New laws affect local egg farms

State and federal regulations, as well as two lawsuits, are under way that could change how eggs are produced and sold in the former egg basket of the world – and how much they cost. The changes are widening the market for smaller egg producers who raise their hens in a "pastured" environment where the birds are free to roam and eat insects and grasses, while causing Petaluma’s more traditional farms to struggle to continue providing low-cost eggs. A day before many Petalumans took to the streets on April 27 to commemorate their agricultural heritage in the Butter & Egg Days Parade, The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers, which represents farmers who produce more than 90 percent of the eggs in America, announced their support for bipartisan federal legislation aimed at improving the treatment of 280 million laying hens.  Read More