Sustainable Solutions #7, May
Is That a Chicken on Your Back?

Greetings fellow eaters,

I have an addiction. While some describe such a condition as "having a monkey on your back" for me, it's more like a chicken. I'm obsessed with farm-fresh eggs.

"What's the big deal?" you might say. I see those in the Mega Mart all the time. Right there on the package, next to the label that claims "free-range chickens" the sign that says "cage-free," and the sticker proclaiming "now with even more Omega-3's," the packaging says clear as day "Farm-fresh." While these labels may be well intentioned, and some are even based in fact, more often than not they can be quite misleading.

What many of these labels are intimating, but not promising, is that the eggs come from chickens raised out on pasture in the fresh air and sunshine. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't some good eggs out there. As a matter of fact, I think that there are some cartons on the shelf that have raised the bar in the Mega Mart oeuvre. But that aside, if you're looking for farm-fresh eggs, that's the place to get them--directly from the farm.

"Oh, come on," you might be saying, "You want me to make a special trip just for eggs?" This may sound like a tall order, but buying eggs directly from the farmer is getting easier. With each eater who takes up the task, our increased demand will make it even more so. I just read, in Edible Brooklyn, of a group of urban moms who have banned together to form an egg-buying club at their kids' school. Every other week during the winter a local farmer drops off dozens that the moms share between them. During the warmer months, they get their eggs from the same guy at their farmers' market. You can, too. Small growers often keep a few chickens and sell their eggs at market. And it's becoming increasingly common to see a roadside sign tacked up advertising fresh eggs. This is one billboard that is worth following.

Once you try a truly from-the-farm farm-fresh egg, you won't believe the difference. The yolks are bright saffron orange and stand up firm and high when you crack them into the pan. Their flavor is so rich it makes hollandaise seem redundant. Their quality is excellent and their taste so satisfying, they easily make the leap from ho-hum breakfast staple to center-of-the-plate dinner showcase.

This superior quality is due in large part to the chickens' diet. Unlike factory farmed birds who are fed a crazy concoction that might be made up of restaurant and food processing scraps, antibiotics and other prophylactic medications, and of course GMO grains, birds raised on pasture enjoy the essential components of their natural diet--vegetation and bugs. Field chickens scratch and peck up a diet of grasses, grubs, insects, and larvae that not only makes their eggs taste delicious and look colorful, it increases their nutritional value. For instance, eggs from pasture-raised chickens have naturally increased levels of "Omega-3 fatty acids" the good fat found in salmon and nuts.

Unfortunately you can't trust labeling alone to tell you the story of your egg's origin. Take the aforementioned Omega-3. Not to be confusing, but although pasture-raised eggs have naturally high levels of this essential element, Omega 3s can also be increased by feeding birds flax seeds or other supplements, so its not a guarantee that the bird was raised in the field. Ditto with terms like "free-range," or "cage-free." It's a bit of USDA smoke and mirrors that requires chickens to have access to the outdoors, via a small but unused door, but they needn't go outside.

To get the real dirt on how your eggs got to be eggs, call the farm. Or look them up on the web. Ask them how much time their birds spend outside. Ask them what their birds eat. Better yet, take a trip out and see for yourself. That's what I did recently with my husband and two wee kids. We collected eggs at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. (If you've not been there, go. It's a wonderful, working, sustainable farm on a gorgeous property near Tarrytown, NY.)

The laying set-up designed by Craig Haney, the livestock manager, and maintained by him and his wonderful team is just how eaters imagine and egg laying should be. The birds live in flocks in mobile chicken houses that get moved around the field frequently to give the birds access to fresh pasture and the fields a chance to rejuvenate. The birds were happy to see us and gathered around at our feet for some of the supplemental grain we scattered for them. We reached into the nests and pulled out the eggs--many so fresh they were still warm. I started to get a sort of "gold fever." My pulse quickened as my egg basket filled. My mind danced with recipes for omelets, frittatas and poached delights.

I bent down to tie my daughter's shoelace that, in coming undone, was looking alluringly worm-like to some of our fowl friends. There, as I hunched over to tie it, one chicken flapped his wings and perched himself squarely on my back. And there I was, full egg basket in hand, bird clinging to the well worn nap of my denim jacket, a portrait of the egg addict that I am.

For more information on Stone Barns visit http://www.stonebarnscenter.org
To find out more about Edible Brooklyn visit http://www.ediblebrooklyn.net

Keep it real,

Sherri

Sustainable Solutions may be reproduced in whole or in part by contacting sherri@sherribrooksvinton.com

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