As demand for eggs increases, Oxford turns to local farmers
The ongoing spread of bird flu has driven up egg prices nationally. Local farmers in and around Oxford have seen increased demand for their eggs as grocery prices rise.
Local farmers struggle to keep up with the increased egg demand due to the national avian influenza outbreak.
Craig and Sharon Harkrider have co-owned Stoney Hedgerow Farm since 1988. Their family farm is located just outside of Oxford in Camden but mainly sells its products at MOON Co-op and the Oxford Famer’s Market. Craig Harkrider said in all the years that they’ve been selling pasture-raised eggs, he’s never seen an outbreak like this one.
“We have no trouble selling any and all of our eggs,” Harkrider said. “With the avian influenza culling and thinning and reducing the supply of eggs, it puts even more pressure on us. We need every egg.”
Ohio is the second largest producer of eggs behind Iowa, according to reporting by the Dayton Daily News. The state is leading the nation in bird flu cases within commercial poultry farming this year with more than 4.1 million chickens and turkeys affected, the outlet reported. Harkrider said one of the biggest issues he’s faced because of the outbreak is finding a replacement flock to keep production up.
“When you cull 160-plus-million birds out of the national flock, out of commercial flocks, finding replacement birds is very challenging,” Harkrider said.
Instead of buying mature, ready-to-lay birds to replace his older flocks like he usually does, Harkrider was forced to buy chicks from a hatchery here in Ohio. Those chicks will take up to six months to lay compared to the more mature birds which would have taken only three weeks.
“Basically, my expenses are doubled and my labor is tripled on a replacement flock,” Harkrider said.”As a result, he started warning customers that his prices for a dozen eggs will increase by $0.50 on April 5.
Mary Sutton, owner of Harvest Moon Homestead, started her self-serve farm stand on Oxford-Millville Road in September last year. She said recently they have seen an increase in business.
“We've had people stop pretty much every day asking for eggs,” Sutton said, “and we're just now starting to be able to fulfill those orders.”
Sutton not only sells her own eggs but also sources eggs from other local tenders. Sutton said although she used to sell a dozen eggs for $4, she increased the price to $5 a dozen to match what others were charging. She said she hopes that the demand for eggs will have a positive impact on her business.
“We're constantly adding stuff to the store,” Sutton said. “So if maybe they don't like sourdough bread, maybe they like cupcakes or something. You know, get them in with eggs, and then maybe they like to buy something else.”
Oxford’s local commercial grocery stores, Kroger and Walmart, are selling a dozen commercial-grade eggs just above or below the national average of $5.90, according to the USDA. However, for quality, pasture-raised eggs, which is what Harkerider and Sutton offer their customers, their commercial competitors charge nearly a dollar or more than they do.
“If you've ever compared the two [commercial & pasture-raised eggs], the backyard eggs are orange instead of yellow,” Sutton said. “They have more nutrients, and hopefully that, in and of itself, will keep people buying them.”
