Afraid to Eat Eggs?

First, my sincere apologies for not having blogged in two months!  I cannot believe how quickly the summer went by.  On the plus side, my business is really picking up so I've been doing a lot of work with individual clients.  On the down side, I have discovered my time management skills need some work!  Having said that, starting in September I am making a concerted effort to get back on track with writing regular blogs. 

Now then, even though it has been several weeks since the news first broke about tainted eggs, it continues to be talked about in the media.  Just yesterday evening I was watching ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and again they were talking about filthy conditions discovered by inspectors at one of the Wright plants.  I have blogged before about knowing where your food comes from, and I think now is a good time to remind everyone why this is so important. 

The story on the news last night really turned my stomach, for a number of reasons.  First of all, the fact that numerous rodents were freely running around in the hen house should have been red flag number one that conditions were not sanitary and just “washing” the eggs is not going to adequately ensure they are safe for human consumption.  Rampant flies in the area should have been red flag number two.  What comes to your mind when you think of a lot of flies congregating in a relatively small area?  Not a pleasant picture, at least not in my mind! 

I think you all know by now that I am an animal lover, so seeing the conditions that those poor chickens are working in is what really turned my stomach (as if the items I’ve mentioned above were not enough!).  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  We reap what we sow.  We cannot expect to pay pennies on the dollar for high quality food.  Something has to give, and in our current conventional factory farm system, the first to suffer are the animals.  However, suffering is not just limited to the animals; ask anyone who got salmonella poisoning how they feel.  This is a direct consequence of "doing things on the cheap." 

This is a prime example of why I am more than willing to pay more for good quality food, particularly from local farmers that I can meet, talk to, and even visit their farms!  There is no better way to protect yourself from this type of outbreak than to know the source of your food. 
 
You can always go to your local farmer's market and find sources of good quality eggs there.  However, I know that getting to the farmer's market can sometimes be a challenge.  If you want a good source of eggs and you live in Texas, Coyote Creek Farm in Elgin sells eggs under the name “World’s Best Eggs” through Whole Foods Market.  I have personally toured their farm and met the proprietor, Jeremiah Cunningham and can vouch for the safety and sanitation of their operation!  In fact, I will dedicate my next blog to my tour of their property this past summer, so stay tuned!