Northwest Iowa — This being Iowa Egg Month, and National Egg Month for that matter, we wanted to hear from one of the egg producers in northwest Iowa and see what message they might have for the rest of us.
We had a chance to visit with Ross Dean, who is the Vice President for Marketing and Sales for Versova Management Company, who run the Center Fresh Egg facilities in Sioux County and other poultry operations in the state.
Dean tells us eggs are nutritious, delicious, and an “eggcellent” choice.
He reminds us that by buying and eating eggs, you are helping the local economy and helping to pay wages to workers who work, live, play, buy products and services, and pay taxes in this area.
——————————————
Original story posted May 4, 2018:
Northwest Iowa — When it comes to Iowa-grown food, we tend to think of beef and pork. But while Iowa rates in the top 10 in those categories every year, we also rate high in the production of eggs. And in addition to being “Beef Month,” May is also “Iowa Egg Month.”
According to the Iowa Egg Council, Iowa leads the nation in egg production, caring for nearly 55 million laying hens producing approximately 16 billion eggs per year. They tell us that Iowa’s egg farming families achieve this incredible level of production by being committed to raising healthy flocks, producing safe, healthy, affordable eggs and protecting the environment for future generations. In addition to producing more eggs than any other state, Iowa egg farmers process more eggs than any other state in the United States, with the eggs being made into frozen, liquid, dried, or specialty egg products. And northwest Iowa has a number of large egg operations.
The Iowa Egg Council says that the state’s egg farmers produce a product that is economical and consistently recognized by USDA as the lowest cost-per-serving of high-quality protein costing approximately 16 cents per serving and providing 39 grams of protein per dollar spent.
The egg council says consumers are embracing the versatility and health benefits too. One large egg contains only 70 calories, 6 grams of protein and 13 vitamins and minerals. They say that people find them delicious, but more than that, they have a good “feel factor.” In other words, people associate meals that include eggs as “happy, memorable times spent with family and friends.”
The Iowa Egg Industry contributes more than $2 billion in total sales, some 8,800 jobs, more than $502 million in labor income and nearly $23 million in general tax revenues to Iowa, according to Iowa State University. Buying eggs helps pay wages to local people and supports the local economy.
