A Case for Making Pastured Eggs a Kitchen Staple

We put a lot of work into caring for our hens, not just because we love them, but also because we know that happy, healthy hens produce nutritionally dense eggs. In a world where food quality is suffering because of industrialisation, producing nutrient-dense eggs and meat for our customers is one of the reasons we farm regeneratively.

So why choose eggs from local, pasture-raised hens rather than eggs you can find at the grocery store?

Here are a few reasons:

NUTRITION

Eggs are a real powerhouse food, and traditionally, they have been a reliable source of nutrition to get people through the Canadian winters when other kinds of food were harder to source. Among the most nutritious foods on the planet, eggs contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. Omega-3 enriched and/or pastured eggs even contain more of certain nutrients. (Healthline)

Vitamin D, pastured compared to conventional

During this time of year, we hear about Vitamin D a lot. Vitamin D is important for our immune system, our bones, our mental health and so much more.

Just like people, chickens get a lot of their vitamin D from the sun. Eggs from factory farmed chickens are not as high in Vitamin D because the hens don’t have access to the outdoors.

Hens that are raised with daily access to the outdoors like ours, however, have 2 to 3 times higher levels of vitamin D than conventional eggs.

Not only are eggs a great source of vitamin D, but a Mother Earth News study conducted in 2007 comparing eggs from pasture-based farms, such as Polyface Farm in Virginia, to conventionally produced eggs, showed how the nutritional profiles of pastured eggs surpassed those from conventional farms. (See summary table below. US-based data.)

(From Mother Earth News, October 2020)

How we manage in winter

With winter comes snow and cold, and of course, the hens can’t live outside in those conditions. To compensate for the lack of sunlight from shorter days and mostly indoor living, we use UV lights in the coop.

Still, if it isn’t too cold and there isn’t too much snow on the ground, the hens love to go out into the yard and scratch around. We also feed them certified organic grain year-round from a local grain producer. This helps maintain the nutritional quality of our eggs.

2. MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

With the climbing cost of living, it can be a real challenge to eat healthy on a tight budget. It’s even harder when we always seem to be lacking the time to plan healthy meals. But when you really think about it, even eggs in the higher price range offer a lot more value for your dollar than many other food items at the store: they are nutritionally dense, easy to prepare, and can be eaten as a meal or a snack.

When you compare our eggs to other common go-to protein snacks, you can see how economic eggs are.

Our eggs weigh an average of 57g (classified as a large egg) or more and we charge $7 per dozen ($0.58 per egg). So the price per 100g of our pastured eggs is $1.02.

Here is a comparison with some snacks/proteins based on their prices at the time of writing at our local IGA:

Something else I noticed while at IGA is that Compliments “free-run” eggs cost $6.79/dozen, meaning they charge $0.57 per egg, compared to our $0.58. “Free-run” means they can roam the barn floor. They do not have access to the outdoors. For more information on egg-labels, click here.

I personally need to make sure there’s a good amount of fat and protein in my diet, especially in the morning. And while meat is a regular part of my diet, eggs are an affordable ally in those moments when I can’t get my act together to cook a “proper” meal.

3. VERSATILITY/CONVENIENCE

Whether fried, scrambled, poached, hard boiled or as an omelet, you can’t go wrong with eggs. And don’t forget all the possibilities of baked goods, which is a great way to spend time with your kids and initiate them to cooking (and fractions!).

Some of my customers come to the store and buy many dozens at a time- sometimes up to 10 dozen when I have enough to spare. While eggs do last a very long time in the fridge, and some people buy them to share with friends and family, I couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing with the eggs. After surveying a few people, I have compiled a list of great recipes (see below) that illustrate why eggs are THE powerhouse kitchen staple.

So the next time you want a meal that’s easy, affordable and packs a nutritious punch, think of eggs (ideally from a pasture-based farm!) and save this post for inspiration or as a reference to some great recipes.

RECIPES