Egg imports on horizon?

 Egg industry lobby group, Egg Farmers of Australia says that consumers will need to pay more “if they want their food. Such as eggs, to be grown in Australia."

Retail giants claim that axing the caged egg sector is what consumers want. However, if you visit a major supermarket, take a good look in the egg shelves. The shelf with caged eggs (the cheapest of all eggs to produce) is usually the emptiest. This is because cheap eggs are what many families want.

EFA executive officer, Melinda Hashimoto said that unless higher prices are paid, rising costs will put Australian egg farmers out of business. The costs include feed. The price of replacement pullets, packaging. Government regulations and levies. Genuine free-range farms don’t sell through supermarkets, so although we also have similar cost pressures, we have better control over our marketing.

Every day is Earth Day on the farn

 Yesterday was Earth Day, an annual event   to demonstrate support for protecting the environment. It was first held in 1970 and includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org.

Here at Freeranger Eggs, we treat every day as Earth Day and run the farm in a fully sustainable manner. Check out our website: www.freeranger.com.au

Bacon egg and kale pizza

 

Mix water, sugar and yeast together in a small bowl. Set aside to activate for 5 minutes or until foamy.

Place flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the foamy yeast mixture and the oil. Process to combine, then knead the dough before placing in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Briefly knead the dough then divide into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion into a thin circle or oval and transfer to lightly oiled baking trays; cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 225°C.

Arrange bacon in rings on the bases and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and break an egg into the centre of each pizza (the bacon should form an edge to hold the eggs in place). Bake for 8 minutes.

Scatter with kale and bake for 2-3 minutes more until the eggs are cooked and the crust is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Welcome rain

 

Steady rain overnight continues this morning (30mm) and looks like it will keep going for most of the day. It will be a great opportunity for indoor activities like baking and jam making.

The rain is great for pasture growth and the veggie garden. An added benefit is that it has improved air quality by eliminating smoke from the mindless planned burns by the CFA and the State Government’s Forest Fire Management team of pyromaniacs.

Avian influenza causes havoc

 At least 5% of egg laying hens in the United States are reported to be infected with avian influenza; The infection, which affects hens in 29 states is cutting production and will result in increased mortality.

Egg traceability webinar

 

Following reports of large-scale deception by some egg businesses, Australian Eggs is hosting a webinar at 11.30am on Tuesday 14 June to launch its new egg industry traceability tool. All egg farmers are invited to take part to learn more about the tool and how it can be implemented on farm. Many free-range egg producers warned some years ago that egg stamping, and labelling requirements imposed by politicians were inadequate to meet customer expectations and the requirements of consumer law.

We all need to tackle Climate Change

 The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change demonstrates the importance of the farming techniques and lifestyle choices we have undertaken at Freeranger Eggs

the report concentrates primarily on mitigation or reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  the world’s leading climate scientists identify pathways to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, it says that we can’t just leave the issues for Governments to solve – we all must play our part in reducing our impact on the natural environment

Check our website to see many of the steps we have taken, www.freeranger.com.au