When news of a massive, nationwide egg recall hit last month, it was easy to find backyard chicken owners proclaiming the superiority and safety of their hens’ eggs.
They seemed, in a word, smug.
Raising your own birds in small flocks, they argued — on numerous blogs, Facebook and Twitter — makes it easy to notice when birds become ill or there are problems with their feed.
Of course, we can’t all — logistically or in some cases, legally —raise backyard fowl.
But we can keep a close eye on where we buy our eggs.
We could ask those hen-tending friends to share, if they’re so proud.
We also can buy eggs from farmers we know and trust.
In Snohomish County, it’s possible to do that pretty much year-round.
While hens on small farms aren’t immune to infection, they often are allowed to spend more time outside and are not housed together by the thousands as they are on industrialized farms.
In recent years, an increasing number of farmers markets have made it easier to buy local eggs.
Now, during the busy, bountiful harvest season, is an ideal time to meet farmers selling not just late summer crops such as corn and squash, but also chicken and duck eggs.
Many local farm stands and some pumpkin patches, too, stock local eggs this time of year.
Will they be as cheap as grocery store eggs?
Probably not.
Eggs at some farmers markets can go for more than $4 or $5 a dozen.
But you can ask the farmers themselves how they their raise their hens and how they work to prevent infection and contamination.
You can find out where they get their feed, one of many factors the Food and Drug Administration has cited as a source of salmonella infection related to the 550 million recently recalled eggs from two Iowa farms.
You can also research the larger local egg producers selling eggs at your local grocery store. Not all modern farms use the same farming practices as those cited at the farms involved in the recent recall.
Research might be the only way to know what kind of eggs you’re getting.
Labels won’t really help.
Grocery store eggs cartons may sport labels such as “cage-free,” “organic” or “humane,” but a close look at details behind the official terms show them to be largely meaningless in terms of the treatment of the birds, according to the Human Society of the United States.
Beak cutting, for example, done to limit excessive pecking in confined spaces, is permitted on birds that lay certified organic, free-range, cage-free and certified-humane eggs.
Forced molting through starvation is allowed on birds that lay organic and free-range eggs. “American Humane Certified” eggs can come from caged or cage-free birds, according to the Humane Society.
If you don’t care how the egg-laying birds are treated, local farmers are hoping something else will win you over: taste.
Fans of local eggs from chickens raised on grassy pastures, rather than cooped up in large hen houses, say the flavor is excellent. They say such pastured eggs come from healthier birds that produce darker, richer yolks, thanks to a diet that includes grass and bugs.
That, of course, is for you to decide.
Looking for local eggs?
Farmers markets, farm stands and natural health food stores are your best bets for year-round eggs produced on small farms in Snohomish County.
Sky Valley Family Farm of Startup: This mom-and-pop farm, featured in The Herald in 2007, sells eggs year-round at a variety of area health food stores, including Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op, 2804 Grand Ave, Everett, 425-259-3798, www.snoislefoods.coop; TruHealth, 18001 Bothell-Everett Highway, Suite 109, Bothell, 425-415-8410, www.truhealth.com; The Health Spot, 428 Pine Ave., Snohomish, 360-568-6303.
Farmers markets: Look for an updated list of farmers markets every Wednesday in The Herald’s Good Life section at www.heraldnet.com/goodlife. After the Snohomish County markets have closed for the season, eggs are available year-around at Seattle-area farmers markets. See www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org.
Puget Sound Fresh: This user-friendly, searchable database of regional agriculture allows you to search for eggs by county, along with local farmers markets, farm stands and community supported agriculture programs known as CSAs. Go to www.pugetsoundfresh.org.
Egg safety
Though eggs are naturally resistant to bacteria, thanks to proteins in their whites, you can protect yourself from illness or tainted eggs by following sound handling practices.
Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm.
Keep fresh eggs refrigerated and use them within three weeks for best quality.
Use pasteurized eggs, treated while still in their shells, for recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, such as Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream.
Use hard-cooked eggs in the shell or peeled within one week after cooking. Eat refrigerated leftover egg dishes within three or four days.
Wash hands, cooking utensils and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
Cooked eggs, including hard-boiled eggs, and egg-containing foods should not sit warm areas or at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Reheat or refrigerate within 2 hours, ideally right away.
Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or souffles should be thoroughly reheated to 165 degrees before serving, after they’ve been refrigerated.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
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