eggsanity

The People’s Republic of Left Coast again shows its special genius.

Leading the way to our brave new world, the voters have agreed to implement
The Humane Society‘s dream chicken-ranching beautification scheme
(humane to non-human animals, that is).

Part 1, as encoded into law by voter initiative, all chicken ranches in California had their operations dictated to be nice to the birds raised therein. Well, as nice as the law-writers could mandate with an edict comprehensible to the voting public (a rather low common denominator to be sure).

Part 2 came from the legislature in response to chicken rancher pressure. All eggs imported into California must come from facilities equally handicapped by egalitarian humane standards.

As a result, mass-volume factory-farm eggs cost as much as organic and free-range niche-market eggs in California grocery stores.

This, of course, makes the comfortable middle-class and above feel real good.

However those with empty pockets and empty stomachs are not quite so thrilled.

Let them eat cake.

Without eggs, that is.

I have just resurrected The Easter Egg Chicken Ranch in its third iteration. I truly enjoy raising chickens in a large part for the great flavor and health benefits of eggs from healthy birds. I have a 1%-er’s appreciation for really good chicken eggs.

In those years I found myself between home-produced eggs, I usually pay the premium for the good stuff. The eggs feel and taste distinctly different and clearly superior. We also know they are healthier – birds, eggs, and for the consumers (us).

I would be okay with a strategy of INFORMING the egg-buying public of the advantages healthy-bird eggs had over those from jam-packed GMO egg factories. In fact, I think this is a good idea.

But even I, with as fine an appreciation as anyone I know for the differences, have found myself in a position of inspecting the thin gap between the front and back of my wallet and choosing a dozen factory-farm egg-like products over The Good Stuff at well over twice the price.

The poor folk in California no longer have that choice.

Puts them in good company, however, as it appears that all 38,332,521 California residents are impoverished in one way or another.