Would you pay $4 an egg?

[Jenise]

Take a look at this WSJ article about the eggs born to chickens raised on music:

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/02/22/is-it-the-chicken-the-egg-or-the-music/

I've asked grower's at the Farmer's Market who sell beautiful eggs what makes the lovely, almost orange yolk. It is what they are fed. I sincerely doubt the music makes any difference in egg color. I also have my doubts about the chickens liking the music. My grandparents raised chickens for Purity Stores on the coast and sold them eggs, as well. During the short winter days, he had to provide a special light for them, so they would lay eggs. The yolks were always large and a brilliant gold. Most chickens hate changes made to their environment. Maybe Hong Kong chicks are different! Sounds like a marketing ploy to me.
Here is a website I like to visit and what they have to say about their orange yolks.
http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/orange-egg-yolk-tastic.html

No.

I just paid $2.50 a dozen and thought I was going to die of apoplexy.

John, stuck in the distant past

$4/egg?
No way.

[Robin Garr]

Here is a website I like to visit and what they have to say about their orange yolks.
http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/orange-egg-yolk-tastic.html

Aha! Farm Girl Mary is always telling me that free-range egg yolks are so yellow because the chickens eat bugs. I suspected she was trying to gross me out.

[Robin Garr]

We have a pretty wide selection of free-range eggs around here these days, and prices vary somewhat. But they tend to run around $4 a dozen, which would be 33 cents per henfruit. We think this is a fair price to support local farmers and avoid industrial eggs from battery hens. The jump from there to $4 isn't large, so I guess I'm busted ... I'd pay it, in exchange for quality.

Here is a website I like to visit and what they have to say about their orange yolks.
http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/orange-egg-yolk-tastic.html

Aha! Farm Girl Mary is always telling me that free-range egg yolks are so yellow because the chickens eat bugs. I suspected she was trying to gross me out.

It is an easy answer Robin. Here, in our Farmer's Market community, the grower's are asked a lot of questions, and since they are extremely busy, you get the shortest answer. When they have free moments I like to ask questions and have them give me more detail. I get everything from eating bugs, to home made, complex diets they mix up for the chickens. Basically, I have learned that the chickens that are allowed to run around in the sunshine, eat grass, peck and scratch around, and are given a good organic diet seem to be the ones with the very bright colored yolks. One grower told me her chickens like to lay eggs all over the place, not only in the hen house but around the yard. It seems her kids do easter egg hunts almost everyday!

My local farmer has determined that a fair price for her brown eggs with deep orange yolks is $2/dozen. Likewise, their hormone and antibiotic free ribeye steaks are $9/lb. Guess things are cheaper in the country where the farmer's market is their front porch.

[Robin Garr]

Guess things are cheaper in the country where the farmer's market is their front porch.

I don't think there's any doubt that the farmers' markets in the "upscale" city neighborhoods operate under an understood bargain: City folks knowingly pay a premium both for quality and to support the farmers. The farmers get a fair price that recognizes their effort in growing it and bringing it to the city, and pays more than subsistence. Nobody is being ripped off, and everyone leaves happy.

Guess things are cheaper in the country where the farmer's market is their front porch.

I don't think there's any doubt that the farmers' markets in the "upscale" city neighborhoods operate under an understood bargain: City folks knowingly pay a premium both for quality and to support the farmers. The farmers get a fair price that recognizes their effort in growing it and bringing it to the city, and pays more than subsistence. Nobody is being ripped off, and everyone leaves happy.

As long as everyone is happy, that is the nature of a free market. Although I've heard rumors of price setting "arrangements" among the vendors/growers at some markets which is not the nature of a free market.

[Robin Garr]

I've heard rumors of price setting "arrangements" among the vendors/growers at some markets which is not the nature of a free market.

I'm not sure that untrammeled cut-throat free-market competition is necessarily the most desirable way for a community farmer's market to operate. Undercutting, hard feelings, angry farmers dropping out, sourness prevails. Let Ayn Rand run off with Milton Friedman to worry about the banks or something.

I've heard rumors of price setting "arrangements" among the vendors/growers at some markets which is not the nature of a free market.

I'm not sure that untrammeled cut-throat free-market competition is necessarily the most desirable way for a community farmer's market to operate. Undercutting, hard feelings, angry farmers dropping out, sourness prevails. Let Ayn Rand run off with Milton Friedman to worry about the banks or something.

Damn socialist!

[Robin Garr]

Damn socialist!

Well, Euro-style social democrat, maybe ...

