Buying Local Matters: Supporting Farms, Reducing Miles, and Enjoying Fresher Produce

In a world where supermarket shelves are stacked with options, it’s easy to forget that some of the best food available comes from just down the road. Buying local eggs isn’t just a trend—it’s a simple choice that makes a big difference to farms, the environment, animal welfare, and the quality of the food on your plate.

Here’s why choosing eggs from your local farm truly matters.

1. Fresher Eggs = Better Taste and Longer Shelf Life

When you buy from a nearby farm, you’re often getting eggs that were laid that same day or within the week.
Compare that to supermarket eggs, which may already be 2–3 weeks old by the time they hit the shelves.

Fresh eggs mean:

• Richer, brighter yolks

• Firmer whites (great for poaching and baking!)

• Longer-lasting quality in your fridge

• Better nutrition retention

When you crack a freshly laid local egg, you can literally see the difference.

2. Supporting Local Farms and Rural Communities

Every time you buy local eggs, you’re helping to keep a real farm running—not a faceless corporation.
Local farms rely on community support to:

• Maintain high welfare standards

• Create rural jobs

• Care for the land sustainably

• Pass farming knowledge to the next generation

Your purchase directly supports the families who put time, care, and passion into their animals and their land.

It’s more than an egg—it’s an investment in your local countryside.

3. Fewer Food Miles, Smaller Carbon Footprint

“Food miles” refer to the distance your food travels from farm to plate.
Local eggs travel a fraction of the distance of commercial supply chains, meaning:

• Reduced fuel use

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions

• Fresher produce that doesn’t need long-term refrigeration

Shorter journeys benefit both the environment and the customer.

Buying local is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint—without sacrificing quality.

4. Transparency and Trust You Can’t Get From a Supermarket

When you buy directly from a farm, you know exactly where your eggs came from.
You can ask questions, see photos, visit the farm (if they allow it), and understand the care that goes into raising hens.

This transparency builds trust because:

• You know the hens are well cared for

• You can be confident in the farming practices

• You’re buying from people, not a supply chain

Today’s customers want honesty and traceability—and buying local delivers both.

5. Better Welfare for the Hens

Many small UK farms keep their hens in free-range or traditional mixed outdoor systems with more space and natural behaviour opportunities than the minimum legal standards.

When you choose local eggs, you’re often choosing:

• More natural foraging

• Better enrichment

• Lower flock stress

• Healthier, happier birds

High-welfare birds produce better-quality eggs—it really is that simple.

6. Keeping Local Food Traditions Alive

The UK has a rich history of poultry keeping, with many regions known for their favourite breeds and farming styles. Small farms help preserve:

• Rare or heritage breeds like the Light Sussex

• Traditional egg production methods

• Local food culture and rural identity

By supporting small producers, you help keep these traditions from disappearing.

7. Your Money Stays in the Local Economy

When you buy from a local farm, most of the money stays within the community—helping other small businesses, local suppliers, vets, feed mills, and markets.

Buying local creates a ripple effect that strengthens the entire region.

The Bottom Line: Local Eggs Just Make Sense

Choosing local eggs means:

✔ Fresher, tastier produce
✔ Lower food miles
✔ Higher welfare
✔ Transparent farming practices
✔ Support for your community

It’s a small choice, but it has a big impact.

If you're looking for eggs that are fresh, ethical, and delicious, we’re proud to offer exactly that right here on our farm.
Pop by, ask questions, meet the team, and enjoy eggs laid by well-cared-for hens just a stone’s throw from your home.

Higher Oak Farm; Where We Are Now

So over the past year our farm has changed tremendously.

January 2020 we started the year off with a barn, a temporary house 4 X ‘50’ houses, 7 breeding runs, a poly-tunnel and an incubator that could fit 60 eggs in. My how we’ve grown! Our smallholding in Lymm now consists of a barn, a temporary house, 2 laying houses, each housing 150 birds in, we’ve got 6 of our ‘50’ houses, 2 of our ‘100’ houses, 7 breeding runs, 2 brooding sheds, a holding shed, a poly-tunnel, 2 new incubators pushing our capacity up to 1300 eggs at a time, a wildflower meadow, 10 beehives, a shepherds hut and a dog!

This past year has been the weirdest one for all of us. Never in my life did I think i’d see a pandemic, let alone run a business during one. Luckily for us, our business was one of few that actually thrived during the pandemic. People stockpiling all sorts of stuff meant that shops were looking sparse, pushing people to change the way they shopped, sourcing more stuff locally, learning about food miles and what this means to our planet and all in all becoming a little bit more self sufficient.

At one point last summer we had waiting lists of weeks for both our eating eggs and our hens. People were spending more time at home, in their garden; revamping chicken houses or just building a run from scratch. It was honestly, madness - in THE best possible way! The selling of our eggs and our birds continued right through the summer into the beginning of Autumn. At this point, we opened ‘The Shepherd’s Hut’.

We opened the hut for the first time on the 26th November 2020. In the weeks running up to our opening, we had so many people speculating what it was, and what it was going to be used for. Once we opened our doors, it gave so many more local people the opportunity to learn about us and what we do on our farm. We took this opportunity to educate people on the poultry industry and the advantages of buying local, naturally farmed eggs and produce. We started putting some of our own baked treats and and they were flying off the shelves. It was almost impossible to keep it full!

We genuinely couldn’t believe the reaction that we got from local residents and people from further afield. Hearing such positive feedback only spurred us on more. We sourced local produce like our Apple juice and even started to make jams using local produce too.

After a few months, we deiced the only logical next step was to put a coffee machine in the hut, who doesn’t love a coffee or a cuppa with a slice of brownie? You’d be mad if you didn’t!

I honestly can’t believe how much our business has changed in the past 12 months, the support that we’re getting of local Lymm residents and the time it takes to feed chickens! We’re super excited to see where we’ll be this time next year.