Eco-Photo

I was amazed to learn that eggs are the result of hens ovulating. Unlike humans, they ovulate almost every day which results in a delicious egg. If a rooster is around then the egg gets fertilized but the chickens lay the eggs regardless. I don’t think they mind us taking their eggs. I learned these facts while photographing chickens which I featured in my April newsletter.

Along with my wonder at nature’s bounty I also learned some rather gruesome facts about conventional eggs. Each backyard chickener I met talked about the horrible living conditions of chickens in the “factory farms” which provide conventional eggs.  I did a little research online and found that our huge appetite for big profits and cheap food has driven the current model of the commercial chicken factory farm. The goal of the factory farm is to get the most egg out of the each chicken. This has lead to the widespread practice of raising chickens in battery cages. Battery cages are small wire mesh cages where the chickens live. With no room to walk or to spread their wings the chicken’s energy is used for the sole purpose of laying eggs. By limiting their movement and feeding them hormones, the factory farms realized they could get more eggs out of each chicken.

Not surprisingly, these conditions make the chickens sick and aggressive. Like other livestock factory farms, antibiotics are used regularly on factory chickens. This habit of feeding chickens and other livestock antibiotics is causing stronger strains of pathogens in humans and it is having deadly consequences.  I also heard that they cut the tips off the chickens beaks so they can’t peck each other. I guess they don’t need their beaks anyway since they are never allowed outside!

I did not visit a factory farm so I cannot say I saw these things with my own eyes.  But this brings up the question of trust. Like many, I’m having trouble trusting big food corporations. I have lived most of my life assuming that the food available to me in the grocery store is good for me. But recent research into the widespread use of ingredients like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup have changed my assumptions. Now I question everything and trust my own experiences.

My experience with true, free-range eggs is that they taste eggier, the yolks are darker, and I feel more connected to my community. I call them “true” because apparently loose guidelines exist for the term free-range and some egg companies call their eggs free-range even though they only allow the hens access to the outdoors through a small door for one hour a day – not what I would call free-range. Alternately, organic eggs must conform to the more stringent rules and are probably the safest bet for buying in the stores.

So I have switched to buying eggs from local farmers. Humane aspects aside, eating pastured eggs seems healthier.  If we are what we eat, I’d rather eat an egg from a healthy, happy free-range chicken than a sick, depraved factory chicken. Ultimately, I’m responsible for my health and for the food that I put into my body. I recommend doing a quick search on localharvest.org to find a local egg farmer in your area or do some online research on the eggs available to you in the grocery store.  Call up the egg farm and see if you can visit, even if you don’t plan to go. I find that the reputable farmers are open to visitors and I’m suspicious of the one’s who don’t.

I also want to mention a DVD that Frank of Crippled Crow Farm gave me.  It’s called Wegman’s Cruelty and it is a 30 minute documentary on factory farm eggs. It is not easy to watch, but it’s proof that these farms exist.  Also, my friend Christie gave me an article on a study Mother Earth News sponsored comparing the nutrients in true, free-range eggs to conventional eggs that you can see here.

And what happens to the chickens when they are done laying? A lot of the backyard chickens let them live and have a natural death. Others have them “processed” at small chicken processing plants to be used as “stew” chickens. Many ethnic families, still knowledgeable in the old ways, will buy your chickens and prepare and cook them. Bok-Bok!

After visiting a grass-fed cattle farm in Texas (see December 2008), I wanted to visit a grass-fed farm near home. I had bought meat a few times from Jonathan Ehmig’s booth at the Portland Farmers Market, so I decided to drop by his booth again and ask if I could visit his Highland Oak Farm. Jonathan was more than happy to let me visit and he encouraged me to come out before all the leaves fell off the trees. I set up an appointment to visit and headed out early in the morning. We had a storm the day before which blew off a lot of the leaves and left behind some very dense fog that lingered for a few hours.

Jonathan has about 400 head of cattle and they all eat the grass from his many acres of land. The cows are grain fed on organic hay during the last couple of months of their lives, which he says helps to make the meat tender. I can personally vouch for the tenderness and juicy flavor of his beef. Before visiting his farm I purchased a new york strip steak and Ken created a lovely stir fry. Perhaps most people don’t stir fry New York Strip, but I must say it was the best stir fry meat I’ve had. It is comforting to know that his cows live a healthy life and are treated in a human manner. Here is a link to a gallery of photos I took of his farm. http://www.shawnlinehan.com/photos/highlandoak/

In the photos you’ll see an old, red, Chevrolet truck. Jonathan operates under the theory that dogs can stress out the cows so he and his father-in-law entice the cows to move between pastures by giving them hay out of the back the truck. It’s not easy work, but it seems like a good life.

While visiting my sister in Ft. Worth, Texas I decided to see if I could visit some local organic farms.  I was having trouble finding organic vegetables farms near Ft. Worth when my pal Kim Brown Schetter suggested I look into grass-fed cattle farms.  In my internet research Burgundy Pasture Beef stuck out from the crowd. I called them up and they gave a warm welcome for me to visit their farm.  With Sis in tow, we went down to Grandview, TX and met with Jon Taggart, Co-Owner of the ranch with his wife, Wendy.  Jon has 1400 acres of land for his 400 cattle, which can eat grass for most of the year because of the southern climate. During the coldest part of the year they eat organic alfalfa grass.  Jon’s 25 years of farming experience taught me a lot about the efficiencies and health benefits of grass-fed cattle. All his grass is organic; the cows eat the grass, fertilize it, stamp the seed into the ground for the next crop and then are moved to a new location. These were very happy and stress-free cows.

Here is a photo of Jon throwing some kind of wasp larva onto the cow patties, which is just one of Jon’s organic farm practicies. The wasp larva feed on the fly eggs that grow on the cow patties.  Apparently flies are a big hassle for cattle (see how little I know!).  Jon also recommended I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Coincidentally on the way down to Texas I read an article Mr. Pollan had recently written to the next President-Elect for the NYTimes. I highly recommend it.