Egg sizes explored

Little Sprouts sells eggs unsorted, meaning cartons randomly contain eggs that would be considered any size from extra small to extra large. We do mix the sizes somewhat evenly so the average weight of a carton remains constant. But does it really matter? We have discovered something quite interesting about egg sizes.

When you compare sizes... it is mostly the whites that differ, not the yolks. Even when comparing an extra large egg to an extra small one, the yolks are virtually identical. The whites can vary hugely accounting for the difference in shell size. The pictures here show just such a comparison.

Why is this significant? Well for one thing... as we now know it is the yolk that contains virtually all of the nutrition of the egg. The yolk is loaded with nutrients our bodies desperately need. Most healing diets (such as gaps, body ecology, etc)  use raw egg yolk as a primary healing food. Egg whites, being mostly just protein, are actually discarded. Bottom line.... egg yolks, especially raw, are the important part. Egg whites, are more of a filler than a nutrient.

During our journey on gaps, where our family healed a long list of common and not so common ailments, we relied heavily on egg yolks. Often going through 3 to 4 dozen egg yolks per day for 2 adults and 3 children. They truly are a miracle food, especially raw.

Note.... this post only applies to farm pasture raised soy free eggs... never consume eggs from factory farms raw and always limit those "eggs" as conventional wisdom dictates. Factory produced eggs are a negative nutrient at best... life threatening at worst. Pastured soy free eggs are a totally different product than storebought factory produced "eggs".

So.. from a health perspective, the size of the shell is immaterial. Once cracked, it becomes difficult if not impossible to tell between a extra large and an extra small egg. If your eating for health, smaller eggs represent no less benefit.

Here are some pictures of an egg comparison. Try this yourself!

The egg on the left would be considered small by weight standards, the  one on the right an extra large or even jumbo

The yolks are amazingly similar, in fact the smaller egg on the left appears to have a slightly larger yolk.

The side view shows the extreme difference in white content. 

First Khaki Campbell Duck Egg has arrived!

We were very excited to find the first duck egg from the campbells. We found a couple of duck eggs laying around hte pond last week, and sure enough we are now getting a consistent 1 egg per day. this means they are of age and the number should climb steadily and quickly.  There are 120 ducks, including 8 males, so doing the math  of 3 eggs per day for every 4 birds shows :

112 females / 4 = 28  * 3 = 84 eggs = 7 dozen per day

This breed is listed to have the capacity to lay all through the winter without lighting, although at a slower rate, so we should have duck eggs available year round.

So yes.. exciting news for those waiting for a steadier supply of duck eggs! It is almost here!

As usual, these eggs will be soy free, non-gmo, omega 3 rich, pastured (with pond) organic, fertilized, and fresh! Ducks eggs tend to be a little richer than chicken eggs, and those truly allergic to chicken eggs can often consume duck eggs without a problem.  That puts duck eggs in high demand!

maybe time to start on another  new flock!?!?!

Worms, update

Been wondering what became of the mealworm project? Several months ago we placed some mealworms in a plastic storage bucket, hoping to grow enough to supplement the birds in winter. The method we started with was much too labor intensive and soon fell off the list of chores.

Surprisingly, after no attention for several Months, we opened the box to find a thriving community of worms and beetles!  That have me an idea.  Perhaps we can use the hardiness of the beetles to make life easier.

So. ... we pulled an old sand box (from our California days) from storage and put it use.  We dumped all the individual worm boxes into the sandbox,  and placed it into the barn.  There are literally thousands of not millions of worms in various stages of development.  The sand box has a  fitted solid top to keep the chickens out and provide darkness for the bugs. The bedding is a  combination of chicken feed,  goat feed,  and alfalfa making a couple inches of material across the entire bottom.

The plan is simple. Feed them occasional scraps, keep it covered, and weekly pull out a bucket of worms,  beetles,  and feed. That can be feed directly to the birds quite easily as part of the regular feeding.

When winter hits,  we will bury one or two of the flat panel ceramic brooder heaters in the bedding. With a cover it should be like summer year round!

The only risk at this point is that the worms or beetles climb up the sides. There is some possibility of that by watching them so far. Need a bright idea about this challenge.

