To clear the air that is a picture taken several years ago of our son, Jack, with our chickens on real pasture!

When it comes to food and labels the consumer confusion is getting deep! Thanks in part to large, multi-national food corporations and the government green-washing and misleading labels are rampant. Arguably the most confusing food labels pertain to eggs. There are a myriad of labels on egg cartons claiming that their eggs are the healthiest. These labels include natural, hormone-free, humane, cage-free, free-range, vegetarian-fed, Omega-3 enriched, organic, pasture-raised and many more. Folks don’t be fooled by the beautiful pictures of hens roaming around in green pastures. To clear up the confusion let’s break these down one by one.

Some of these labels are absolutely meaningless.

• Natural: You see this word on all sorts of foods. Companies put it on their labels simply to make you believe their product is healthy. Pertaining specifically to eggs it means that nothing was added to the egg. Reality check! You can’t add anything to the inside of an egg. This label means nothing.

• Hormone-free: Get educated folks! It is illegal for anyone to give chickens hormones.

• Humane: This word is not regulated by the USDA, thus anyone can put it on their label to make you believe their chickens are living in a humane environment. Think again… If the label is Certified Humane this must be verified by a third party. It has some meaning, but not necessarily what you think.

There are some of these labels that are downright confusing.

• Cage-free: This label means that the hens weren’t living in battery cages, which was common practice in the past decade and previously. They most likely still live in large barns often containing tens of thousands of chickens.

• Free-range: According to the USDA this term means “producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.” It doesn’t say anything about how long or what the surface is that is outside of the barn. I hate to burst your bubble, but most of the time you are lucky if that chicken ever took a step outside of that tiny door. If she did it was onto concrete or AstroTurf.

• Vegetarian-fed: Somehow consumers have been led to believe that a vegetarian-fed chicken is healthier. Have you ever seen what a chicken will eat when they have access to real pastures? I have seen chickens kill and eat rattlesnakes, mice, lizards and even feed on a dead deer carcass the dogs drug up. Chickens are the relatives of dinosaurs people! They eat anything and are not suppose to eat a vegetarian diet.

• Omega-3 enriched: This simply means the hens were fed a diet enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids. Typically these are derived from fish oil, algae, flax or other similar products. It has nothing to do with the hens physical environment. I suppose if you need more Omega-3 in your diet this is a good option, but then again there are a lot better ways to incorporate Omegas into your diet.

• Organic: These eggs come from chickens who don’t live in cages, but it is unknown how much access they have to the outdoors. They are fed feed a diet free of harmful pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. You certainly won’t get the exposure to chemicals when you eat organic eggs, but it may still mean that the hens were raised in less-than-ideal conditions in a excessively crowded barn.

• Pasture-raised: Once again it’s a term that isn’t regulated by the USDA, but when coupled with Certified Humane it’s the best option at the grocery store. “HFAC’s Certified Humane® “Pasture Raised” requirement is 1000 birds per 2.5 acres (108 sq. ft. per bird) and the fields must be rotated. The hens must be outdoors year-round, with mobile or fixed housing where the hens can go inside at night to protect themselves from predators, or for up to two weeks out of the year, due only to very inclement weather. All additional standards must be met.”

The best way to know what you are buying is KNOW YOUR FARMER! Go to the farmer’s market and ask your farmer questions. At Parker Creek Ranch we label ourselves with the idea that we are consumer verified. We have quarterly farm tours and show people how our animals are actually raised.