![]() Most of the blame for the $5 to $7 egg prices seen at local grocery stores is last year's national avian influenza outbreak. Jere Farms of Brimley is a popular example. The best bet is finding someone you know or hitting up larger area farms. Remember, small hobby farms, like Mukwa Ridge Farm, have limited supply. A lot of self-serve vendors accept vouchers." "A number of community health programs have gotten active in bridging gap between people with assistance cards and their local vendors," said Escherich. "I can still accept any kind of market vouchers. ![]() What about those people on a low-income budget, relying on state food assistance programs?Įscherich and other small farmers are able to accept electronic benefits transfers (EBT) payments. We have a lot of local producers right here in the EUP who have incredible flexibility with meeting the food needs over such a large geographic area." When one farm can't meet a local need, someone else down the road likely can. Your support of local farmers creates a more sustainable community. "You choose to keep your dollars in your community," Escherich said. "You also choose to not support the unethical treatment of birds, forced to live in these commercial operations. ![]() Outlining our costs I think is important for customers to understand the costs. Local farmers are definitely not making record profits like our commercial counterparts."īoth Escherich and Sweeten agreed that purchasing local is one of the best things people can do for their local economies. This price doesn't include our time, cost of the coop, cost of new chicks, feeding chicks for 5+ months before their first egg, cost of the original birds and feeding them for 5+ months before their first egg, electricity, etc. I see many people on our local ' rave page' wanting local farmers to do the right thing and sell eggs for only $3. "For transparency purpose, just including non-GMO (genetically modified organism) feed and bedding costs, I can produce a dozen eggs for $3.84. You need time to pick up supplies, tend, feed, water, and collect eggs. You can't leave your property for more than a day or two, especially in the winter due to water freezing, unless your coop has electricity."Įscherich hopped on her Mukwa Ridge Farm Facebook page this week to update page viewers on current small chicken farm operation costs: You need a chicken coop that's secure and a secure fenced in run space, unless you free range. You will need a container to brood chicks in, water, food dishes, and a heat source. You will need to buy chicks. You will need feed, supplements, bedding, and water. "First, you will need to check your city, township, and county ordinances to see if it is legal for you to keep birds on your property. "Beware that you'll spend hundreds to thousands out-of-pocket before your hens lay their first eggs," Escherich said. Factoring in time and costs, she asked that people take the time to learn what they are getting themselves into. "We typically sell to friends and family."Īs Sweeten explained, a backyard chicken farm does not necessarily produce the quantity needed to sell to multiple local buyers. "We are a small hobby farm that produces jams and we have chickens," said Escherich. Tiffany Escherich of Dafter owns and operates Mukwa Ridge Farm. ![]() That is about six eggs each week in its prime, which lasts around two to three months before tapering off. My friend Tiffany is paying over $20 per bag of feed." Depending on the breed, it could be six to eight months. An average chicken lays every 30 hours or so. "The price of birds has also gone up," said Michelle Sweeten a livestock and forage educator at EUP Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). "If you get them shipped at a couple days old, it will take anywhere from three to four months before they start laying eggs. If you are thinking about starting your own chicken farm to save money, local farmers and farming experts warn you may be getting into more than you bargained for. Eggs were once a low priced item on most grocery lists, a must have for breakfast enthusiasts and bakers everywhere, but prices as high as $7 a carton have caused some Yoopers to think twice before stocking their carts with this highly nutritious commodity. ![]()
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