HENDRY COUNTY, Fla — With bird flu and the egg shortage making headlines, Fox 4’s Austin Schargorodski was curious how it's affecting local farms in Hendry County. He went to Circle C Farms, a well-known farm here, to see how they're managing.
Watch Austin's report:
Healthy chickens and ducks filled the coop at Circle C Farms - a 200-acre multi-livestock farm that's been running since 2012. Farm owner Nicole Cruz says they’re known for their pasture-raised farming, which she believes is key to keeping bird flu at bay.
“The animals are outside. They’ve got this beautiful sunshine that’s cleansing the pastures, keeping these animals healthy, keeping the chickens active outside, eating the bugs and the grubs which they do naturally, which will keep up their immune system,” said Cruz.
But Cruz isn’t just speaking from her own experience. She says she’s well-connected with other farmers in the state through Facebook groups, and so far, the news is good.
“I’m not aware of anybody locally in Florida or even the small farmers around the county I’m in groups with—nobody is telling us that we’ve gotten, at our level, any issues or problems,” Cruz said.
Cruz believes it’s mainly large commercial 'hothouse' coops that are affected by bird flu. With egg shortages and rising prices a national concern, she says there’s an easy way to find local farmers to buy eggs - a Facebook group called Florida Farm Finder.
“You can search by county, by what you’re looking for. It’s just phenomenal. I encourage everyone to go there, that way you can look for farms around you that you can source really healthy eggs,” Cruz said.
And if you’d rather skip the search and start your own chicken coop, Cruz says it’s a great option. She shared some advice for first-timers.
“Double check to see what the rules are—some communities will allow chickens but not roosters. But, get yourself some chickens. Get them from a reliable source. Make sure the chickens you’re getting are coming from an environment that’s healthy to begin with,” she said.
For Cruz, the bird flu outbreak is a reminder of why local matters. She says local farms provide fresher food and a chance to know exactly where your food comes from.
