What do we mean by “farm fresh”? What about “free range”? While the term “free range” usually makes us think of wide, open fields with chickens happily running wild, the reality is that most eggs marketed as free range are actually produced in factory farms.

Color

Brown Eggs ≠ Healthier

To clear up some myths about eggs being bleached white – they are not. The color of the egg doesn’t say much about its contents. Some chickens lay white eggs, some brown, some green. Chicken nutrition and living conditions are more important than egg color.

Nutritional Differences

Less Stress + Better Nutrients = Higher Nutritional Value

Let’s say you show up to work and your boss has decided that all 10 people on your team will not share a 2×5 foot space. You’ll all stand to work, no breaks, and the only food you get to eat is a spoonful of mush that has the bare minimum nutrients you need for the day. How will that impact the quality of work you put out?

Factory farming commonly keeps chickens in a high-stress environment, often giving them lower-quality feed than small farms. What’s the result? Farm fresh eggs are consistently higher in nutrients. Penn State researcher Heather Karsten ran a study comparing pastured birds to birds raised on an industrial diet. She found that “pastured birds produced about three times more omega-3 fat in their eggs than did birds raised on an industrial diet”. According to Certified Humane, “researchers found that one pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3 fat, three times more vitamin D, four times more vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene than eggs from hens raised on traditional feed.”

“…one pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3 fat, three times more vitamin D, four times more vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene than eggs from hens raised on traditional feed.”

Flavor

Farm Fresh = Richer Yolks

If you’re already part of the farm fresh egg world, you know that they taste better than store-bought eggs. They tend to be larger and have richer, more flavorful yolks.

Freshness

Farm Fresh = More Fresh + Longer Shelf Life

How long do store-bought eggs take to get to the shelf? Hard to know, but it can take weeks to transport eggs from the facility to the store. Buying eggs from a farmer means you’ll get eggs that are fresher and travel a fraction of the distance.

Cost

Egg prices have skyrocketed over the past year but that doesn’t always mean farm-fresh eggs are more expensive than store-bought. Local grocery stores in Utah are currently hovering around $7/dozen, while farm fresh eggs average $5-$6. Communal Farms allows you to shop around based on price, location, and standards while also supporting local farmers. Sounds like a win-win to me!