Eggs help boost immunity

Eggs are a food which helps to boost the body’s immune system.yolks are a rich source of protein, which helps immune-related problems. Egg yolks also contain zinc and selenium, which are important minerals Some other food which help are cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts - all cruciferous vegetables, which have antioxidant vitamins that give an immune system boost, and also contain choline, a nutrient essential to a healthy diet. Choline keeps your cells functioning properly and also helps support a healthy gastrointestinal barrier, keeping bacteria safely confined in the gut. Cauliflower, in particular, is a beneficial food to eat when you’re sick because it’s also rich in antioxidants to help fight off infection.Research has shown that eggs are more nutritious from hens which have a diet of natural grains and free access to quality pasture compared with those confined to sheds or cages.

CSIRO low carb diet

CSIRO undertook major diet and lifestyle intervention studies last year and has releaszaed itsLow-Carb Diet to help Australians eat more healthily. Eggs are a vital part of the diet which it says is effective in promoting long-term weight loss and helps to improve blood glucose control and blood cholesterol ledvels.

Freeranger Eggs supports climate action

More than 4 million students and other people abandoned school and work on Friday to join mass protests calling for action against climate change before a UN summit.At least 300,000 attended rallies in Australia. From New York to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Kabul, Cape Town and London, protesters took to the streets, demanding their governments take urgent steps to tackle the climate crisis and prevent an environmental catastrophe. The Australian Medical Association has joined other health organisations around the world – including in the US and UK in recognising climate change as a health emergency. This follows the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which highlighted the importance of sustainable agriculture. Freeranger Eggs at Grantville is an example of sustainable farming. Freeranger Eggs is doing more than Governments to combat carbon emissions and climate change. The Freeranger Eggs farm management plan takes a three pillars approach to how the farm operates. Animal welfare is one pillar, but equally important are land sustainability and food safety. Growth is not a part of our philosophy. we need to encourage people to set up more farms, not upscale existing farms. We believe that will support more people working the land fairly and will ensure long-term food security. Despite all the political bickering in Canberra over emissions trading scheme targets, some small businesses have been playing their part in addressing the problem. Freeranger Eggs has been getting on with mitigating the impact of carbon emissions. The farm's carbon footprint is limited by imposing a food miles policy for deliveries, using recycled materials and equipment whenever possible, utilising solar power and mechanical processes and an effective waste reduction program. As a result, the 1200-chicken farm generates only about 60 tonnes of CO2 each year. But it is better than carbon neutral, it is carbon positive. The average organic matter in soil tests was 4.1 per cent in 2004, in 2006 it was 6.0 per cent, and in 2009 it was 7.9 percent. Calculations based on 2-inch deep samples, show that over those five years the farm sequestered about 14 tons of CO2 per acre or four tonnes of carbon per acre on the grasslands. Further testing and calculations have not been carried out because there has been a total lack of interest in the results. The farm applies no chemical fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides and this policy increases the biological life in the soil and increases the rate of carbon sequestration. Rotational grazing is practised on the pastures – taking advantage of photosynthesis to pull CO2 into the plants and then into the roots from where it transfers to the soil. In addition, every year at least another tonne of CO2 per acre continues to be sequestered by the regular regeneration of Kangaroo Apples (Solanum laciniatum) in the main paddocks. Native vegetation has been protected on approximately 100 acres of the property and regeneration there sequesters a further tonne of CO2 per acre. This brings a grand total of 1500 tonnes of CO2 sequestered on this property over five years – an average rate of 300 tonnes per year compared with the farm's carbon output of around 60 tonnes. On days of full sun the solar panels on the farm shed generate 13 - 17kW of electricity a day and as on average the farm consumes just 9kW a day it helps the bottom line. Loss of biological diversity in agriculture is a growing global problem. The lack of diversity created by monocultures and a dependence on costly agrochemicals, fertilisers and seeds, is resulting in the loss of genetic heritage in agriculture. The Freeranger farm is a true free range operation with small flocks of chickens in separate paddocks with mobile roost houses where eggs are laid. An eBook is available on setting up free range eggs farm s and we are developing a series of webinars. Crowd funding is being sought to prepare the webinars . Details on the freeranger eggs website. Www.freeranger.com.au Freeranger Eggs gained international recognition in 2012 as the Australian winner of the Energy Globe Award.

ACT Government goes it alone enforcing proper free range egg labelling

The Government of the Australian Capital Territory has introduced laws forcing Canberra supermarkets to display signs on shelves outlining the density of free-range eggs and requires a maximum outdoor stocking density of 1500 hens per hectare. This conflicts with Federal Government regulations allowing a stocking density of 10,000 hens a hectare. This move could confuse consumers unless Federal politicians fix the mistake they made in caving in to pressure from corporate egg producers.Maybe the establishment of a Federal corruption Commission could help to solve the problem.

Sustainable farming combats climate change

The Australian Medical Association has joined other health organisations around the world – including in the US and UK in recognising climate change as a health emergency. This follows the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which highlighted the importance of sustainable agriculture. Freeranger Eggs at Grantville is an example of sustainable farming. Freeranger Eggs is doing more than Governments to combat carbon emissions and climate change. The Freeranger Eggs farm management plan takes a three pillars approach to how the farm operates. Animal welfare is one pillar, but equally important are land sustainability and food safety. Growth is not a part of our philosophy. we need to encourage people to set up more farms, not upscale existing farms. We believe that will support more people working the land fairly and will ensure long-term food security. Despite all the political bickering in Canberra over emissions trading scheme targets, some small businesses have been playing their part in addressing the problem. Freeranger Eggs has been getting on with mitigating the impact of carbon emissions. The farm's carbon footprint is limited by imposing a food miles policy for deliveries, using recycled materials and equipment whenever possible, utilising solar power and mechanical processes and an effective waste reduction program. As a result, the 1200-chicken farm generates only about 60 tonnes of CO2 each year. But it is better than carbon neutral, it is carbon positive. The average organic matter in soil tests was 4.1 per cent in 2004, in 2006 it was 6.0 per cent, and in 2009 it was 7.9 percent. Calculations based on 2-inch deep samples, show that over those five years the farm sequestered about 14 tons of CO2 per acre or four tonnes of carbon per acre on the grasslands. Further testing and calculations have not been carried because there has been a total lack of interest in the results. The farm applies no chemical fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides and this policy increases the biological life in the soil and increases the rate of carbon sequestration. Rotational grazing is practised on the pastures – taking advantage of photosynthesis to pull CO2 into the plants and then into the roots from where it transfers to the soil. In addition, every year at least another tonne of CO2 per acre continues to be sequestered by the regular regeneration of Kangaroo Apples (Solanum laciniatum) in the main paddocks. Native vegetation has been protected on approximately 100 acres of the property and regeneration there sequesters a further tonne of CO2 per acre. This brings a grand total of 1500 tonnes of CO2 sequestered on this property over five years – an average rate of 300 tonnes per year compared with the farm's carbon output of around 60 tonnes. On days of full sun the solar panels on the farm shed generate 13 - 17kW of electricity a day and as on average the farm consumes just 9kW a day it helps the bottom line. Loss of biological diversity in agriculture is a growing global problem. The lack of diversity created by monocultures and a dependence on costly agrochemicals, fertilisers and seeds, is resulting in the loss of genetic heritage in agriculture. The Freeranger farm is a true free range operation with small flocks of chickens in separate paddocks with mobile roost houses where eggs are laid. An eBook is available on setting up free range eggs farms.Details on the freeranger eggs website. Www.freeranger.com.au Freeranger Eggs gained international recognition in 2012 as the Australian winner of the Energy Globe Award.

More genuine free range farms needed

Chaos in the egg industry is creating wide consumer interest in finding genuine free range eggs and driving shoppers out of supermarkets. Demand for free range eggs has far exceeded supply, leading to widespread mislabelling and deception by some producers. Egg producers in Western Australia are concerned about current prices paid to them by big retailers. They says that cheap cage-free eggs being sold by Coles are 'unrealistic' and unfair. Coles stopped selling caged eggs in Western Australia in March and have said there will be a nationwide phase-out of caged eggs by 2023. Home-brand barn laid eggs are on shelves for $3 per dozen, which Commercial Egg Producers Association of WA president Ian Wilson said did not meet the cost of production. Clear consumer demand for free range eggs has generated a strong increase in the number of people thinking about starting their own free range egg business. A good starting point is reading the eBook on starting a free range farm available on the Freeranger Eggs website Detailed information is available on the Freeranger Club downloads page about things like shed requirements, food safety, egg packaging and labelling. When deciding to set up a free range egg farm, take the time to plan it properly. Find out the zoning of the land and talk to your local Council planning department about their requirements. It’s also worth contacting the State Department of Agriculture. You can find on-line resources in most states. In Victoria, contact: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farm-management/business-management/permits/guidelines-for-rural-planning-applications. Once that is sorted, talk to your Council Environmental Health Department about any specific requirements they have before you get underway. Details: www.freeranger.com.au

FSANZ should be scrapped

A spate of recent food recalls of eggs and milk as a result of potential contamination illustrates the failure of Food Standards Australia New Zealand to maintain food safety in this country. The poor performance of FSANZ in protecting consumers from dangerous food practices should result in cost savings when the organisation is disbanded. Politicians and bureaucrats could then start again and design a programme to actually meet food safety requirements. But, that won’t happen. At best, bureaucrats will cobble together a bunch more rules and regulations to add to the melange already created. As with all Government programmes, ad hoc regulations are imposed once failures have been recognised, there are seldom moves to review and redraft the programmes.

Techniques for boosting business in the UK could be adopted here

The UK government has implemented a major funding programme to support the improved performance of industries – including farms. Some egg farms in the North of England have jumped on board because they can see how it can benefit their businesses.Made Smarter is an investment between government and industry which includes match funding opportunities and the provision of dedicated technical and business support for SMEs adopting digital technology, to support advanced manufacturing. The initiative is the result of the Made Smarter Commission - a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the private sector. Bell Mount Farming, based in Penrith, and Eggbase, based in Sedburgh, are among 11 businesses in the North West of England which are set to introduce advanced manufacturing methods. They want to adopt data and analytical technology to boost egg production by ensuring the conditions are optimal for free range hens. It would be a welcome change if our government acted to assist businesses.

Dodgy eggs sold throughout Victoria

A growing number of egg sellers have no idea about food safety requirements designed to protect consumers. Tens of thousands (or perhaps hundreds of thousands) of eggs are sold each week by people who meet no regulations or standards. In Victoria, the Department of Agriculture has clear requirements for egg producers, including the preparation of a Food Safety Management Statement for each property.But many sellers ignore the requirements. The Departments says:”It is preferable that eggs with minor marks are dry cleaned rather than washed”. But if eggs are washed, there should be good temperature control and an approved sanitizer must be used. But the requirements are often ignored as there is currently no inspection process to verify compliance with standards following the State Government decision to remove registration and inspection requirements by Shire Councils.

Freeranger Eggs showing the way on climate change

The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has highlighted the importance of sustainable agriculture. Freeranger Eggs at Grantville is an example of sustainable farming. At Freeranger Eggs, we are doing more than Governments to combat carbon emissions and climate change. Our farm management plan takes a three pillars approach to how the farm operates. Animal welfare is one pillar, but equally important are land sustainability and food safety. Growth is not a part of our philosophy. we need to encourage people to set up more farms, not upscale existing farms. We believe that will support more people working the land fairly and will ensure long-term food security. Despite all the political bickering in Canberra over emissions trading scheme targets, some small businesses have been playing their part in addressing the problem. Freeranger Eggs has been getting on with mitigating the impact of carbon emissions. The farm's carbon footprint is limited by imposing a food miles policy for deliveries, using recycled materials and equipment whenever possible, utilising solar power and mechanical processes and an effective waste reduction programme. As a result, the 1200-chicken farm generates only about 60 tonnes of CO2 each year. But it is better than carbon neutral, it is carbon positive. The average organic matter in soil tests was 4.1 per cent in 2004, in 2006 it was 6.0 per cent, and in 2009 it was 7.9 percent. Calculations based on 2-inch deep samples, show that over those five years the farm sequestered about 14 tons of CO2 per acre or four tonnes of carbon per acre on the grasslands. Further testing and calculations have not been carried because there has been a total lack of interest in the results. The farm applies no chemical fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides and this policy increases the biological life in the soil and increases the rate of carbon sequestration. Rotational grazing is practised on the pastures – taking advantage of photosynthesis to pull CO2 into the plants and then into the roots from where it transfers to the soil. In addition, every year at least another tonne of CO2 per acre continues to be sequestered by the regular regeneration of Kangaroo Apples (Solanum laciniatum) in the main paddocks. Native vegetation has been protected on approximately 100 acres of the property and regeneration there sequesters a further tonne of CO2 per acre. This brings a grand total of 1500 tonnes of CO2 sequestered on this property over five years – an average rate of 300 tonnes per year compared with the farm's carbon output of around 60 tonnes. On days of full sun the solar panels on the farm shed generate 13 - 17kW of electricity a day and as on average the farm consumes just 9kW a day it helps the bottom line. Loss of biological diversity in agriculture is a growing global problem. The lack of diversity created by monocultures and a dependence on costly agrochemicals, fertilisers and seeds, is resulting in the loss of genetic heritage in agriculture. The Freeranger farm is a true free range operation with small flocks of chickens in separate paddocks with mobile roost houses where eggs are laid. An eBook is available on setting up free range eggs farm s and we are developing a series of webinars. Crowd funding is being sought to prepare the webinars . Details on the freeranger eggs website. Www.freeranger.com.au Freeranger Eggs gained international recognition in 2012 as the Australian winner of the Energy Globe Award.

Egg substitution rife in Australia

It has been officially established by enquiries into recent salmonella outbreaks that it is common practice in the industry for eggs to be acquired from a variety of sources and packaged with a single label for distribution to supermarkets. The NSW Department of Primary Industries has revealed something that the industry has known about for years. The introduction of egg stamping was supposed to ensure the traceability of eggs back the property on which they were laid. But  after lobbying by big producers and supermarkets, politicians changed the requirement for on-farm stamping and now allow stamps to be applied at the time eggs are packaged by major grading floors. The ACCC  has a wide range of information following successful prosecutions in the Federal Court. There is no doubt that egg substitution has been rife for decades. Major sellers package eggs from wherever they can get them and sell through supermarkets. The producers justify this by saying that they are required to meet the supply demands from major retailers.  If they don’t send enough eggs each week, the producers risk losing their contracts.  That’s why no genuine free range eggs can be found in supermarkets – they simply don’t have enough volume to meet supermarket demands. The ACCC tried to solve the problems and a series of Federal Court decisions on free range production highlighted the issues to such an extent that politicians stepped in to protect producers from prosecution. The egg labelling standard they introduced endorsed deception by the industry. The WA Government is looking at tightening regulations there in an effort of protect consumers – but no other States appear to be interested. The recent Salmonella scare demonstrated the problem of traceability when producers package eggs from many places across the country without revealing the source.

Salmonella Enteritidis workshops for egg farmers - identifying the risks

A biosecurity training session for Victorian egg farmers will be held at Attwood, Melbourne on August 8. the training will focus on the recent Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) outbreak and will be run by Dr Yoni Segal, the principal veterinary officer for poultry. The NSW Dept of Primary Industries, Biosecurity and Food safety says there are theories about how SE came onto farms and a paper is expected to be written on the subject. It says farm biosecurity is critical. Sunlight kills the SE bacteria, so properly run free range farms with low stocking densities have little risk of suffering the problems encountered by industrial production systems.A biosecurity manual is available from Australian Eggs, or from the Freeranger Club page on the Freeranger Eggs website. Australian Eggs is also holding an SE workshop at Attwood, on August 27 so they are taking the issue seriously.

New egg carton supplier

We have found a new supplier of egg cartons, relatively close to the farm. Anne picked up 1500 plain cartons in Dandenong on her way to visit friends in the City. Our previous supplier had closed down in Clayton, so we thought we may have to truck cartons from Preston, Footscray or Laverton. Although cartons are a modest cost compared with all the others such as feed and compliance costs imposed by red tape, it is significant to be able to collect our cartons as we need them.

