I think for lent this year I'm just going to give up eggs. I've actually stopped buying eggs since the beginning of the year. I just can't justify buying a dozen eggs for $8. It's ridiculous! The egg shortage is worsening, and the US is importing millions of eggs from Turkey right now to help with the shortage.
Still, the prices will remain high and the shortage is expected to continue. The cause of the shortage is the bird flu killing off chickens across the United States.
Egg lovers are looking for alternatives, and many people have been looking for farm fresh eggs. I've seen a lot of posts on local reddit pages and facebook pages asking "Who's selling eggs?"
I've bought eggs from friends who raised their own chickens before, but I always wondered if it was 100% legal. I never was worried about getting caught as a consumer, but still, what's the law for farm fresh eggs?
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says most people who are selling eggs from their own flock of chickens don't need a food handler's license. If they are operating on a small enough scale, they don't even need to have their "facility" inspected. So, don't sweat it. That is unless you start getting a bigger operation going!
People who sell eggs still have to follow state regulations for handling and storing eggs. If an egg producer has 3,000 chickens or more laying eggs, they will be subject to the USDA Shell Egg Surveillance Program.
If you plan on selling eggs to grocery stores or schools or even at farmer's markets, you need to register with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and meet certain requirements. For example, you need to clean the eggs, candle and grade them, and meet other labeling and storage requirements.