What's In Season at the Farmers Markets: Local Eggs + Iowa Egg Recall Anniversary

By Felicia Friesema Wed., Aug. 10 2011 at 3:50 PM

Felicia Friesema

Kendor Farms free range eggs at the Hollywood market.

Eggs? Yes, eggs. This week is National Farmers Market Week, and while the bulk of what you see piled high on tables at your local market is more flora than fauna, here and there you'll likely see neatly stacked cartons of farm fresh eggs. In some cases, it's a secondary crop for local farmers who have the land for a decently-sized flock of cage-free chickens. But here is something to think about: next week is also the one-year anniversary of the Iowa egg recall. Remember that? 380 million eggs that had been transported all over the country, many of them in California, had to be destroyed due to salmonella contamination. Which really brought the importance of eating local close to home.

Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, the epicenter of the recall, is one of the nation's top 10 egg producers, with a colossal chicken flock that rivals the of population of Los Angeles. The cause of the contamination was likely "unsanitary conditions" (really?). That can happen when you have 15 million birds, even if they aren't packed into battery hen cages and fed hormones to keep them laying. In addition, just prior to the egg recall, the company plead guilty to animal cruelty after Mercy for Animals filmed the living conditions of chickens at their primary production facility.

The response has been, "well okay, I'll buy from my local farmers market," because at least there you know where the eggs are coming from, how the hens have been treated, and what they've been fed. But here's where it gets tricky. Generally speaking, you'd be right, however the recent raw milk raids conducted at Healthy Family Farms revealed, "[Sharon Palmer] was buying thousands of dollars worth of meat, poultry and eggs from other vendors and reselling it at farmer's markets... despite claims and advertising that it was raised on her farm and not fed commercial feed." (originally reported by Patch) Too bad it took a government raid to reveal it. They've been vendors at the Sherman Oaks, Ventura, South Pasadena, Moorpark, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica (Arizona and Virgina Park), Calabasas, Ojai, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Larchmont, and Hollywood markets long enough to develop a pretty loyal following.

Do you have to go that far to ensure your egg's origins? Of course not. This is where common sense and friendly farmer relations come in handy. After all, the USDA recommends that during National Farmers Market Week (and frankly all year long) you make the effort to "know your farmer and know your food." The eggs from Peacock Family Farms out in Dinuba are vouchsafed through a few sources and we can attest to their freshness and flavor. And several customers recommend the eggs from San Fernando Valley-based Kendor Farms. There are many other vendors who, when their girls are laying, provide a multi-hued selection of eggs for sale, though supplies are usually pretty limited. Still, they aren't from Iowa, and the farmer can probably tell you each one's name.

Tags:

egg recall, eggs, Felicia Friesema, Healthy Family Farms, Iowa egg recall, Kendor Farms, Peacock Family Farms

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Felicia

Randy - We're in agreement on the third party suggestion. And you'd think with all the various certification agencies out there (Quality Assurance International, Animal Welfare Approved, CCOF, and CDFA's organic program) that there would be some kind of measurement that identified good business practices. The standard bearer for farm vendor verification is the Santa Monica market, who recently overhauled their entire vendor list after some pretty exhaustive footwork. Are other markets willing or even able to follow suit? Today, at this moment, the only and even best option for consumers is to do their own homework and make informed decisions. In my case, it has meant doing farm visits. Not everyone can do that of course. But if the local paradigm is important to you, it's pretty much your only option.

People have been asking pointed questions about Healthy Family Farms for some time, but not in the open and there was no proof of any wrong doing until the raid. The thing that tipped people off though was observation. The size of their flock vs. the amount of eggs they were selling at so many local markets just didn't add up. People who made that observation then quietly made their own decision about purchasing from them.

Randy Rodriguez

I don't know who deserves more criticism in this mess:

(1) Rawesome and its vendor, Healthy Family Farms, for making a fast buck by avoiding the costs of a licensing process designed to protect consumers. HFF also lied to customers by advertising its products as their own.

(2) Readers who wrote in support of these bozos without waiting for the charges to filter through media obfuscations.

Or (3) the LA Weekly columnists who portrayed Rawesome as a modern folk hero fighting for a pure, healthy product -- raw milk -- when it could already be sold legally by licensed vendors.

Even the above post, with its devastating news about HFF lying to customers, still hems and haws while painting a muddled picture of how to ensure that the food you buy at local farmers markets is safe for your family. "[F]riendly farmer relations" might be fun or even necessary, but it's far from sufficient unless you're an ag scientist with personal knowledge of the operation. What we need are frequent inspections by objective third-party experts. Support people who are working to improve that imperfect process, and leave the stories about mysterious corporations and scary government agencies to Coast to Coast AM.

Randy Rodriguez

I meant to say "supplier," not vendor.