[Jenise]

I've asked grower's at the Farmer's Market who sell beautiful eggs what makes the lovely, almost orange yolk. It is what they are fed. I sincerely doubt the music makes any difference in egg color. I also have my doubts about the chickens liking the music. My grandparents raised chickens for Purity Stores on the coast and sold them eggs, as well. During the short winter days, he had to provide a special light for them, so they would lay eggs. The yolks were always large and a brilliant gold. Most chickens hate changes made to their environment. Maybe Hong Kong chicks are different! Sounds like a marketing ploy to me.
Here is a website I like to visit and what they have to say about their orange yolks.
http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/orange-egg-yolk-tastic.html

Karen, apparently one other thing contributes to egg color: sunlight. An egg producer that I saw interviewed mentioned that, and to prove it he then took an egg from a chicken who loves being outside and also from one who rarely ventures out of the henhouse and cracked them open. Indeed, the egg born to the outdoorsy hen was a much deeper color. Since then I've noticed that the eggs I'm getting from my new source have been much paler since it got colder--I presume the chickens aren't as inclined to wander about the yard.

[Jenise]

My local farmer has determined that a fair price for her brown eggs with deep orange yolks is $2/dozen. Likewise, their hormone and antibiotic free ribeye steaks are $9/lb. Guess things are cheaper in the country where the farmer's market is their front porch.

The going price 'round here is $4/dozen for same. Not enough competition.

[Robin Garr]

$4 a dozen, which would be 33 cents per henfruit. We think this is a fair price to support local farmers and avoid industrial eggs from battery hens. The jump from there to $4 isn't large ...

Say, I'm not very good at math, am I? Four dollars an EGG? No. I don't think so.

I've heard rumors of price setting "arrangements" among the vendors/growers at some markets which is not the nature of a free market.

I'm not sure that untrammeled cut-throat free-market competition is necessarily the most desirable way for a community farmer's market to operate. Undercutting, hard feelings, angry farmers dropping out, sourness prevails. Let Ayn Rand run off with Milton Friedman to worry about the banks or something.

Having shopped at a market of a specific religious origin where all the products are priced the same in every tent I can tell you that the result has been to sell the most productive product and not that which taste the best. Little motivation exists for instance to try to sell heirloom tomatoes when the lowest price point on all tomatoes is set at a point that ensures adequate profit. Not sure if it is by rule or just the way things work but all products (produce, eggs, butter, cheese, honey) are at the same price with no one selling for more or less ever.

[Robin Garr]

Having shopped at a market of a specific religious origin where all the products are priced the same in every tent I can tell you that the result has been to sell the most productive product and not that which taste the best. Little motivation exists for instance to try to sell heirloom tomatoes when the lowest price point on all tomatoes is set at a point that ensures adequate profit. Not sure if it is by rule or just the way things work but all products (produce, eggs, butter, cheese, honey) are at the same price with no one selling for more or less ever.

May be. That's not the way it works at our big farmers' markets (which I think 'winger is aware of). They're held at church locations but aren't run by the churches. Believe me, there's plenty of diversity and quality, and no "fixed price" that I can discern ... but nobody selling at an aggressive undercutting rate, either. It's all locally grown and primarily heirloom. One relatively large farm that sells "Kroger-look" produce at somewhat lower prices is doing okay, but a large part of the clientele seems willing to pay a higher price for heirlooms and such.

Glad to hear that yours ar different. Where I live there are 3 farmers markets within 5-7 miles of my house and all three have different rules.
1. Is Amish only. Prices are same tent to tent. Only sells produce that is in season. No heirloom products. Place is packed with so much business on the weekend that parking is a problem. Also sells butter, eggs, cheese, jam, bread, flowers, plants.

2. Is restricted to grown within the county. Only sells produce and flowers. Some variability in product and minor pricing differences tent to tent. Not heavily shopped and shrinking in size. Late or early season there may be only a single farm represented.

3. Appears to have no restrictions. Commercial stands bring in produce from out of state. Widest selection of produce. Some that is not in season. Most closely resemble the Kroger-look produce. Part of a very large market that also sells clothes, furniture, tools, etc. Some Amish stalls selling live animals. Heavy traffic on Saturday when everything is open. Less on Sunday when its just produce.

I know people who will drive 20-30 miles on the weekend to go to either 1 or 3. I can't recall anyone making a special trip to 2. I don't expect a change anytime soon and will continue to grow items that I am particular about while using the markets for fresh corn etc.

The earliest source I could find said an egg sold for about 2 cents in 1890, which works out to $.49 today, astonishingly close to Robin's figure. $4 is clearly out of line, but I pay about $.60 each for pastured eggs around here. It's worth it to know that my food isn't coming from chickens treated the way we know chickens are treated in factories.

Having gone through a dozen and a half (so far) of the farm eggs I bought at the source about 3 weeks ago @ $2/dozen, I can say I will definitely be a returning shopper at that particular farm. It's less than 2 miles from the driveway to our future home. Orange yolks, and great taste.

Reading the article the price is $HK4 which apparently equates to US60cents approx. +$US7.20 per dozen

Organic eggs in my proverbial neck of the woods (from free range chickens) run about NIS 20 per dozen - that is to say about US$5.55 or about 46 cents each. Regular eggs cost about half that.

To pay $4.00 an egg - no way!!!

To pay $4.00 an egg - no way!!!

Just be patient.