As Easter approaches, eggs are in more demand than ever for traditional egg hunts and meals featuring farm-fresh eggs, and the recent egg shortage has presented challenges for local farms.
The pandemic and the avian flu outbreak have had a significant impact on the egg industry, leading to shortages and concerns about the availability and safety of eggs. However, local farms like Ollin Farms are stepping up to provide high-quality, farm-to-table eggs that are both safe and high quality.
The owners, Kena and Mark Guttridge have been producing eggs for the Longmont community for 16 years and have always taken pride in their commitment to sustainable and ethical farming practices.
Fortunately, Ollin Farms has not been affected by the avian flu outbreak, but the demand for local eggs has increased significantly. They mentioned that many people are turning to backyard chickens or ordering chicks from hatcheries due to the shortage of eggs.
“The hatcheries that we usually order chicks from are booked out like four or five months from now. It's not as easy to get new chicks as it used to be,” Mark Guttridge said. “We're actually going to start hatching our own chicks."
Ollin Farms sells directly to consumers at their farmstand Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and their eggs are also in high demand due to the superior flavor and quality that comes from small farmers. Their chickens are outside running around which results in eggs with a darker orange yolk and crystal clear whites, providing more nutrients and flavor.
"The number one benefit will be flavor. The quality of the eggs is a lot better when they're coming from small farmers,” Mark Guttridge said. “That is what people are really looking for when they're looking for those local eggs."
As Easter approaches, Ollin Farms is seeing a slight uptick in sales, with many people looking to purchase locally sourced eggs for their Easter meals and egg hunts. Their eggs naturally already come in a variety of colors, including light blue, which is ideal for Easter egg decorating and hiding.
Aside from egg production, the chickens are at the start of the farm’s compost process which is used to enrich the soil in their vegetable fields. Ollin is an Aztec word that means constant motion or transformation. They also use chickens as a way to connect and educate the community where children can see the chickens up close.
“During the pandemic, for the first time people saw empty grocery shelves and started thinking about food security, and where else can I grow food around me,” Mark Guttridge said. “It's what the world needs now is a little more people connected to natural systems to try to get through all this stress and uncertainty that's all around. One of the most important reasons to support local farms is many of them are providing that opportunity to connect local families, and especially youth, back to the community and into something that is really healing for them."
