newsletter An Update on Eggs & Subscription Pricing
I hope this finds you cozy with a warm cup of something good. I wanted to check in this week with a few real‑life farming updates, transparency on pricing changes, and some clarity on the egg questions many of you have been asking.
Oh... and before we go on... I'm currently hanging out at our Farm Market (6120 Sauk Trail, Matteson). Come stop by and say hi. Open today (Saturdays) between 10a-2p. We've got many of the products available online, but IRL.
🐔 Chicken Update: What’s Been Going On with Egg Production
In last week's newsletter I mentioned in that our egg production suddenly dropped with no clear reason behind it.
We went from collecting about 4½ boxes of eggs a day to just one — which was honestly pretty startling. At the same time, we saw a huge spike in shell-less eggs— like 50 in one day! That’s way more than the usual one or two we see weekly.
I posted about this to my online group of pasture poultry farmers, and of course, first person replied with the scariest possibility — “I saw this once and the next day they all died.” Cue full‑on bird flu PTSD. 😳
But other farmers — including a neighbor just ~30 minutes south — reported the same thing happening on their farm, and both of us have had no deaths since this started. Whew. So the current consensus is that crazy temperature swings and environmental stress are the likeliest cause, not disease. We’re doing everything we can to keep the girls comfortable and calm until their production steadies out.
It’s just another reminder that the variables in farming are very real. "Worry about the things you can control, and do your best" is what I'm telling myself these days. Trying to keep that PTSD at bay.
💡 Updated Pricing on Subscriptions
We’ve made some updates to subscription pricing that will be reflected on next week’s orders...
Here’s what’s up:
- We previously offered 10–15% subscription discounts.
- What we’re learning (the hard way) is that the difference between a 5% and a 10% discount can often be the difference between sustainable and unsustainable business for a farm this size.
- So going forward, most subscriptions are now set at 5%, with a few others updated to match current pricing across the board.
If you have questions or want to adjust your order or subscription — just let us know. We’re happy to help you feel good about what you’re ordering and paying for.
If you’re curious about what these numbers actually look like, and why this margin thing is so important, I wrote about that here:
👉 What $60K a Month Really Looks Like
🥚 What’s All This Talk About PUFA in Eggs?
There's this study going viral about Vital Farms and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) in eggs — and lots of you have asked how Kakadoodle eggs stack up or how we think about it.
I wrote up what we understand, how we approach egg nutrition, and what’s most important when choosing eggs here:
👉 What's all this Talk about PUFA in Eggs?
Short version: there’s a lot of nuance to nutrition studies, and real‑world farming variables absolutely affect nutrient levels — but we stand behind pasture‑raised, chemical‑free eggs that come from happy hens that get fresh grass, bugs, and sunshine (well, at least, when possible during the Chicago winter 😒). However, there's perhaps a better way, but one that comes at a significant cost: $16/dzn!
💛 Thanks for Being Part of This Community
I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to walk this farming and food journey alongside us. Every order you place is a vote for:
- Better nutrition for your family
- Support for local farmers
- A healthier food system overall
Let’s keep growing — together. 🌱
