Eggs are the easiest first purchase from a farm. Almost every mixed farm keeps hens, the price is small, and one carton tells you whether the difference matters to you.
Where to find them
Look for farms with farm gate sales in the directory, or watch for a roadside sign with a fridge or cooler. Many operate on an honor box: take a carton, leave the money. Farmers markets are the other reliable source, and the seller can answer questions on the spot.
What the words mean
Labels on farm eggs are simpler than grocery store labels, because you can ask the person who collected them. In plain terms: free run means hens live loose inside a barn. Free range means they also get outside. Pasture raised means the hens live on grass and get moved to fresh ground. If a farm uses one of these words, ask what it looks like on their farm. A good farm will tell you, and often show you.
What to expect
Farm eggs vary. Shells come in different colors and sizes, and yolk color shifts with the season and the hens’ diet. None of that signals a problem. Yolks from pastured hens are often darker in summer than winter.
Handling and rules
Egg sale rules differ by province and state. Some places require grading for any sale off the farm, and some allow ungraded eggs at the farm gate only. The farm knows the rules it operates under. At home, farm eggs keep the same way store eggs do: in the fridge.
The etiquette
Bring your empty cartons back. Bring small bills for the honor box. And if the fridge is empty, come back next week instead of knocking on the house door at dinner.
Find a farm near you
Put the guide to work. Browse the directory or start with your location.