The USDA defines “free-range” as meaning “allowed access to the outdoors.” Unfortunately, for many “free-range” birds, this merely means that the factory farm leaves a tiny hatch on its shed open to a bare outdoor concrete yard for a certain number of minutes each day, yes I said minutes an “opportunity” the chickens have likely never even learned to take advantage of.
“Organic” refers solely to the certification of the birds’ feed and while it is certainly marginally better to buy factory-farm organic eggs than not, organic feed does not a healthy, happy chicken (or egg) make. You want to look for eggs that are “pasture-raised” from a farm near you. Pasture-raised is pretty much what it sounds like — they are eggs laid by hens that are raised with wide open access to pasture where they can scratch, peck, bask in the sun, eat and run around.
The eggs you will buy at your local farmers market will be fresher and more nutritious for you and your family, you will be supporting your local farmers and your local economy, and
the carbon footprint of your egg-consumption will be lower since they only have to be transported a short distance to reach you. You will be planting your dollars close to home. It doesn't get better then that.
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