Spooked by the recent spike in egg prices, Dan Kamps had no problem spending nearly an hour waiting for two dozen at Billy’s Egg Farm in Chino.
He was among the first batch of customers sitting in their idling cars at 8 a.m. on a recent chilly January morning. Being there early is important as eggs — which start at $5 a dozen at Billy’s — run out by noon most days, Kamps said.
The lengths people are willing to go for affordable eggs is a reflection of soaring prices nationwide — with a dozen large eggs retailing for $5.62 on Feb. 1, up from $4.83 at the beginning of December, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows.
Egg farms are reporting an influx of customers, but some are looking into quirkier solutions, such as their neighbors’ backyards, to purchase eggs at a time when finding them at local grocery stores is not guaranteed.
Billy’s Egg Farm owner Billy Mouw says he’s been selling 25,000 eggs a day lately at his family farm, which houses around 30,000 chickens. With his daughters’ help, he’s able to shell out eggs a dozen at a time to cars that stretch down the residential road surrounding the business.
The availability and price of eggs at the farm make it worth the wait for Kamps, who has a family of five at home.
“You go anywhere else right now and its upwards of $7 for a dozen eggs, that hurts my wallet,” the Chino resident said as the line of cars began to move.
“It’s saving money for my family, but it’s also supporting the small business,” Kamps continued. “I’d rather spend the money here than at Walmart and honestly, it’s more expensive at Walmart right now.”
Customers shared similar sentiments down the road at another egg farm, Maust’s California Poultry, which reports it’s also seen a huge influx in demand.
“I’m definitely cutting back, I can barely make omelets for my family anymore,” said Dee Forbes, who was first in line at Maust’s. “I can’t find eggs at the groceries…
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