prepared to pay a fair price for them...they’re worth every penny.

The other challenge with free range chickens is predators. We've lost our fair share of chickens to hawks, fox, coyotes, raccoons - you name it. This year we had to get smart so we brought home two of the cutest guard dogs - Bitsy & Baxter. They are Great Pyrenees guard dogs and work round the clock to protect our chickens.

5) DIVERSITY

When you open carton of farm fresh eggs there’s a pretty good chance that all of your eggs will look different. Just as each chicken is unique, so is the size, shape and color of her egg. The eggs from Nature's Pantry can range from brown to white to speckled but I assure you, they're all delicious!

6) SAFETY

Remember the egg recall in 2018? 208 MILLION eggs were recalled due to salmonella. 208 MILLION.  You’ll be glad to know Nature’s Pantry wasn't on the recall list. 

What came first the chicken or the egg? Tough question, I know.  

How about the chicken or refrigerator? Obviously the chicken. 

Eggs have a natural anti-microbial coating on them that prevents them from spoiling.  However, if that coating is removed the egg needs to be refrigerated.  At Nature's Pantry we wash all of our eggs so please keep your eggs in the fridge.

Also, eggs have an incredibly long shelf life and will last up to 6 months - if kept in the fridge. So go ahead and grab yourself a few dozen at a time, they'll last a really long time!

7) NATURE'S PANTRY EGGS COME IN THE CUTEST EGG CARTONS EVER

Every single egg carton has been hand-stamped by yours truly.  We gladly accept your clean egg cartons to reuse - when you recycle this helps us keep our costs down.

Whew! We’ve covered a lot of ground.  Was there anything that surprised you about farm fresh eggs?

If you're ready to take the leap to eating wholesome eggs from happy chickens we are now accepting new families for eggs! Our eggs are always stocked at the farm store and we also offer pick up in New Ulm, Lakeville, Eden Prairie,  Excelsior, and My Health Beginnings in Long Lake.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in pastured eggs please forward this info on to them :)

Cheers to Happy Hens!

Sarah