Eggs

I will be the first to admit that I have a bit of an obsession with eggs.  Which is funny, because I really don't like to eat them the way most people like to eat them.  I primarily enjoy them as an ingredient in other foods, such as brownies.

That being said, happy chickens make better tasting eggs, and I like my eggs to come from happy chickens.  This means I try to buy only from chicken owners I know personally. 

 Apparently these are good reasons to buy local eggs, as is wanting to support you local economy.  What is not a good reason, interestingly, is to conserve energy.  I heard this story on Northwest Public Radio a couple weeks ago.  Washington State University researcher Dr. Jude Capper did a calculation and determined that conventionally farmed and trucked eggs are more energy efficient, on a per carton basis.  However, they did not consider two other options available to us here in Moscow...having a colleague bring eggs in from home or being able to buy farm/backyard eggs at the grocery store.  Typically, I buy my eggs from one of two colleagues at work who have chickens.  When I forget, as I did recently, I buy local eggs at the Moscow Food Co-op.

And they are good eggs.  I love the variety in farm eggs.  Different sizes, different colors.  Just like chickens.  And people.