The Last Big Egg Farm
In Kawaihae 40,000 Leghorns soldier on

by Kelleen Lum

T he egg is a universal sign of spring, re-birth, and new beginnings. This small, self-contained package of energy and nutrients is endlessly versatile, and through the magic of its complicated chemistry, can be prepared in countless ways. Yet here in Hawai'i, our egg sources are limited, with the majority being shipped from the mainland.
For close to 21 years, David M. Davenport has been raising egg-laying chickens at his Kawaihae farm. He owns the only remaining relatively large-scale commercial egg farm on this island. Last month, the last egg farm on Maui closed, and there are just four farms left on O'ahu. Davenport takes the problems in stride, diversifying as much as possible, looking towards the future, and being thankful of the past. He says, "We've been blessed. We were the newest [egg] farm on the island, now we're the last farm on the island."
The farm itself is small, just several long barns housing the White Leghorn chickens. Davenport has less than 40,000 laying hens, and produces less than sixty cases (about 21,000 eggs) daily. While this seems like a large number if one is making omelets, the standard farm in the egg industry usually houses a million hens, with one caretaker able to handle about 10,000 hens.
"People think we are a big farm; we're a drop in the bucket," says Davenport.
White Leghorns are prized for producing consistent, large, white, nicely shaped eggs. After reaching maturity, the hens produce at maximum efficiency for about a year and a half. The eggs are treated according to USDA and health department standards: cleaned, sorted by size, graded and packed. The gradation of eggs is an approximate indication of quality, and is called "candling" after the original practice of holding an intact raw egg up to a candle to judge the condition of the yolk suspended within. Grade B eggs are about the same as Grade A, but may have blemished or irregular shells.
"Everything has to be esthetically just right. B-grade eggs are just esthetically-challenged!" Davenport jokes.
This demand for esthetic uniformity has made the White Leghorn chicken the popular egg-laying hen for white eggs.
The farm uses no hormones or antibiotics on the hens, and as little pesticide as possible on the property; Davenport prefers traps and other non-chemical alternatives. All manure is sold or mixed with recycled green waste in the on-site mulch and compost facility. Davenport says he tries to be as conscious as possible, within the range of rising costs for transport, labor, feed, and land.
"The average consumer won't pay more for a dozen eggs just because they are local or organic," he maintains. "There are always people out there waving signs and telling you how you should be."
Organic, mainland eggs have the added environmental cost of transportation and "shell protection," a process in which the eggs are sprayed with mineral oil to inhibit oxygen from entering the pores on the shell.
Davenport's farm creates local jobs, while mainland farms don't add to the Hawai'i economy. "Have you created any jobs? No. Maybe one guy takes half a day to unload the container."
(For the more ecologically conscious, free-range chicken eggs are often available from smaller producers at local farmer's markets. KTA carries locally-produced brown eggs, as well as Davenport's whites, under their Mountain Apple brand.)
My flat of Jumbo eggs will be re-born into seasonal recipes celebrating Easter and Passover, a time that traditionally reminds us to be thankful for the return of Spring, new growth, and the planting of food that will feed our community throughout the year. "We are becoming more global, whether we want it or not," Davenport says. "You think it's bad now with the oil, just wait until someone else controls your food supply."
I am thankful there is a farm left on this island where I can get truly fresh eggs. Davenport predicts that eventually they'll all be gone. I hope, for our community, that he is wrong.
Eggs are for sale six days a week at the farm, and available in all grades that the chickens have produced that week. Davenport also sells the eggs to local distributors and companies, and packages under both the Hawaiian Fresh Egg Farm label and KTA's Mountain Apple brand. The whiteboard lists Jumbo, Extra Large, Medium, Small, B-Grade, and Off-Grade for sale. Irregular smalls go to the Hawai'i Island Food Bank. Stewing Chickens (older than the usual roasters and fryers sold in the markets, and not the meat-breeds) are available certain days of the week for one dollar each. Please call for mulch, compost, and manure purchases.
Hawaiian Fresh Egg Farm
62-2670 Kawaihae Rd.
Kamuela
882-7931
HOURS: M-F 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sa 8-11 a.m. (Chickens sold M, W, Th until 3:30 p.m.)
PRICES: $.50-$1/stewing chicken $4-$5.25 for a tray of 30 eggs
PLASTIC: Cash only

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