WAIALUA, HAWAII (KITV4) – In the midst of a nationwide egg shortage, Waialua Fresh Egg Farm, one of the state’s biggest producers of eggs is facing criticism for its manure management practices.
“Some questions came into our manure management,” said Avery Barry, sales manager at Waialua Fresh. “We have a biochar machine where we process our manure to create a carbon rich soil additive. It was down and it is now back up and running. we’re also working with local certified compost facilities to limit the number of imported chicken manure.”
Barry said they worked with composting producers while the farm’s biochar system was down to sell the manure to other farmers.
The state Department of Health inspected the property earlier this year and noted the biochar equipment is not working all the time which imposes a health hazard. One national environmental group accuses the farm of being a potential water pollution threat.
Barry said that is no longer an issue and it is more about makin local eggs available for local shoppers.
“Eggs don’t get fresher than these,” he said. “They’re still warm as they come into our processing machines because they come directly from the hens.”
No customers got sick during the time the biochar equipment wasn’t operating.
Other employees said the egg farm has a strict quality control program as well as USDA inspectors onsite to make sure residents continue buying locally grown eggs.
“When I shop for eggs, I look for ones that are both cage free and locally frown,” said Harvy King, a customer at Costco along Dillingham Boulevard in Honolulu.
Another shopper, Kalsin Andresen, said he appreciates the effort from local egg farms, however he does not care where his eggs come from. He believes all eggs have the same nutrients as long as they are all cleaned and their facilities are monitored.
Waialua Fresh Egg Farm supplies eggs to several grocery stores like Times Supermarket and Costco as well as many Hawaii restaurants.
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