Got salmonella? Know your Food

So now we have millions of eggs recalled due to salmonella poisoning.  How many times have we (ecologists and other folks who know and care) told them that it is the conditions in which layers are raised that caused this to happen. The big producers say that this is the way to raise eggs so that they will be cheap at the stores.  How cheap is it if it sickens you and can cause death?  Why is it expected that life sustenance should be cheap so that we have enough money left over to go out and buy that which is of no importance whatsover?  In 80% of the world those last two questions would have made no sense whatsover. 
       Chickens cannot thrive in conditions where they stand in a tiny cage in their own waste 24/7 dropping eggs into it and not have the transmission of bad stuff into the eggs.   And then, because they have worn the chickens out using high-powered feed, god-knows-what chemicals to 'enhance' their laying capabilities, the chickens are no longer valuable as layers at 18 months so they are now only good for dogfood and feather protein.  Now, for those who do not know this, chickens do not even begin to lay until they are around 6 months old.  So, these chickens are worn out in 1 year!  An egg a day (or more) is expected from them from the beginning of their laying cycle.  In our flock, that isn't even a remote goal.  If, on the good stuff that ours are fed, we get an egg every 2 - 3 days, that is great!  The egg is quality, it is clean and the chicken leads a good life of generally around 3 - 4 years.  They have the run of a very large area, grass clippings, weeds, and vegetables from the garden and, as an added bonus, they produce compost for us to begin the cycle again. 
    I would love to be able to provide more eggs for more people, but we are a very small operation and that may be the solution.  The big outfits have failed.  Get to know a local egg producer.  Ask questions about how the hens are raised.  Don't expect the eggs to be cheap (the old phrase 'cheaper in the country' was only used by those who thought that somehow country people don't need to make a profit, that they don't have bills like everyone else).  And don't expect a knowledgeable chicken farmer to invite you in to the chicken area. That sounds very quaint and old fashioned, but people spread more diseases than chickens do.  Know your producer and know your food.  Food gives us life, so it really is that important.