Pastured Eggs

Think when you go to the grocery store and select eggs labeled as being from 'free range' chickens that you're getting a healthier alternative to factory farmed? Think again. What does "Free Range" mean? By definition of the USDA under 'Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms' it merely says, "Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside." I.e. there has to be a door, and it has to be open some of the time. The chickens may never actually set foot outside; this does not matter to the USDA. And as it turns out, this definition only applies to meat chickens – the agency has no such requirement (weak as it is) for chickens raised for their eggs.

And "organic" eggs? What about that? We are all for organic on this farm, but the National Organic Standards definitions are not what you would imagine. Again, by definition (for labeling purposes), 'organic,' though still better than conventional, simply means that they are fed organic feed (and cannot be given hormones or antibiotics). There is no requirement under the National Organic Program that they must be allowed sunshine and access to pasture, or to the space necessary to express their natural behaviors. The sad truth is, birds can still be crowded into a warehouse, still made to endure “forced molting,” the practice of denying hens food and water to “shock” their bodies into a new egg-laying cycle, still de-beaked (hugely inhumane)... and be labeled 'organic.'

Eggs from grass-fed or 'pastured' chickens (the only kind we offer) are healthier on four counts: healthier for the chickens, the farmers, the environment AND the consumer – that's you! [See www.eatwild.com - the clearinghouse for pasture-based farming - for extensive detail on this matter if you wish to delve further.]

The bottom line is, get to know the farmer that grows your food!

So here's the scoop. Although Live Earth Farm has some of its own chickens (come visit any time to meet them!), these are only enough to supply a very small number of eggs. This year Farmer Tom is continuing his relationship with local 'pastured poultry' farmer, Jim Dunlop of TLC Ranch, who supplies us with sufficient eggs to meet the demand.

	Jim Dunlop and his wife Rebecca Thistlethwaite are TLC Ranch. Tom has met with them and visited their ranch, seen their happy chickens in action, and feels they meet the high standards you would come to expect from Live Earth Farm. Here is Jim and Rebecca's farming philosophy: "TLC Ranch was founded by a couple former vegetarians who believe that animals should be raised in a way that complements the earth, rather than destroys it. A belief that animals should live the fullest, most pleasurable lives, eating the best organic feed, and rotating around succulent pasture. "On 10 acres of organic land, we raise a flock of large brown egg layers. Since our animals are raised on a diet of organic grains, pasture grasses & forbs, our eggs have very high levels of Omega 3s and CLAs, high Vitamin A & E, and lower saturated fat than conventional eggs.
"Our eggs are unlike anything you can find at your grocery store. Certified organic eggs in the store are produced by hens that have their beaks clipped, are packed with 10,000 other birds in a large warehouse, and have little access to outdoors - only a small dirt yard.  These hens will probably never eat a blade of grass or a clump of clover in their lives.  At TLC Ranch, our birds spend their entire adult lives outdoors, as nature intended.  They are raised exclusively on organic pasture, with all organic feed, and rotated weekly so that their manure is spread out over a large area, eliminating pollution.  Plus, they get to keep their beaks so they can eat bugs, seeds, and peck at the ground as much as they'd like."
Jim and Rebecca collect eggs daily, sometimes twice a day (especially in the warmer weather, when the hens lay more frequently). From there, Jim says, the eggs go into an antique 'egg washer,' where they roll past brushes and water [no soap] and are dried. The eggs are then hand packed into cartons and refrigerated. Jim delivers his eggs to Live Earth Farm weekly, so they are always very fresh. [In conventional egg operations, there is a 'packing date' which has no bearing on when the eggs were actually laid. Packing can be weeks, if not months apart from the time they are actually laid, according to Jim.]     If you wish to contact Jim or Rebecca, you can email them at tasteslikechickenranch@yahoo.com

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