Local egg sellers are scrambling to keep up with increased demand.
"Egg-flation" spiked in December, when retail egg prices climbed to all-time highs across the nation, officials report. Some predictors say retail store egg prices have peaked and are now declining, but local egg sellers believe their boom in business will continue for the foreseeable future.
Amy Sauerwein refers some customers to fellow egg sellers when the demand gets too high. She's seen a steady spike in sales since early fall of 2022.
"All of the sudden, I had quadruple the requests. I didn't want to raise prices because it didn't seem fair to existing customers, but demand outweighs production," she said.
"All of us are in the same boat. We can't keep up with egg sales."
Hannah and Josh Coberley, who prefer farm eggs compared to store-bought eggs, find their customers feel the same.
The quality of the product drives repeat business, Hannah Coberley said.
"Folks are buying eggs from us that are, at most, two weeks old. In the store they could be six weeks old. I do think people like knowing what's in their food, even more now than they used to," she said.
The couple, who owns Coberley Farm in Jane, has seen more interest in the past several months and have gained new customers.
Customers appreciate consistency in pricing and availability.
The Coberleys have been able to maintain demand because they've added to their flock this year.
"The challenge is that since we hatch our own laying birds, it could take as much as nine months before the pullets start laying," she said.
Coberley explained that selling eggs is not a get-rich-quick idea.
"With the cost of feed, price of egg cartons, and time put into them -- there's not much to be gained in selling eggs. So, people who do sell eggs to the community, just enjoy having chickens and usually have an overflow," she said. "That's a perk for customers who are looking."
Recent data from the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that prices increased by 72.3 percent in 2022.
Officials cite an avian flu outbreak, which killed more than 50 million birds in the United States in 2022, as a major factor in skyrocketing egg prices.
Sauerwein, who has several egg-producing chickens, faces challenges at every turn – just like fellow farmers. Most local sellers have kept prices around $4 for a dozen, she said.
Yet egg sellers tackle feed challenges, all-time egg laying problems and dogs taking out part of a flock. Sauerwein experienced all those issues while trying to stay ahead of the egg requests.
"We switched feed to Bethlehem Feed Mill and have turned production around. Sadly, though, we had two dogs attack our flock and we lost half of our hens."
"We probably aren't the best example for production at this point, but I see the demand firsthand," she said.
Sauerwein often refers business to Rosie Clark, and her two daughters, Robin Lee and Amanda Clark, when she has more requests than she can meet. Rosie Clark said the trio went into the business venture together as a way to support women-owned businesses.
The trio has experienced an increase in the customer base: "We are staying just ahead of demand for now," Clark said.
The women entrepreneurs do not see demand decreasing any time soon. In fact, they're considering adding a few more birds soon.
Customers seem to prefer the taste of farm fresh eggs to store-bought eggs. "We do have two customers that say they are allergic to eggs, but farm fresh don't seem to cause them an issue," she said.
"We have also seen an increased demand for duck eggs for the same reason," Clark said.
Clark knows the difference from personal experience.
"Before my daughters and I started this adventure last spring, I would only bake with fresh eggs," she said. "I was hesitant to just cook and eat fresh eggs. Now, I agree they taste so much better and don't make my stomach upset like the others," Clark said.
With Easter just around the corner, area egg sellers remain hopeful for the future, keeping on top of sales the best they can.
"Lots of folks are looking for chickens, and there's no sight of decreased demand," Sauerwein said.
"I've never seen anything like it."