Red, white and Prop 2

One of the propositions that passed in California last week was Prop 2, which creates a new state statute that prohibits the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. Having spent every summer of my life on my grandparents' farm in Wisconsin, I can see clearly the benefits of the proposition. Not only does it benefit animals while they're living, it makes them taste better when they're butchered. (Apologies to my vegan friends, but I still like meat and I have no illusions about its origins.)

And according to the magazine Mother Earth News, giving chickens room to roam may make us healthier, too:

The results from Mother Earth News’ latest round of pastured egg nutrient tests are beginning to come in. So far, pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry’s butt — woo hoo, go free range! We’ve invested a lot of time and energy over the last few years in researching the differences between the meat and eggs coming out of the commercial industry and those produced by conscientious farmers who let their animals graze on fresh pastures. In the past, we’ve found that eggs from hens raised on pasture, as compared to those commercially raised factory farm eggs, contain:

• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
  
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
  
• 7 times more beta carotene
  

Now we’re looking at vitamin D, which many of us do not get enough of because we don’t spend any time outdoors, and even when we do we use sunscreen that blocks vitamin D production. Eggs are one of the few food sources of naturally occurring vitamin D, and we wondered if true free-range eggs might be higher in this important vitamin, too. Our latest tests show that pastured eggs have anywhere between 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs.