ottawa foodies

Where do I find local eggs?

Mooonkey: Ask around at your closest outdoor market. I have an egg man who delivers to my door every second week BUT there's no point in giving his name, as he has all the customers he can presently serve.

Define "local"

When the farmers markets start up there is usually a vendor with local farm fresh eggs every weekend. I would love to find a source for he rest of the year too.

Organic Farmer's Market has a couple of vendors.

Thanks for you answers but I must re-ask my question...

Does anyone know where I can find chicken eggs year round that are raised on a farm that is located within the ottawa region?

I have been looking for 2.5 years now for normally/humainly raised meat and eggs and no luck. I suppose the only solution would be to get my own darn chickens!?

Sounds like humainly raised meat and eggs are in demand...

moonkey, I repeat: ottawa organic farmer's market. open year round. read about it here:
Ottawa Organic Farmers Market

Thanks blubarry...I will check it out..:-)

Thus my question above :-) "Define local"

"Year round" implies you don't really know much about humane eggs, because pretty much by definition they are not available year round (moulting season).

Check some CSAs though. Look in the "Localvore's thread" on this site. I know that for the last few years the son at Saffire Farms was raising organic / humane eggs and selling them separately from the CSA (so you can buy them without being in the CSA). But by definition they are not available year round because o moulting season.

Well, moulting comes into play, but farms can still produce eggs year round. Not all chickens moult in the same month..."oh no, it's November, no eggs from any of our chickens!!!"

Okay fair enough. I lived on a farm and remember we had eggs year round....will have to ask my mom what kind of chickens they were!?

I have read the lacalvore's thread lots...unless I am missing something.

Thanks

I get mine from Rock-N-Horse Farm in Almonte (I also belong to their CSA).

$4 a dozen. Brilliant orange yolks. Diane and Arlee are very nice people, to boot.

In the summer, she delivers to Stittsville Market on Thursday afternoon, which is super convenient for me.

Yes it does depends on what type of chicken and even during moulting there are eggs just not nearly as many.

Moulting sure does have an impact on egg production, but our hens produce year round because we have two small flocks of different ages, so different moulting times.

Some farms have an all in, all out production (ie they get a flock of new chicks once per year). So, yeah, most of the birds will go into moult at the same time meaning sometimes there are not enough eggs to sell.

As well, depending on the breed of chicken, some are more likely to stop laying when the day length gets to short, and other breeds will keep on producing through the long, dark, cold winter.

I would imagine quality feed plays a role in eggs year round too, as does the health of the hens, and how they live.

by curiosity, for those that buy ungraded eggs, how often do you find cracked shells, blood or meat spots?

Meat spots? interesting way to put it :/

It was rare for us to find cracked shells.... as for blood spots..it was still edible if it happened ;-) Except once I remember an almost fully formed chick being cracked into the frying pan...also probably still edible yuck..:/

Besides, I didn't think it was legal to sell ungraded. How about chicken leasing? you pay a farmer to look after your chickens but you go grab your own darn eggs? Better hurry before meat spots and chickies form ;-)

Until I can grow my own or steal someone elses eggs....for now I go eggless!

"Except once I remember an almost fully formed chick being cracked into the frying pan...also probably still edible yuck..:/ "

It's an Indonesian food called Balut.

Anyone else out there get a Balut by mistake ?

You can only sell ungraded at the farm...

What farm tourist?...there did not seem to be any..only markets. :-)

New to town with no wheels :/ OH wait...speaking of wheels...I get some at 3:30!!

We want eggs!!

i can't tell you which ones, but i often see random "fresh eggs" signs while driving in the country.

Thanks!

Chicken leasing? Is that available does anyone know.....?

Bekings eggs are local, free range and we get them year round for the restaurant. Not sure which retailers carry them, but you could always give them a call and ask. www.bekingseggs.com/

Best source for Bekings (in my opinion) is NiCastros on Bank, where they sell them bulk (you fill your own carton, provided) for $3.50 ish a dozen

Make sure you know what "Free Range" means before you go getting pictures in your head about those chickens. When I have more time I'll go searching for the thread where we discussed it (and in particular Beking)

Am I right in thinking that free range doesn't mean much, but that organic does?

I bought beking's a few times...but noticed a large supply around the city. Decided to go eggless. :-)

I thought Organic is still factory? And organic does not mean the chickens are free range?

zymurgist
I did a search for beking and found the thread you were speaking about...I think..

Forum - Farm-fresh eggs?post_id=20314#post_20314

We carry Beking XL eggs here in Carleton Place at $3.99 a dozen.

Just my opinion, but I am not a fan of Beking's eggs. Certainly better than Burnbrae or the like, but a far cry from real "farm" eggs. The chickens are less stressed as they are allowed to roam a barn, but still handled like any industrial egg plant. True free-range birds eat insects and wild seeds. It makes a difference in the taste of the yolks.

I recommend doing your own comparison.

I agree that the Bekings are not as good as farm fresh. However, if you live downtown, it is a question of convenience - do I want to run around looking for eggs or pick up ones that are better than factory eggs?

I would call them "a better factory egg" rather than "better than factory eggs" - because they are still factory eggs.

Just to quibble :-)

so did you mean local eggs, or "hand picked, still-warm, brown, organic, free range, even in the winter, covered in poop, sold in re-used burnbrae carton, mozart playing in the barn, eggs"?

I had to google burnbrae carton...to realize it is a company. Was trying figure out what kind of carton that was :/ I cannot eat eggs from the grocery store. I get extreme cramping from the time they go in until the time they go out...it is a dreadful hourly process. I use to get eggs from a friend's farm up until we moved away from them. :( I was okay eating those eggs.

Bekings gave me the same affect. Milk also does the same thing...cramping. :/ hmmm..could be because I grew up growing our own milk, eggs, meat and veggies. We even had wild rasberries, apples and blueberries...oh droool.

Appreciate the advice...thanks Happy Easter

what part of town are you and and how far are you willing to drive?

I am near the st laurent shopping centre. I would drive up to 30 one way..maybe a bit more. Depends on if the eggs are worth it :-)

If you're in the west end try Anderson farm (Dwyer hill and franktown rd) fresh eggs every day ,I think they are four bucks a doz. They have a really good selection of grass fed organic lamb and beef as well. Everything is nicely vacuum packed and prices are decent.