In this time of turmoil, it is sometimes good to write about something positive….. and simple. I have found that subject on the shelf of Kroger’s grocery store in a carton of eggs. Inside the carton with the eggs was a little piece of paper that looks like a miniature newspaper called, “Vital Times”. The headline says, “Friends to Farmers, Help to Hens”.
The article that followed describes Vital Farms. It is a collection of farmers having chickens that produce eggs for market, but with a difference. Rather than stacks of cages and chickens as bioreactors that never see a natural environment, these farmers “give every girl a health, happy outdoor lifestyle and deliver perfectly pasture-raised eggs”.
Vital Times has a farmer support team that meets regularly with their farmers. They check on the ‘girls’ and make sure high standards are being met. They connect with farmers to gather advice and information to help others keep flocks and farms healthy and thriving. In short, they care about animal welfare.
The Mission of Vital Farms is stated as, “Our Mission is to bring ethically produced food to the table by coordinating a collection of family farms to operate with a well-defined set of agriculture practices that accentuates the humane treatment of farm animals as the central tenent.”
Look for the black box with all the writing on it at the store. You will love the eggs, but there is more. They, too, bring butter to the market. Look for it as well. You will not regret it. Feel good about what you eat.