Harford County farmer impacted as bird flu prompts rise in egg prices
Ducks and chickens are the dominant species at Martha's Farm Market in Howard County, Maryland, meaning the eggs are plentiful.
"We're getting like 3 to 4 dozen a day, and in a normal week, we could handle that," said Julie Yarrington, owner of Martha's Farm Market.
But Yarrington said these weeks have been anything but normal after the bird flu killed millions of egg-laying birds, in turn, drastically impacting the supply of eggs.
"I've never seen a shortage of eggs like this where the prices have gone through the roof ever," Yarrington said.
Egg prices skyrocket
CBS News estimated that the cost of eggs jumped 15% in January from last year, bringing the total to roughly $4.95 a dozen.
But, if you can even find eggs in the grocery store right now, we're seeing prices as high as $9 or $10 a dozen.
So, many people have turned to local farms like Martha's to meet demand.
"Lately we just can't keep up supply, can't keep up with demand," Yarrington said. "So, now we've had to limit to two dozen and sometimes turn people away which is not what we want to do, but we can't keep fighting it because there's nothing you can do about it."
Yarrington said she gets dozens of calls each week from people looking for eggs, and that doesn't include people like Stephanie Harkins, who just shows up hoping for the best.
"As we drive around to different farms, we just stop and see who has them," Harkins said.
Harkins said she and her family are constantly stopping at local farms like Martha's to see what's in stock.
"I was just driving back from running some errands, and I thought, 'I'm going to run up there and see what they have if they have anything,'" said Harkins.
So, while it's drawn customers, Yarrington said it's tough to turn people away when they run out.
"It's been good and bad," Yarrington said. "We've had some new customers because our price is affordable. Will they continue when things straighten out? I don't know, they might, they might not. It's all good. It's called life."
Yarrington is hopeful the situation will sort itself out in the next few months.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise 20% this year, especially with Easter on the way.
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