Egg Scares

The egg recall reminds me why I eat locally and organically.

The salmonella scare was caused by two egg factories (interesting word but appropriate to their scale of operations) who buy their chickens and feed from the same supplier. It has affected hundreds of thousands of people.

Not me. I buy my eggs from a farmer near Joshua Tree. His chickens work on the farm, picking insects in the orchard so he does not have to spray chemicals. He has a variety of chickens, so the eggs vary in color and size.

The chickens live outside and eat insects, so they're less likely to get sick than chickens who live mainly inside and eat "chicken food." (Mad Cow spread through England because they used ground up chicken parts as "cow food" and “chicken food.”) Even if there was a problem, it would affect hundreds of people, not thousands.

Small is beautiful.

Alexis Koefoed raises chickens and eggs that are served in restaurants like Chez Panisse. Chefs say they taste better than factory-farmed products. She's done the math on her small farm, and says that eggs should cost $8 a dozen for farmers to make a living wage.

Even at that price (eight times the 99 cent store price!), it works out to less than one dollar per egg, incredibly cheap for a good-quality protein, practically a meal in itself. I almost feel bad paying a mere $5 for my dozen eggs.

On Splendid Table recently, Michael Pollan explained how all progressive social movements start among the wealthy who have the time and resources to devote to them. He mentioned the abolitionists and suffragettes, and said the movement toward real food is heading the same way.

I think he's right. I think it's up to all of us who can afford it to put our money into the hands of farmers who grow our food locally and organically. The more we support these farmers, the more others will move into sustainable farming instead of factory farming (of plants and animals).

Best of all, paying our local organic farmers directly lets us feel ethically virtuous and progressive, while eating the freshest most delicious food. It's a win-win situation.