Local farmers talk egg prices

Shoppers at grocery stores are experiencing sticker shock when opening the refrigerated case containing eggs. Buckle up — that carton isn't likely to get cheaper any time soon. So why the ever-increasing cost of eggs? Several local farmers spoke about one of the factors. Historic price increases According to the Consumer Price Index, a report compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics that averages the prices paid by U.S. consumers for consumable goods, one dozen Grade A large white eggs have increased from $2.52 at the start of 2024 to $4.15 in January 2025. As the United States Department of Agriculture reported in their 2025 Food Outlook Projection, retail prices will "continue to experience volatile month-to-month changes" and "throughout the year and are expected to increase 20.3% more." Local farms may ease prices Holly Weilnau, owner of JH Weilnau Farms, a family farm located in Milan, has fielded calls from community members wanting to know when they will have eggs available again. Weilnau plans to reintroduce chicken eggs into her produce rotation when the new brood, set to hatch in March, are ready to lay. "We have been focused on raising meat chickens the past couple years due to hawk and eagle attacks on our laying flock," she said. Weilnau anticipates the price to consumers to be around $5 per dozen of free-range, pasture-raised eggs, compared to the local supermarket price of $6.99. Julene Woods, owner of Woods Family Farm in Vermilion, has hens producing eggs year-round. Unlike supermarkets, she prices her eggs based on the cost of keeping the hens, not national market-rate egg rates. Most eggs produced by family farms have not seen the price increases that agri-factory farm eggs have. Prices for quality-produced eggs from small farms are surprisingly affordable. "Our eggs are $5 a dozen now, and we don't foresee price increases unless the feed costs rise and the increase (in our price) would be proportional," Woods said. "In summer, when the hens are laying a lot, we charge $3.50 to $4 and only increase in winter due to (the) feed-to-production ratio." Woods said there's a benefit to consumers when they buy from local farmers. "We don't care who you buy your eggs from, even if it's not from us, but people should be connected to their food," she said. "If you know the farmer, you know the food." Added Weilnau: "People should want to know where their food comes from and the pride local farmers take in feeding their community." Avian flu the cause? Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as HPAI, is a highly contagious disease affecting animal and human health, according to the USDA. It causes severe disease and high mortality in infected poultry. Avian flu strains can wipe out entire flocks of domestic poultry within days. While rare, avian flu viruses can also infect mammals. To limit the spread of the virus to other healthy domesticated and wild birds, farmers are forced to cull their entire flocks to limit the spread of the disease if a single case is identified. The Associated Press reports that more than 145 million chickens have been killed since the latest outbreak began in 2022. The disease began infecting wild aquatic birds in the United States and spread to commercial poultry and backyard flocks starting in January 2022. The CDC reports the current outbreak is the first one since 2016, with every state affected. Between January 2022 and November 2024, there were 1,464 distinct outbreaks. In January 2024 alone, the Center for Disease Control recorded eight outbreaks in California, North Carolina and Ohio that caused the culling of 8.3 million birds in managed flocks, according to the USDA Egg Market Overview. Both Woods and Weilnau said neither of their farms had experienced outbreaks of the avian flu, and they had not heard of any such outbreaks happening elsewhere locally. Local cost of eggs Below is a price list of twelve Grade A large egg prices collected from local stores on Friday: • Miller's Grocery Store, Norwalk: $4.99 • Aldi, Norwalk: $5.15 • Wal-Mart, Norwalk: $4.17 • Meijer, Sandusky: $4.19 • Kroger, Sandusky: $4.19 • Woods Family Farm, Vermilion: $5