I’ve long been a fan of eggs. That is certainly no secret. So, I immediately said YES when my friends at FRESH Communications offered up the chance to join them for a tour of an organic egg farm.
You see, I’m a bit of a food tour/farm tour junkie. I’m just getting started, really, but in the past few years I’ve managed visits to a conventional dairy farm in southeast Massachusetts, Cape Cod Brewing Company, a maple sugaring operation, and even the Cape Cod Chip Company. I love to learn about the different stages of production, and hear from owners why they choose the practices, products, and ingredients that they do.
Back to the ever-versatile egg. They’re surely close to one of the most perfect foods available, given their portion-controlled package, affordability, and stellar nutrition profile. I probably eat 5-6 a week, and as a family we go through at least a dozen in that time. They’re incredibly easy to cook with, and star in go-to dishes like the stackably delicious egg sandwich, omelettes, scrambles, and – my favorite – the veggie-packed frittata!
Grab my frittata how-to here.
There’s so much to learn about raising chickens on an organic egg farm.
I’ve never toured an organic egg farm, though, or a conventional one for that matter. I did not know what to expect. The Country Hen, which is both organic and Certified Humane, was impressive, to say the least. I learned so much!
Certified Humane eggs come from chickens raised in humane conditions that prioritize the health of the animal.
To pass Certified Humane standards, the farm must meet a lengthy list of requirements. Generally speaking, it requires that chickens are raised with the highest humane standards, including sunlit cage free barns and outdoor porch access.
The Country Hen will take it a step further. Soon, these lovely ladies will also have a pasture to wander about in. The humans just need to finish fencing it in!
They are so egg-cited 😉
If an egg is labelled organic, every part of chicken and egg care has to be organic as well.
This means organic vaccinations, as well as organic feed. The Country Hen is one of the only organic egg farms around that actually makes their own organic feed.
The Country Hen’s feed is a combination of several organic ingredients.
60% is corn (for energy)
35% is soy beans (for protein and fat)
5% is a combination of fish meal and flaxseed oil (for omega-3 fatty acids), as well as alfalfa, wheat, marigold (for choline content), and calcium carbonate.
A chicken’s diet is what determines nutrient the content of the egg.
Thus, these eggs are high in omega-3 fatty acids, choline, and lutein, in addition to being a great source of protein.
In addition, it is said that organic eggs ‘stand taller’ than conventional eggs. The yolks are firmer, and the whites set higher when cooked.
We saw this for ourselves in the beautiful luncheon we were treated to after our tour. This here is chicken milanese, and of course they #putaneggonit 🙂
My sincere thanks to The Country Hen and Fresh Communications for an informative, entertaining, and delicious day learning about an organic egg farm. And thanks to the lovely ladies, too, for sending me home with 6 freshly laid eggs.
It was an egg-cellent adventure!
FRESH Communications sponsored this tour of a local organic egg farm. Iwas provided lunch as well as eggs to take home, but no other compensation. All viewpoints, judgments, and errors are mine alone.
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