Once upon a time a little girl grew up on a farm in the heart of dairy country PA. She loved to wake up early with her grandparents and head down to the barn to milk the cows. After a simple, mid-afternoon lunch of chipped chopped ham sandwiches on the wraparound porch, she would visit her Amish neighbors to drop off some fresh milk and help feed the hens and pick eggs to take back home.
That short story seems to far away and fairy tale, but really that was my life about 25 years ago. Simple, carefree and innocent. Just like most childhoods are (and should be!). But the moral of this story is, that our animals were also simple, carefree and innocent. Real farmers treat their stock with compassion, and we live together. The hens pecked and clucked as they roamed freely around the grass and it was always comical to see the Rhode Island Reds run around and make noise. They were like pets.
Why Happy Hens Matter
It makes me sad to see how things have changed these days sometimes, and that large, commercial farms have made all farmers look bad – but not all are. One that we really love and stand behind is Nellie’s – because just like our farm, they let their hens be…hens.
This video is 100% how I grew up. In fact, that might be me flashed in that quick clip from the 80s lol.
Happy hens lay better eggs.
And better eggs means better food for our families. Nellie’s are Certified Humane, Free Range and they contain no hormones and no antibiotics. As a former farmer, I am proud to know these small family farmers (and many of Nellie’s are right in my old stomping grounds in PA!) are able to still provide for their families, and raise happy, social hens that are also living on environmentally sustainable farms. If you can’t say that about the eggs you’re currently buying – why would you?
I’ve said it a lot and I’ll say it again, I love living in NYC, but I look forward to the day I retire and move back to a quiet, happy little farm with little happy hens of my own running around. But until I have my own eggs each morning again, I’ll be happy to support farmer’s under Nellie’s with my same values.
Remember, without hens you wouldn’t get scrambled eggs, frothy icing for cookies or that delicious fried chicken and wings you have during football games. #hensarefriends
To learn more about Free Range and Certified Humane farming, visit www.nelliesfreerange.com, and also take a minute to watch the cutest Free Range Kids video. Because kids are the future.
Nellie’s provided me with complimentary baking items to facilitate this post, because they are passionate to get the word out about Certified Humane Free Range hens and so and I. Thank you for supporting Football Food and Motherhood and happy hens on all Nellie’s farms!
Photo credit: Hens/Nellie’s
