Many college students like eggs because they provide a cheap, fast and (If prepared correctly) tasty meal. I like eggs for all of those reasons too. Since I have been in school,  I have found them to be reliable for curing both morning and evening hunger.

I also like eggs because they pack a nutritional punch. According to the American Egg Board, one large egg provides six grams of protein; the quality of egg protein is so high that scientists frequently use eggs as the standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods. Eggs are also much lower in fat than many people think (one large egg has 4.5 grams of fat and 75 calories). In addition, eggs have recently begun to shed their rep as heart-clotters because scientists have yet to show that dietary cholesterol (the kind in eggs) significantly boosts blood cholesterol levels in everyone.

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But I digress.  Suffice it to say, there are naysayers who don’t want us to live well, to live with a lower carbon footprint by producing our own food.  Kimberly Willis and Rob Ludlow, co-authors of Raising Chickens for Dummies, can be counted among those that are dispelling these myths and empowering the people. 

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Bringing production to the household has no economy of scale but inputs including labour and part of the feed are essentially free. The reduction in transport and packaging cost have financial and environmental benefits.

Eggs from the Eglu

The Eglu is based on a plastic, waterproof box, where the hens shelter and lay their eggs. The box is attached to an enclosed run which can be placed on a lawn allowing the chickens to scratch for insects and grass. The run has a door to allow the hens a free range in the garden when its safe.

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Researchers in Brunei are studying the migration route and nesting habitat of Olive Ridley Turtles by monitoring the satellite transmitter of a recently-released female turtle.

Earlier this month, a female Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), fitted with a satellite transmitter, was released from Meragang Beach as part of a Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) project.

The ability to track this turtle will help locate breeding and nesting grounds, so that conservationists can manage and protect these sensitive sites. By checking daily transmissions, researchers can determine the turtle’s route.

Attaching the transmitter to the turtle’s shell was done with a special glue and then covered with fiberglass, a common method used by researchers to track long-range migration habits of sea turtles.

The extraordinary nesting behavior of the Olive Ridley Turtle

Female Olive Ridley Turtles are responsible for one of the most unusual occurrences found in nature. In a phenomenon known as arribada (”arrival by sea”), it begins when groups of females congregate in the water near nesting sites.

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Conservationists are delighted at news that Lonesome George, the last remaining giant tortoise of his kind, may soon become a father … at the age of 90.

Last Tuesday, amazed keepers discovered a clutch of unhatched eggs in his “bachelor” pen in the Galapagos Islands.

No wonder they were amazed - a team of scientists have been doggedly coaxing the sullen creature to mate since 1993, when they introduced two female tortoises of a different subspecies into his pen. Until now, George, the last known Pinta Island tortoise had shown little interest in his companions. But at age 90, George, now said to be in his sexual prime, was finally spurred into action.

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For over 20 years, dedicated rangers have been caring for the protected zone off Jakarta’s north coast. They spend three weeks of each month without Internet access or electricity on the uninhabited islet of Penjaliran Timur - where they monitor critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle nests.

Penjaliran Timur is part of Penjaliran’s restricted zone - and home to the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), whose favorite nesting grounds include the beaches of Peteloran Timur and Peteloran Barat (also uninhabited and in the restricted zone).

Using a wooden paddle boat, an important part of the rangers’ daily routine is to travel the relatively short distance from Penjaliran Timur to the nesting areas in order to collect newly laid Hawksbill Turtle eggs. The precious eggs are brought back to Penjaliran Timur, where the rangers carefully bury them in the sand near the guard post, to keep them safe from poachers.

But despite daily heroic efforts, the rangers are not always successful at rescuing the Hawksbill Turtle eggs: Although they can spot the poachers through binoculars from Penjaliran Timur, by the time they reach the nesting grounds via wooden paddle boat, the poachers are long gone - using speedboats.

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The last known living Geochelone abigdoni tortoise will hopefully be a dad this time around. He has been living with two female tortoises of a similar species - and now there are five eggs.

200-pound George, between 90 and 100 years old,was discovered in 1972. Last year, one of his female companions laid eggs, but they turned out to be infertile. The female tortoises are of the species Geochelone becki. The tortoises reside at Galapagos National Park.

According to recent reports, it will be known in 120 days if the eggs are fertile. The eggs are currently in the incubation center.

Galapagos tortoises were hunted to extinction by sailors and fishermen, and introduced animals, such as goats have eaten away their habitat. The Galapagos tortoise was one of the species that Charles Darwin observed in formulating his theory of evolution.

Here’s hoping for hatchlings!

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeweston/ / CC BY 2.0

Paso Pacífico, a non-profit organization focusing on the Pacific slope of Central America, is helping endangered Hawksbill Turtles in Nicaragua with a compensation-based conservation program based on incentive payments for local people.

The financial rewards to locals in exchange for protecting endangered sea turtle nests are making a difference: Rangers have reported that egg poaching is on the decline. And Paso Pacífico plans are to make this program sustainable.

As one of the most critically endangered marine sea turtles, little is known about the current population of Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata ). With 100 percent of their eggs being harvested by local people and sold to poachers, few turtles had the opportunity to reach adulthood - putting this species is at significant risk.

