andrea petersen, the daily market coop's made in walla walla box coordinator, showcase's some of the walla walla box vendors.
3 vendors supply eggs for the made in walla walla box each week, because no one vendor can supply 45 dozen eggs each week. extra eggs are available for purchase in the store for $5.50/dozen.
eggs
chicken chore treasures:
chicken chore treasures is located just outside walla walla, wa. chicken chore is owned by four siblings ages seven to 15. the family owns 1000 chickens and 250 pullets that are about to start laying eggs. these chickens run freely and eat fresh, not medicated grains. each child tithes 10% of their pay and splits the remaining between savings and spending.
west end farm:
west end farm is located in walla walla, wa. the eggs are laid by free ranging, mostly rhode island reds, hens. the chicken's coop is nicknamed the cadillac chicken shack because the owner loves his chickens so much he built a chicken house rivaling human homes. these chickens eat weeds and produce from the farm and laying ration.
richard's farm:
richard's farm is located near milton-freewater, or. the children in the family started the egg business eight years ago. the farm has a variety of chickens that are free range and eat an organic diet. egg sales go into a cd for the children's future education.
voyager farm:
voyager farm is located near dayton, wa. these chickens are free range and eat organic and gmo-free chicken feed. the pink egg cartons are 100% recycled material. voyager farm eggs are available for sale in the store for $6.00/dozen and are not part of the made in walla walla box program.
milk
milk for the made in walla walla box is provided by pure eire located in othello, washington. pure eire is proud to be one of the few grass-only dairies in the united states src: pureeiredairy.com, march 2011.
pure eire is:
- 100% grass-fed (a rarity as there are very few purely grass-fed dairies in the united states)
- our herd has been hand-selected to be free of a1 positive cows
- antibiotic and hormone free
- free of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides
- transparent operation - giving you the ability to know where your milk comes from
- our milk is not combined with milk from any other dairy
- all jersey herd for better grazing and a rich, creamy milk
minimally processed milk utilizing vat pasteurization and no homogenization
there is 3-5 times the amount of conjugated linoleic acid (cla) in milk when the cows are grass-fed rather than grain fed. cla is a beneficial fatty acid. cla has been shown to have cancer-fighting properties, help inhibit the formation of body fat, and help reduce food allergies. when cows eat green grass, the cla from grass passes to the cow and than the cla passes from the cow to the milk.
milk from pure eire is not homogenized. homogenized milk typically found in most grocery stores has the fat particles broken up so butterfat does not separate and rise. since pure eire milk is not homogenized, there may be butterfat around the lid of the carton. this is fine and not spoiled (shake the jug to incorporate the butterfat). pure eire milk spoils naturally. it will start to smell if it is spoiling. the date on the jug is the sell by date. if pure eire milk is stored below 32 degrees it can develop a few natural chunks, which are fine, but will not go away.