If this works,  the birds well have a constant diet of bugs all winter!

Farm to home delivery? Really?

One of our most common questions is. .. how can you afford to do home delivery,  why not just meet us somewhere?

The answer is simple. .. economics.  Home deliveries just make sense.  Let me explain:

1. Fuel.  Our farm is about 20 miles from Medford.  Most customers are in Medford or Ashland.  At present each week we deliver to 20 it 30 customers. That means we drive maybe 120 miles total and use about half a tank of gas, maybe 50 dollars.  Compare the alternative. .. 25 customers would have to drive about 30 miles each to pickup. That's over 600 miles each way.. . 1200 miles round trip.  At least 10 times more driving and much more fuel spent.

Sure the argument can be made that this cost is spread over 25 customers, but still it is there.  The money is being spent to purchase our products. We want to keep the total cost down and this is one way to do it.

2. Convenience. Our goal is to make buying from a farm as convenient as the grocery store.  Our family spent over a year driving every week to pickup raw milk.  Its tough.  People just don't have extra time today to do this.  We burned out quickly and put  in our own goats. Even with the best intentions, most people simply can't spare the time and expense of pickup.

What about csa ? We support csa , but don't offer one.  It seems more convenient to order what you need instead of getting  a box of surprise.  What often happens then is you still need certain things not in the csa delivery, and end up going to the store anyway. We want farm purchases to be the normal way of supplying your family table,  not the extra things that show up. We support csa but believe true home delivery meets needs more.

3. Customer relationships : we love delivery day! What a great way to meet and chat with each of our customers. On any given delivery route maybe half of the customers are home.  Its heartwarming to say hi,  share a story,  and hear how everyone is doing.  We believe farming is about people,  families,  health. We cherish the chance to maintain contact with each family. There isn't a big truck that carts away the fruits of our labor,  instead we hand them to the people who need them.

4. Customer base: business wise,  the most expensive thing any business does is get a new customer. That is what advertising is all about.  While we certainly need to keep growing,  deliveries allows us a easy way to offer new products to a close group of motivated customers. Each time we produce new products most go to existing customers. The average sale per delivery increases as we gain more representation on the dinner table.  As we broaden our product line,  delivery becomes more efficient and customers rely on us more.  Its a win win.

5. Training: our name Little Sprouts Farm represents our goal of handing a working farm to our children. What better way to do this than let them grow up experiencing first hand the joy of hand delivering the eggs and cabbage we worked to produce?  The  children benefit from the motivation as well as learning customer service first hand.  Already the children ask earnestly to deliver to certain customers who buy their own products.  "But Mommy that's my customer" is music to our ears.

6. Advertising: we have received numerous calls from people who saw us driving around the neighborhood. The advertising value of this is huge!  An added benefit is that it is highly targeted.. .. the most exposure is where we already deliver to!  So over time each stop expands into multiple stops. 

Overall this is a model that works well.  We have grown tremendously in 6 months since starting deliveries.  We can't keep product in stock it sells so fast!  Its easier for customers and beneficial for us, and our customers are our friends. We are very pleased and like all things, we give credit for the delivery aspect as inspired from above.

See you on Saturday !

Products restocked and expanded

Now that we are back in full operation after last month's unexpected trip,  we have some exciting news! 

New products!

Pickled eggs are packed and ready for sale.  These are the slightly spicy version,  pickled in live vinegar and our own recipe. Available in pint size of 4 to 6 eggs.

Yogurt!  Raw goat milk yogurt!  By popular demand we have made yogurt. It is incredibly smooth and mild.  No added ingredients,  just raw goat milk and yogurt starter.  Plain,  simple,  healthy.  For legal reasons this is available only within our herd share program.

Ice cream!  That's right.. .. we have true homemade hand churned ice cream!  Ingredients are goat milk,  egg yolk,  honey,  and vanilla powder. This is uncooked, simply mixed and frozen. You can't buy ice cream like this from any store!  No added cream.  The egg yolk adds enough fat to make the milk freeze creamy.  It is actually a healthy treat!  For legal reasons,  this is as valuable to herdshare members only.

More to come!  We are busy restocking our coolers for this week's delivery!