I haven’t had to purchase eggs in years, at least until this past December. I was shocked to see that the organic / cage free eggs were nine dollars for a dozen at our local grocery store. The cheaper eggs were something like four or five dollars a dozen, but even that felt a tad high since they’re nothing like the eggs my girls produce.
Granted, it’s not like my eggs are free because I have to feed the chickens, but it’s been nice not being at the whims of the industry. It’s also made me remember just how beholden we consumers are to whatever happens in the food industry. It is, in part, why we still try to garden, why I enjoy learning how to make some of our own foods, such as sauerkraut and yogurt, and why I continue to encourage others to do the same.
I have a long way to go, and I suspect I’ll never stop learning, but I’m afraid that many of us won’t have such a luxury; many consumers could be forced to learn or, more likely, do without.
Just take the prices of eggs as an example. I was curious, so I asked the internet how much egg prices have risen:
Egg prices have increased significantly, with the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs reaching $4.95 in January 2025, a 15% increase from December 2024 and a 65% increase from the beginning of 2024 Wholesale prices have surged even more, hitting $8.15 per dozen, the highest level on record.
- Recent Increase: The price of eggs increased 15.2% from December to January 2025
- Year-Over-Year Increase: Egg prices are 53% higher in January 2025 compared to January 2024
- Wholesale Prices: Wholesale egg prices reached $8.15 per dozen in early February 2025, significantly higher than the previous record of $5.46 per dozen in late December 2022
- Impact of Avian Flu: The ongoing bird flu outbreak has led to the culling of millions of egg-laying hens, reducing the supply and driving up prices
- Future Outlook: The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that egg prices may increase by up to 20% in 2025
Those numbers approximate what I’ve heard elsewhere. Of course, they’re blaming it on bird flu and all the culling of chickens that’s being forced on the industry. Whether it’s a necessary or appropriate action is for others to decide.
The bottom line is that such actions force the price of eggs to rise, possibly to a point where many can’t afford them.
Today I’m staring at about six dozen homegrown eggs in my refrigerator, thankful I have them and wondering whether I need to hunker down this coming spring and not sell eggs at our local Farmer’s market just in case prices continue to rise. Or maybe I need to double my prices, make a fortune, and officially retire? Sadly, I’m not quite that lucky.
But rising egg prices is a small part of the larger problem. I’ve mentioned previously that food prices have risen and are continuing to rise, which I suspect will be a never-ending trend no matter which side runs the government.
The truth is that you’re on your own. Nobody in charge really cares whether you can afford eggs or if you cereal is filled with chemicals you can’t pronounce. Take a long, hard look at your food situation. Can you afford a doubling of prices? Could you do without certain foods if you had to? Do you have food stockpiled? Can you grown anything for yourself? What happens if you the powers that be limit how much food you can purchase, where and when you can purchase it, and from whom?
Perhaps now is the time to look elsewhere. Who around you is selling food you can purchase that’s not at a grocery store? Who around you is helping you to be more self-sufficient? Who around you is preaching that you have the ability, even duty, to care for yourself and your family?
If it’s nobody, then maybe it should be YOU.
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