With reports of empty grocery store shelves and rising egg prices as bird flu sweeps through flocks across the country, Howard County farms and markets are seeing an increased demand for fresh eggs. Eggs are “like the golden goose,” said Jaime Brooke, a nutritional therapy practitioner at Mary Land’s Farm in Ellicott City who also works in the farm’s store. Brooke said the store has been getting frequent calls from customers asking if eggs are in stock and requesting to set some aside. While staff works to bring more eggs to the store if they run out, Brooke said eggs often will be nearly sold out by the end of the day. Some customers are interested in more humane products or items that aren’t ultra-processed, she said, with people usually willing to pay more for eggs coming from healthy chickens.

Mary’s Land Farm maintains 160 acres of land for both pasture and growing vegetables and plants. All livestock is pasture-raised and products like 100% grass-fed beef, produce and organic eggs can be found in the farm’s store, as well as dairy products from other farms and items from local businesses.

The average price for a dozen large Grade A eggs reached a record high of $4.95 in January, as reported by Capital News Service. Though there have been no confirmed cases of bird flu, or avian influenza, in Howard County, according to CDC data, it has reached flocks along the Eastern Shore and in Washington, Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Charles counties.

At Haviland Hens Farm in Clarksville, Deborah Pacheco is hoping the disease doesn’t make its way to Howard County.

“It worries me, definitely, because we’re not bringing any outside hens or roosters or anything in right now due to the avian flu,” Pacheco said.

Pacheco has a small flock of 16 hens after a “devastating” incident when a raccoon broke in, but the bird flu makes it challenging to rebuild. She said she hopes there is action taken to help with the bird flu and increased testing so the disease doesn’t reach levels “as bad as it can be.”

The farm doesn’t want to risk losing its flock by bringing in new birds, she said, and with not all hens laying eggs yet, the farm is able to get about a dozen eggs a day. There’s currently a waiting list for eggs, Pacheco said, but there have been other times when eggs are in higher demand, so it’s not the first time there’s been such a list.

“It is an increase in demand. It’s just that there aren’t that many farms in this area that sell fresh eggs and a lot of people in this area like to live healthier and have fresh eggs so they reach out out to the farms,” she said.

Prices for eggs at Haviland Hens Farm have remained relatively the same, only increasing because of the increased price of feed that started to rise at the beginning of the pandemic, Pacheco said. The farm tries to keep prices down so people can take part in a healthy lifestyle. At Mary’s Land Farm Store, a dozen eggs cost $9.99, a slight price increase because the hens lay fewer eggs in winter. And at Breezy Willow Farm Country Market in Ellicott City, the price of eggs has risen from about $7 a dozen to $10 because of an increase in price from the supplier in Pennsylvania, an employee said.

Breezy Willow Farm is located in Woodbine, and the Breezy Willow Farm Country Market in Ellicott City sells fresh meats along with eggs, dairy, seasonings, canned goods, sweet treats, soaps and other household items. Eggs have been the hot product in the market lately, an employee said.

“Everybody who walks through the door’s grateful that we have eggs,” the employee said.

Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X.