Elawa Farm's Winter Market struggling to keep up with egg shortage, demand; ‘Part of our mission to build a resilient, sustainable local food system'

Chicago Tribune

10-03-2025

If you are looking for those hard-to-find eggs, you might be well-served to check out Elawa Farm's Winter Market in Lake Forest, but there is a limit of one carton per person.
The price on Friday was $8.50 per dozen, with an inventory of 18 dozen in the cooler. Normally, there are 40 to 50 dozen egg cartons available.
The Winter Market began at Elawa Farm in January of 2024, attracting about 200 visitors each weekend and supporting more than 50 local farmers and small food businesses, according to Laura Calvert, Elawa Farm Foundation executive director.
'We are proud to showcase their products, support the livelihoods of farmers and food producers, and offer fresh, local food to our community,' she said. 'Many folks have come to the Winter Market to find fresh eggs during this egg shortage.
'We've noticed that people are coming to the market to just buy eggs, as they are unable to reliably find eggs at the grocery store,' Calvert said.
The organic eggs are sourced from Living Light Farm in downstate Paxton.
'This family farm provides us with organic eggs and pasture-raised meat on a weekly basis,' Calvert said. 'Our customers love the variety of egg colors — green, blue and tan — and the nutritional benefits of pasture-raised eggs, which contain more vitamin A and D and lower cholesterol than conventional eggs.
'Supporting farms like Living Light Farm is part of our mission to build a resilient, sustainable local food system,' she said.
Buying eggs was customer Jane Ulitskaya of Northbrook, who brought toddler son Andre Katz. She described the eggs as a 'bluish' color.
The egg shortage, 'has been rough on us because my whole family eats a lot of eggs, and we're pretty particular about the ones we eat so the grocery store where we usually go has been out of the ones we eat,' Ulitskaya said. 'We like it here anyway but every Friday, we have to get at least a dozen.
'We're all about supporting local,' she said.
Several other customers at the Winter Market wanted eggs, including Maureen Marsh of Lake Forest and Pamela Morgan of Libertyville.
'It's important what we eat, what we put in our body and our brain,' Morgan said.
Marsh liked the colors of organic eggs instead of white often seen at chain grocers, and supporting local farms.
'I think it starts here, which means giving back to our local communities,' she said.
Jackie Gutwald of Indian Creek bought mushrooms and other items, but not eggs.
'I don't eat a lot of eggs,' she said while acknowledging, 'Yes, I know there's obviously a problem.'
Assisting customers were market manager Susan Petersen of Lake Bluff and Georgia de Silva of Wilmette, an assistant farm manager.
'We're really busy looking for interesting offerings to make the market an exciting destination,' Petersen said.
De Silva said, 'Honestly, everybody should be growing some of their own food. It helps lessen the impact on the environment for trucking stuff from all corners of the U.S. and the world.'
Intern Aneth Castillo of Waukegan, 17, a senior at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep of Waukegan, was working in the shop. Castillo, who has a cat, may pursue veterinary medicine. Castillo feeds the cat homemade food.
As a possible future veterinarian who participates in Cristo Rey's collaborative work program, Castillo said, 'I want my animals to eat right and be healthy, so I feel like more organic food, and cleaner food, and knowing what is in their food, is really important.'
'The corporate work study partnership between Elawa Farm and Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep is amazing,' said Brian Weinberg, director of the school's corporate work study program. 'Our high schoolers who intern there gain a unique experience in a beautiful natural setting, while honing their professional communication, ownership and technological savviness.
'All four of our student workers at Elawa are truly blessed, and our school and program are grateful for this opportunity,' he said.
Laura Calvert wanted the community to know about the developing challenges facing growers.
'With the recent federal funding freeze of the Illinois EATS program, many local farmers have lost a key market as they head into the next growing season,' she said. 'At Elawa, we see this as an opportunity to step up our support for these farmers by increasing our local purchasing for the market, café, catering operation and food pantry partnerships.
'We are actively working with our farm partners to assess their needs and determine how we can help mitigate the impact of this funding loss,' she said.
Katie Wright of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, shopped the market with her mother Emily Williams of Lake Forest, and Wright's children James, 2, and Will, 3.
She said she wants the boys, 'to know where their food comes from.'