top of page
Writer's pictureKim Williams-Guillen

Egg Pricing Changes and Egg Limits

If you've tried our 100% free range, pastured eggs, then you will probably agree that fresh, pasture raised eggs are far tastier than anything you can get at the grocery store. That's because our eggs are fresh (grocery store eggs can be up to two months old before you even take them home), and because there are no "tricks" in our egg production: we don't use any feed additives to give the yolks an artificially dark color, and the flavor reflects each individual hen's ability to forage for fresh vegetation and invertebrates on our farm's pasture, which we manage in accordance with organic standards.


Raising eggs outside on pasture is more expensive for producers, for many reasons. First of all, chickens that are walking around outside are spend more energy on activity and less energy on making eggs; they have more opportunities to hide their eggs in secret spots and hatch unauthorized babies; and they also have more opportunities to get into trouble with predators and accidents, which means a higher attrition rate. Nevertheless, but we actually charge less than what it costs to buy comparable eggs at the grocery store. Why can we do this? First of all, we can sell our eggs unprocessed and ungraded, which means we don't have to invest in costly machinery to clean and automatically candle eggs. We also reuse egg cartons (which can cost up to a dollar each new, depending on carton type and the quantity you buy), reducing the cost to you. Finally, we have a commitment to helping feed our community, and eggs are one of the most sustainable forms of animal protein farmers can produce; we purposely charge less in order to make sure we have something we can offer community members who don't have $12 to blow on a pack of bacon.


Seasonal Egg Pricing

One way we manage fluctuating egg stock is to adjust our pricing -- when demand is higher than the supply, we raise prices. When we have too many dang eggs, we lower prices. Our "standard" price is $5.50/dozen, as of August 2024. In spring and early summer, we usually have too many eggs, and lower prices to $5/dozen. In winter, when we are barely getting a dozen eggs per day, we raise prices to $6/dozen. Yes, we are purposely trying to get you to buy fewer eggs when we do that! It also takes a lot of effort to manage the wait list when supplies are low, so the price reflects our increased labor. We are sensitive to people's different economic situations, so if you are a low income customer then we can arrange to keep you at the lower price.


Seasonal Purchase Limits and Waitlists

Customers who live far away from the farm, or who have larger families, often want to purchase larger quantities of eggs. However, depending on the time of year, these requests can quickly outpace our production. To keep things fair for all customers, we may impose a per order limit of 2-3 dozen eggs, so that everyone gets at least some eggs. (Like toilet paper during the pandemic, it’s better for everyone to get at least some rather than for one person to get it all.)

 

During periods with limits, you can still ask for eggs; however, we will manage requests to ensure that all customers get some eggs in a timely manner. Here is an example. Imagine that it is November, and the chickens are only laying two dozen eggs a day because of the cold weather. We impose a limit of 2 dozen eggs per order. On Monday, Alfred requests six dozen eggs, then Betty requests 2 dozen eggs, and after that Carl requests 3 dozen eggs.

  • The first two dozen eggs, laid on Monday, go to Alfred; he goes back to the end of the line with his remaining request of 4 dozen eggs

  • The next two dozen eggs, laid on Tuesday, go to Betty; her order is fulfilled, and she can pick up her eggs

  • The next two dozen eggs, laid on Wednesday, go to Carl; his remaining request of 1 dozen eggs goes to the end of the line

  • The next two dozen eggs, laid on Thursday, go to Alfred; he now has 4 of his requested six dozen eggs, and his remaining request of 2 dozen eggs goes to the end of the line

  • The next one dozen eggs, laid on Friday, goes to Carl; his order of three dozen eggs is now ready for pick up

  • The next two dozen eggs, laid on Friday and Saturday, go to Alfred; his order of six dozen eggs is now ready for pick up on Saturday. Even though Alfred requested his eggs before Betty and Carl, he has to wait the longest for his order, because he requested a larger number of eggs.

  • If Denise had called and requested two dozen eggs on Wednesday, then her request would have been added to the line, and Alfred would have had to wait even longer for eggs.

 

Here are some tips for customers who want large numbers of eggs

  1. Requests for larger numbers of eggs can best be met between the months of March and June or July, when the chickens are laying more eggs naturally due to sunlight and weather

  2. If you live or work nearby, it is better to request a small number of eggs more frequently – you will get more, fresher eggs if you request two dozen a week rather than eight dozen a month

  3. If you can only pick up infrequently and therefore must request larger numbers of eggs, then make sure to place your request at least one week ahead of time in summer and 2-3 weeks ahead of your desired pickup date in fall or winter

  4. During periods of very low production (winter) we may not be able to accommodate requests above the order limit (usually 2 dozen per order at that time of year)

  5. If you use large numbers of eggs throughout the year we recommend that you plan ahead by purchasing extra eggs when they are abundant in spring and early summer, and then stockpiling preserved or frozen eggs for use in winter. Here is a guide to various ways to store and preserve eggs: https://grubblyfarms.com/blogs/the-flyer/storing-and-preserving-chicken-eggs

9 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Комментарии


bottom of page