The Incredible Egg Poultry farmers enrich county

Bethany J. Royer Originally published February 2013 for Progress 2013 and Acres Whether its served sunny side up, hard boiled, or scrambled, the egg is far more than a simple debate of which came first, be it or the hen. For both consumer and for producer, eggs are a nutritional, affordable powerhouse and a true heavy weight in the farming industry. Especially, in the state of Ohio, the second largest egg producer in the nation, with Darke and ercer counties leading the pack. !n "#$$ alone, Ohio chickens, some "% million hens and nearly & million pullets, produced more than '.( billion eggs at a value of )*&# million a year, according to information provided by +im ,hakeres, E-ecutive .ice /resident of the 0merican /oultry 0ssociation, who had much to share on how the egg is doing these days and how it makes it from hen to the plate. 12ome of the numbers and demographics can change at any given time, but its pretty dense in terms of egg production,3 said ,hakeres in regards to the enormous output by area counties from ,ooper Farms in 2t. 4enry, to Weaver 5rothers in .ersailles, ,al6 aine Foods in 7ossburg, 7oss edford Farms in 8ew Weston, 4emmelgarn 9 2ons !nc. in ,oldwater, and several independent producers. 1Our farmers take egg production very seriously, we are producing a safe, wholesome nutritious product.3 0 product that begins with the welfare of the hen whose care falls under a set of standards, guidelines, and inspections. Whether it is proper nutrition or a safe, clean environment, commercial egg farmers participate in the :nited Egg /roducers ,ertified 0nimal ,are program that consists of standards from cage space to molting, even trimming of beaks. 1;he big thing, we go through so many different inspections, and audits, on food safety, the care of the hens, the environmental responsibility of the farmers and taking care of the land and water, there is so much about <uality control that goes on,3 said ,hakeres of third6party auditing inspections that many consumers may not be aware of, along with the amount of dedication, time, and energy that goes into making sure high standards and thresholds are met. From the inspection process that moves from the hen to the washing, grading and eventually packaging of an egg. !n fact, =ust a few short hours after being laid and processed, an egg can be found in refrigeration. ;he utmost care and safety of an egg means it is kept refrigerated throughout the transportation process and into your local grocery store before finding its way to your home after purchasing.

1;hats an important process, food safety is very important, all my folks have training in terms of food safety and have to go through several different inspections and protocols every day to ensure egg safety is foremost in their mind,3 said ,hakeres as he e-plained an Egg 0ssurance >uality program, one of the first five programs created nationally, that focuses on the safety of the egg to ensure it is free of salmonella and other bacteria to keep consumers safe. 1;hats something we are very proud of as well.3 4owever, the egg in its entirety is not the only method by which it reaches a consumers plate, as some eggs are broken in egg6breaking facilities before being transported, in much the same process as whole eggs in terms of refrigeration and with the same applicable health and safety food standards, but as egg yolks or egg whites. Which is then used in the restaurant industry or for food manufacturing for such products as cake and cookie mi-es. ;he big <uestion for many consumers, of course, is the nutrition factor, as ongoing research has created much debate on whether or not eggs are a healthy lifestyle option, particularly when it comes to cholesterol. 1!t originally came out that eggs had cholesterol in them and what we have found out, in research since then, is that the cholesterol in the egg is much less than we thought it was,3 said ,hakeres as eggs went from "$? mg of cholesterol down to $%* after further study. 10t the same time that research was done we found an egg has so much more vitamin D in it than we thought.3 0n analysis shows the egg provides a host of vitamins, from foliate, to iron and @inc, to a whopping *$ !: of vitamin D. !t is also an e-cellent source of choline, a nutrient imperative to fetal brain development, and may even help to prevent age6related memory decline. 5esides packing a vitamin punch, eggs are low in sodium and protein6rich, the latter at a value of &* percent, which is used as a comparison to grade other foods such as milk with %? percent protein, fish '( percent, and beef '* percent. 1For normal, healthy people an egg a day, or a couple, is okay,3 said ,hakeres who emphasi@ed how continuing research shows that eating eggs for breakfast, the high6<uality protein that they offer, e<uates to fewer calories being consumed the rest of the day. 1For people wanting to lose weight, including eggs and that protein as part of your diet, especially first thing in the morning, is a great weight loss tool.3 0nother benefit when looking at the nutrition eggs have to offer is the price. 1!ts the affordable, wholesome, nutrition6packed little package,3 said ,hakeres. 1Where else can you get that for '? calories and $? centsA3

5reakout information bo- from O/0 Ohios egg, chicken and turkey farms create more than $(,%?# =obs generating )B%? million in earnings to the states economy. ost Ohio egg, chicken and turkey farmers live near their farms, so it is in their best interest to protect the environment within their own communities. 0ll large egg and poultry operations in Ohio are regulated by the Ohio Department of 0griculture, which sets strict guidelines for management of manure and other environmental impacts and re<uires regular inspections. Ohios egg, chicken and turkey farmers purchase more than )?.* million in utilities and more than )&B.% million in agricultural6 and business6 related services. !n "##%, Ohios egg, chicken and turkey farmers used BB million bushels of the states corn crop and $(." million bushels of Ohios soybean crop. 0t an average price of )*."$Cbushel of corn and )$#.B#Cbushel for soybeans, this amounts to e-penditures totaling )B#?.% million. ore than (## egg farmers and farmers belong to the Ohio /oultry 0ssociation, which takes an active role in educating the public and sharing industry information among its members. 5reakout 2outhwest 5reakfast 5urritos !ngredientsD % o@. turkey breakfast sausages, casings removed $C" red O7 green bell pepper, diced * eggs, beaten * whole wheat tortillas E% to $#6inchF, warmed $ cup shredded pepper +ack cheese E* o@.F /reparationD ,O0; large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. ,OOG sausage over medium heat, breaking into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. /O:7 OFF all but $ ;bsp. drippings. 0DD bell pepperH sautI until softened, about * minutes. /O:7 eggs over mi-ture in skillet. 0s eggs begin to set, JE8;KL /:KK the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds. ,O8;!8:E cooking M pulling, lifting and folding eggs M until thickened and no visible li<uid egg remains. Do not stir constantly. 2/OO8 egg mi-ture into center of tortillas, dividing evenlyH sprinkle with cheese. FOKD in sides of tortillas, then roll up burrito6style.

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