Northeast Georgia Locallygrown availability list for April 18

Good Evening Locavores
I will start the market off this week with some words about the eggs in your market.
Just as vegetables with genetically modified organisms are not allowed in this market, meat and poultry are not allowed to be fed GMO grains.
To the best of our knowledge the soy and corn in all of the standard commercial feeds are gmo grains and so these feeds are not allowed. For the most part that leaves only certified organic feeds and feeds certified to be gmo free for use by growers in this market.
These feeds cost double the prices of standard commercial feed. Obviously this increases the cost of producing meat and eggs. We also require that laying hens must be pastured on grass rather than in a bare dirt pen or on shavings.
When a grower acquires baby chicks he must feed and care for them for 20 weeks or so before they are mature enough to lay eggs. Once the hens begin laying eggs their production usually is not as high as commercial hens due to the fact that they are not housed with artificial heat and light.
In order to supply eggs, the grower must make a commitment to spending money for feed and providing labor to care for the birds daily for five months before getting the first egg.
Consider this when you shop for eggs in this market and apreciate them for their high quality and enhanced health
benefits. If you have not tried the eggs this would be a great time to treat yourself to them.
Have a great weekend and enjoy healthy local food.