Illustration of various eggs including speckled eggs, light brown eggs, white eggs, and blue speckled eggs, with text indicating Vermont harvest of the month for eggs.

Eggs

Humans and other predatory animals have been eating eggs for millions of years. Then, about 5,000 years ago, people in Asia domesticated the first wildfowl. It was so successful that the idea spread worldwide. Later, the Egyptians developed a method to incubate eggs in heated caves, freeing up hens to lay more. In the 1940s, egg farming was industrialized, with larger flocks put in smaller cages. Today, 98% of US eggs come from factory farms, which are cheap for the consumer, but criticized for poor animal welfare, pollution, disease, contamination, unsafe working conditions, and subpar nutrition. In response, the popularity of small-scale egg farms is increasing, and Vermonters, in particular, are at the forefront of putting better eggs back on the menu.

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A collection of brown, white, and speckled eggs.

Harvest Videos