Sunnier side up

These local egg sellers will have you wanting to put all their eggs in your basket.

BY CAYLI YANAGIDA

In 2022, the bird flu killed more than 49 million chickens nationwide. The resulting egg shortages have made the versatile source of protein more expensive.

At the beginning of last year, namebrand eggs averaged about $1.50 per dozen, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. However, by the end of 2022, the price of a dozen Grade A eggs had risen to an average of $4.25.

Although prices have leveled out, in order to resist the shortages, some consumers have turned to local sellers for higher-quality eggs at the same price point.

A remedy close to home

When Chelsea Davis came to Columbia for college, she knew she wanted to fix a part of the agricultural system — one that fails to benefit farmers and takes advantage of consumers looking for affordable products. However, she didn’t think she’d end up as the owner of Root Cellar, a local market.

Her sustainable market plays a part in meeting the community’s current egg needs but has been part of Columbia for over a decade. At the store, Davis works with two local sellers who provide chicken and duck eggs. Root Cellar has maintained its prices for the past three years at about $5.29 per dozen.

“What we continue to do every day is make sure that people understand where their food comes from, what is happening in those rural communities and how their food is being produced,” Davis says.

Food transparency and explaining where the products come from is also important to Nicholas Van Schyndel, a 17-year-old from Mexico, Missouri, who sells eggs locally through the Columbia Farmers Market. Van Schyndel is a ranch hand at his parents’ farm, Hedge Holler Harvest.

Van Schyndel says his favorite part of the farmers market experience is connecting with the consumer. “I’m able to educate the consumer about the difference between what I raise and what the store has,” he says. “They are able to learn the entire perspective.”

Although eggs from local farms were more expensive than the average price of eggs before the shortage, their stability kept prices from skyrocketing during the period of low supply.

Maintaining a price that falls between the two extremes is also something Van Schyndel tries to do when he sells eggs. For the last year, he has sold his eggs for $4 a dozen.

Healthy chickens, healthy eggs

Catherine Peterson, a nutritionist and associate professor in nutrition and exercise physiology at MU, says eggs have a wide variety of nutrients and contain all the essential amino acids. This unique makeup means it adds a variety to the diet.

“As a nutritionist, (eggs are) one thing you promoted to those who have a limited income because it used to be a pretty cheap source of quality protein,” Peterson says.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, are the opposite of small local farms. CAFOs have thousands of birds living in one space without regular access to the outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This can lead to the rapid spread of disease, and subsequently, the termination of all infected chickens and instability in the industry.

One of the benefits of local farms is better quality products that the chickens are fed compared to more industrial farms. “Those birds (at local farms) have access to fresh grass and fresh bugs they can eat all throughout their life,” Davis says. “That’s really the best system to have.”

Due to this difference in feed, the genetic makeup of the eggs can change as well. Local farms can produce eggs that are richer in nutrients, which results in a darker color in the yolks and creates more Omega 3 fatty acids, Davis says.

CAN’T BEAT THESE EGGS

Columbia Farmers Market

1769 W. Ash St., Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Root Cellar

1203 Rogers St., Wednesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Clovers Natural Market

2012 E. Broadway or 2100 Chapel Plaza Court, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“A lot of things (in the eggs) can be largely determined by what the hen is fed,” Peterson says. “For example, you can give a hen more vitamin D, and they (will have) more vitamin D in their egg.”

Investing in what’s local Buying locally is more reliable when it comes to products that are traditionally cheap. When large companies control the price of eggs, it allows them to hike up the rates when the egg supply dwindles. This has led to the intense swing in egg prices, which is not something Davis has seen at her store.

“We’ve had no changes in our production of eggs, the supply chain or the price,” she says. “If we invest more in a local food system, one that is central to our communities, we are going to be more secure and have less shocks to the system.”

Investing in local sources of food is important for resisting shocks to the food system long term, Davis says. Although egg prices have fallen now, Davis says it’s important to support local businesses and farmers consistently. “This will happen again,” she says.