Farms around Healdsburg are in full swing. All eggs, herbs and vegetables from Farm to Fight Hunger are given away to local charities to address food insecurity with fresh, local, sustainably-raised produce and protein.
Last year, Bruce Mentzer’s and Anthony Solar’s farm donated nine tons (72,000 servings) of produce. Over 15,000 eggs were donated.
Aided by volunteers and distribution partners Farm to Pantry, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Corazon Healdsburg, Alliance Medical Center, Healdsburg Food Pantry, Sonoma Family Meal, La Familia Sana and others, this farm’s culturally-relevant fresh food is freely distributed to neighbors. With this year’s expansion of Mentzer’s vegetable growing area, Farm to Fight Hunger produced over 1.5 tons of produce in the last 10 days.
Those interested in gleaning and picking produce for charity at farms in Sonoma County may consider volunteering at Farm to Pantry’s website, farmtopantry.org. If picking in the field for a few hours is too much, consider lending a hand with distribution or kitchen efforts at Redwood Empire Food Bank, refb.org. It feels good to do good.
Fun facts: All eggshells start out white. Pigmentation is the last layer in a shell’s development.
Eggs’ different colors result from differing breeds: Leghorns Lakenvelders, Anconas, Minorcas, Hamburgs and Andalusians: white; Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rock: brown; Buff Orpingtons: light brown; French Marans: dark and copper brown; Araucanas, Ameraucanas and Legbars: blue; Favaucana and Olive Egger: green.
The color of an eggshell is a superficial effect and has no effect on flavor. The shell’s job is to protect the albumen (white), which cushions the embryo that is nourished by the yolk (yellow).
Chicks are born with thousands of ova. After about 20 months, a chick will begin laying, meaning an ova descends the oviduct excreted as an egg.
