MISSOULA, Mont. – As egg prices rise across the country, local farms in Montana are finding ways to keep their costs steady. Jon Turner of Turner Farms in Missoula shared insights into how his farm is managing the demand and price fluctuations.
Turner explained that despite national trends, his farm’s production costs have remained stable. “It’s surprising to me my eggs don’t cost me any more money to make today than they did before the avian flu hit,” he said.
The demand for local eggs is increasing, Turner noted, even as prices rise nationally. He mentioned that Turner Farms has never had enough eggs to meet the demand. “If I had 500 birds, I would sell every dozen eggs that I have,” Turner said. “I can’t meet the demand that I have for the eggs that I have at the price that I have them at.”
Turner shared that his egg prices have only increased when necessary, such as when labor, taxes, feed, or shipping costs rise. He said, “Egg prices for regular eggs are getting closer to the price of our organic farm eggs. So now the demand for mine is going up.”
A tour of Turner Farms revealed that chickens, sheep, and pigs roam together, contributing to low production costs. Turner can keep prices steady by selling directly to consumers, eliminating the middleman.
In Drummond, Farm Boy Eggs manager Cari Verlanic discussed the impact of the avian flu outbreak on larger farms. While their farm hasn’t experienced an outbreak, Verlanic noted a surge in demand across western Montana. “Well then that leaves it up to what I call the backbone of agriculture, family farms and ranches. And, I mean, we just kind of keep plugging along. We’ve been quite slammed,” Verlanic said.
Farm Boy Eggs is a key supplier across the state, from Deer Lodge to Butte to Missoula. Despite moving to a new chicken coop that has halved production, Verlanic emphasized their commitment to keeping shelves stocked. She said that in some locations, the Farm Boy eggs are the last on the shelves.
Both Turner Farms and Farm Boy Eggs demonstrate how local farms are navigating challenges while maintaining a steady supply of eggs.
