I’d like to tell you a bit about our practices here at Shady Pines Homestead.
First & foremost, our hens truly are au naturel – but most importantly, they’re HAPPY & healthy! The ladies get to free-range on our 7 acres and are supplemented with 100% Organic & non-GMO feed.
We value sustainability here and all things natural & “green”, but safety always comes first – that’s why we have a meticulous cleaning regime of our plastic egg cartons that we ask you to return to us so that they can be reused.
HOW IT WORKS:
Our cleaning regimen includes using a mixture of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. The combination of those two creates peracetic acid, which is a powerful antimicrobial acid that can kill bacteria and viruses. We clean every single surface and nook and cranny of our egg cartons with that combination, in between uses, to make sure that they are sterile before our fresh eggs are placed into them.
The carton is then labeled with a “laid on” date so that you know when your farm fresh eggs were collected.
With this method, we are able to reuse our egg cartons while also effectively cleaning them and making sure there is no cross-contamination between uses. It’s green and safe!
In the summer months we also offer “Basket Delivery” upon request that eliminates the use for egg cartons. The delivery basket is sterilized with the same method as the cartons, plus UV rays from some good old fashioned sunshine! The eggs then get transferred into whatever receptacle you choose to put your eggs in, whether it’s a basket of yours, or bowl, or bag – whatever works!
We make sure that our hens are happy and healthy, so that their beautiful eggs are not only tasty, but also nutritious and healthy.
If you ever have any questions about our practices here, please don’t hesitate to ask! We also have pages on this site dedicated to Our Flock and our eggs for more info.🌻