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Nature’s Yoke: Eggs and Family Farms that Matter

What matters to you when you pick up a dozen of our eggs? Is it the pretty, biodegradable carton? Is it the fact that, when you crack open one of our eggs, you open up a healthy, colorful, tasty experience? Or is it more?

If what matters to you most is buying a beautiful, earth friendly carton full of healthy eggs — that’s fantastic! But what if we told you there is so much more to what makes Nature’s Yoke eggs so great? What if we told you that picking up a dozen of Nature’s Yoke eggs meant taking part in a legacy of family farms and the happiest hens you’ve ever seen? Eating one of our eggs means doing your part to cultivate all the life

love and latitude that surrounds how our eggs get from our hens to your table — and it all starts with the farm.

Are Nature’s Yoke Farms Family Owned?

Every farm that Nature’s Yoke partners with is family owned and unique. These farms are all local to rural Central PA, and very small in comparison to many egg-company farms. Also, being family-owned means that Nature’s Yoke does not own the farm or the hens. Our farmers do!

This model gives the farmers more independence and control over how they operate and manage their farms. While we are buying their eggs and have required standards for the farmers to meet, overall, the farmers have control over their barns and flocks. This is not normal for big egg companies. Most big egg companies own the hens, limiting the farmer’s freedoms and cutting in on their income.

From the Farm to Your Fridge

Another reason Nature’s Yoke matters is our unique way of getting the eggs off the farm and into your grocery store. At Nature’s Yoke, we manage all that’s involved with picking up the eggs at the farm, packaging them, and selling to retailers and local markets. This leaves the farmer with much more time to focus on the hens and other important farming tasks. We work hand-in-hand with our farmers to ensure everyone’s needs are being met, from the farmer to the hens — and you!

How Big are Nature’s Yoke Farms?

When it comes to the size of our farms, our numbers pale in comparison to many large egg farms. Many egg companies have somewhere between 80 and 100 thousand hens on each free-range farm. This is an astronomical number in comparison to our 8,000 – 20,000 hens per farm. By having smaller farms, we’re able to provide our hens with a better life. The farmer is able to manage his farm and tend to his hens, making sure they are happy, healthy, and producing the best eggs possible. When we say our eggs come from family farms, we mean it.

Does Free-Range Matter?

Another one of the biggest things that matters about Nature’s Yoke eggs is that all our eggs are sourced from farms raising free-range hens. This separates us from other big egg companies. There are no cage-free hens on our farms. Cage-free hens never leave their barn and are forced to live in very tight spaces. How sad is that?

Our hens are given very happy and free lives. Our free-range hens get to be outside at least 6 hours a day and they have access to outdoor, pasture-like spaces to peck the ground and supplement their diet with nutritious worms, insects and grasses. Having this freedom is very important to our hens — it’s important to us too. This sort of freedom is what makes are hens so happy — we like to think it’s what helps make our eggs so delicious!

How are Nature’s Yoke Hens Treated?

All Nature’s Yoke farms are Certified Humane, meaning that the standard for animal treatment and lifestyle is very high. Our farmers are kind, conscientious people who align with our values in many respects. By remaining true to our values and partnering with farmers who independently want to raise hens in an ethical way, we set ourselves apart from many of our competitors in the egg industry.

Being Certified Humane guarantees our hens have enough space and freedom to do all the things hens naturally like to do. Now that is something that really matters!