What are we Harvesting?

Autumn Equinox brings the peak of harvest season so I take some time to consider what my Heathen spirit has managed to coax into a harvest on our land. I can hear the rooster crowing, again, and I’m reminded of our egg harvest. I think the rooster is calling to our newest and somwhat wild hen, who can fly out of the coop and likes to forage just outside of the fence where he can’t reach. It’s said a rooster crows about every hour or so to let the hens know where he’s at and I’d have to agree he does crow regularly. Last night it was the full moon and that had him crowing at night as well. Home grown eggs are just delicious and worth the music, though a rooster isn’t necessary for egg production.

Eggs were recently in the news when “Wright County Eggs” located in Iowa recalled half a billion eggs sold across 8 states under 13 different labels for possible salmonella contamination. That’s a lot of eggs coming from one area. Apparently most commercial eggs come from large factory farms today. Up until about 20 years ago small egg houses were scattered across every state making them a local product. Unfortunately huge factory farms seem to be the way of the future and the family farms have all but disappeared. Check the label on any purchased egg carton and see how far it has traveled by visiting this web site: http://www.organiclinker.com/egg-miles.cfm.

Know what the label on the carton means, sometimes they are misleading. Any eggs labeled “Certified Humane” or “Certified Organic” must follow particular rules: “Certified Humane” chickens are cage free with density requirements, while “Certified Organic” chickens must have outdoor access and be fed only organic feed. Some sources claim that no nutritional differences exist between commercial and Humane or Organic eggs, however Mother Earth News conducted their own studies in 2007 which seem to show the opposite is true.

“Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene”[1]

The slow food revolution can help offer consumers more responsible choices, if they can accept the added expense that quality usually demands. But what’s the harvest we are getting if we don’t make the responsible choice? More factory farms, less humanely raised food, lower nutritional value, soylent green…oops my mind is wandering…You can find locally grown foods on web sites such as http://www.localharvest.org/.

Or try raising your own eggs! Anyone can raise laying hens: even in the city (local zoning permitting) they require only a small area of space. Secure housing is the number one priority, something with a roof if at all possible. Commercially available chain link dog pins can offer a quick choice, or something similar. Additional wire stretched across the top will save your chickens from predators like possums and dogs. Sources and tutorials for chicken and egg culture abound on the internet.

If the sound of a rooster is putting you off from having your own laying hens remember that roosters aren’t actually necessary to produce eggs. Instead a high protein diet promotes the laying of infertile eggs – so you are not even taking a life when you eat one! However a rooster does spice up the coop.

One large egg has about 70 calories, 6 grams of protein mostly from the white, and 5 grams of fat mostly from the yolk. They also contain the antioxidant lutein, in an easily digested form, which is essential for healthy eyes.

The rooster is crowing again. The wild hen seems to be getting used to him and finding his calls more and more attractive. We hope this is the case because she has the mothering instinct, meaning she will sit on her eggs faithfully to get the next generation started.

Hail the Harvest!