Quality eggs and size are all about nutrition and management

We are frequently asked why our eggs are so large as well as being tasty. The answer is simple, all hens start egg production laying Small eggs – around 40g or so and gradually increase to a mature egg grade size of Medium (60g) Large (80g) or bigger. They generally begin to lay 15 – 17 weeks after hatching With modern breeds, such as Isa Browns, most hens lay Large or Extra Large eggs by the time they are 40 weeks old. While there is a basic pattern of how egg size changes as hens age, feeding and management have a major impact on egg size. Management factors in controlling egg size include hen body weight. Larger eggs tend to be laid by larger hens weighing about 2 kg. Total access to quality pasture and a balanced ration of natural grains with a protein content of at least 17.5% will ensure good hen health, egg quality and size.

Victorian Government workshops to help streamline planning process for poultry and pig farms

Agriculture Victoria is hosting a series of free workshops to help new and existing small-scale pig and poultry producers prepare a land use planning permit application. participants will be eligible for the supporting grants program of up to $3,000 for expenses related to on-farm works, consultancy, or training that supports the preparation of a land use planning permit application. For details contact Ann McDowell annmcdowell@agriculturevic.gov.au

Starting freerange egg farm webinars cancelled

Unfortunately the series of webinars on starting free range egg farms has been cancelled. The first was scheduled for World Egg Day this year - October 10, but has been halted by the failure of a crowd funding campaign. It was hoped to raise $8000 to prepare the webinars to a professional standard with effective graphics and video content. It was planned to develop webinars suitable for a range of climatic conditions and regions to encourage the establishment of small scale poultry farms across the globe.

Australia's food standards need to improve

Australia’s food safety standards are being questioned. World Food Safety Day was held on June 7 and the Food Safety Information Council released a report card detailing Australia’s food safety record. There are an estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year, which translates into about 16 out of every 100 people The 4.1 million cases result in an average of 31,920 hospitalizations, 86 deaths and 1 million visits to doctors. Recent recalls of milk and eggs from supermarkets has added to consumer problems. There is a clear need for an overhaul at Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Food safety risks increased by intensive production

Current egg farm problems in Australia and some other parts of the world are a direct result of adopting intensive production methods. An article in the UK Smallholder magazine in June 1934 acknowledged that “mass production is not only here to stay, but it would be adopted more and more; much of the troubles of the industry were due directly to mass production. "To make a success of mass production permanently, it follows that a revision of methods will be necessary. In the hands of careless or unscrupulous men it is a menace but in the hands of the careful and honest it will be the only means of making a good profit.” In Australia,recent serious food safety incidents involving egg recalls have demonstrated that the careless and unscrupulous have been hard at work counting their money.

Salmonella contamination 'stabilised'

The Managing Director of Australian Eggs, Rowan McMonnies, says Government authorities and the egg industry have stabilised potential food poisoning issues from contamination by Salmonella Enteritidis. He has said that the emergence of SE in Australia was caught early and all contaminated sites were limited to a cluster of ‘interconnected farms.’ Farm management practices are the focus of on-going investigations.

new egg labelling and stamping requirements in Western Australia may spread to the rest of the country

Western Australia seems to be moving towards introducing effective labelling and stamping requirements for eggs. WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan described the system of labelling of eggs and traceability as a ‘joke’. She said “WA is the only State that doesn’t have a proper egg traceability system, there is no regulation and we need to modernise that and introduce more discipline.” Commercial Egg Producers Association of WA president Ian Wilson said an industry-led committee would work with the State Government to deliver tighter standards and procedures. He said while most eggs were stamped on farms before sale and it accurately reflected where they were laid, a weakness in the system meant the eggs could be bought from elsewhere and stamped as though produced on that farm. Mr Wilson said better traceability standards, identifying the origin, flock and system, would also help in situations such as the recent Eastern States recalls for salmonella. Unfortunately egg stamping in the eastern states does not provide adequate traceability, because exemptions mean that many eggs are not stamped on farm.