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As a child, eggs were special one day of the year: Easter. Back then an egg was a treasure. But since my parents stopped hiding eggs for me, eggs haven’t held much meaning. White and, well, egg-shaped, they help me when I need to make a quick meal or mix up some cookie dough. But that’s about it. For me anyway. For some an egg means everything.

For the first time in over a century, a Common Murre egg has been found south of the Canadian border on the east coast, bringing hope to the hearts of those working to restore the bird to the sub-Canadian region.

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How do you like your eggs? The answer to that question used to be sunny side up, scrambled, or over easy. Now, it’s cage-free and organic, thank you very much.  Since I moved to London recently, I’ve noticed a greater level of public awareness regarding egg production and chicken welfare as compared to the United States.  Most supermarkets and chain restaurants, and even some giant multinational corporations, sell or use exclusively free-range eggs and prominently advertise doing so.

It’s certainly a big change from the United States, where cage-free eggs are generally available but are not as widespread in popularity as in the United Kingdom. It appears to be a slowly growing movement back at home, and it’s great news that some states have begun to pass laws improving living conditions for chickens. Unfortunately, we’ve still got a long way to go before reaching the level of public demand and corporate response for the right kind of eggs that can be found here in the UK.

Here are a few of the differences I’ve noticed with regard to egg production and marketing in the UK and the States.

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Make this Easter a Green one.  700 new chemicals are untested for toxicity.  Check out the new batch of Alternative Autos.

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Using silk ties that are destined for Good Will, a bit of scrap fabric, and boiling water, you can dye eggs. Yup, dye them with the ties! It is sort of like magic, or chemical reactions even.

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It’s almost been a year since we picked up our spring chicks- Henrietta and Dixie. In all honesty, we did have four Spring chicks but our dog Durgen, killed two of them (Fluffy and Lois). It was devastating to say the least.  We decided that two was our lucky number. Having chickens has been such an adventure. When you first get them as chicks they do require to be under a heat lamp for about 2-3 weeks until they get bigger and can face the temperature variations outside. They require a little heat, food (medicated), water, your attention and love. Just before they get bigger you want to teach them to perch so that they are accustomed to doing so when moved into the coop. All you need to do is add a piece of wood inside the box you’re using to house them; elevate it so that they learn to jump up and perch. It’s really that simple.

My husband built the coop and we reused as much material as we could to get it up. For instance, the door was leftover fencing material and some of the wood was from older jobs that didn’t require as much wood as expected. Building the coop didn’t take much time and before we knew it the chickens had there own place to live and roam. Besides the coop they need a nesting box which is where they’ll lay their eggs. Add straw to the nesting box and make it nice and comfy. Some people will put in a golf ball or alabaster eggs in the box so that the chickens get the idea that they should lay the eggs inside the box. We did not do this. Our chickens learned on their own. It took them a few weeks but they figured it out.

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Anyone who has ever had the unfortunate experience of even being near one will tell you the smell alone is enough to make you instantly nauseated.

Aside from that, what are some of the other hazards of raising animals this way?

Here is a interesting list I’ve compiled of various pieces of information about this vile practice, and the impact it has on us and the environment:

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5 million people in the United States have heart failure.

550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

More than 287,000 people in the United States die each year with heart failure.

The estimated direct cost for heart failure each year is $29.6 billion in the US alone.

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Number 10, Spatchcock
Number 9, Sautéing
Number 8, Dicing
Number 7, Blanching Vegetables
Number 6, Cooking Pasta

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Breading
Browning/searing
Dicing an onion
Folding
Making pan sauce
Rolling out pie crust
Making a roux
Segmenting citrus
Tempering
Making a vinaigrette

She said, “Mastering these will ease everyday kitchen chores and help you tackle more advanced recipes.” It is a good article, including video techniques and accompanying recipes. The bad - when was the last time you made a roux at home or the last time you tempered cream or milk - like for a crème brûlée? Do you make it often enough for it to be called “everyday kitchen chores”?

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If you have been headed out to the farmers market each week and are getting used to “la vida local,” you should consider signing up for this October’s Eat Local Challenge. Here’s some details on the challenge and how you can participate.

And, here’s this week’s recipes and posts for Farmers Market Fare.

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In fact, eggs are the product with the most “eco labels” of all reviewed by Consumer Reports. How do you navigate the sea of label terms and find out what they really mean?

Consumer Reports offers an Eco-labels Center that has tools like a virtual kitchen that shows users common foods and the labels associated with them, some of which were new to me. Did you know wine can include a “salmon-safe” label, for example?

The site also offers three different ways to search for label definitions; by “label” including label term, logo, label index and label category; by product category including food, household cleaners, personal hygiene, and wood/paper; and by certifiers, the organization or program that validates the label claim.

Entering a grocery store for a socially and environmentally minded person can be quite a stressful and trying experience. Should you buy that organic, free-range, cage-free, grass-fed, non-GMO, natural, fair-trade beef? How do you know if those chickens really are free to roam in bucolic pastures? How often are the organic farms audited? How do you know if the apple from New Zealand produced less fossil fuels compared to the local one? When the seemingly more ethical products cost up to twice as much as conventional ones, we end up staring at the shelves in a daze with recycle symbols and cheery looking Peruvian coffee growers circling our heads.

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