The yolk of a farm fresh egg is typically richer in color and taste, is creamier, and doesn't break as easily when cooking. Buying from our farm, you know exactly where your food is coming from, what the hens have eaten, and that they are happy, cage-free, and well-cared for. Our farm also provides you the opportunity to select the type of eggs you want: mixed-colored eggs, all brown eggs, or extra-large, dark-brown Maran eggs.

Grocery store honey is usually not purchased from local farms. Local means the pollen used by the bees to make honey is from local trees and flowers, and research shows that this can help alleviate the symptoms of seasonal allergies and boost your immune system. Most grocery store honey is pasteurized, which means it has been heated, and the nutrients have been stripped away. We do not pasturize or filter our honey for maximum nutrition and health benefits. Some grocery or big-box stores' honey is honey mixed with corn syrup or 100% corn syrup, and does not provide any health benefits, and in some cases may cause issues for people with allergies and/or sensitivites to corn syrup. Some grocery stores sell honey or honey/corn syrup mixturea imported from China. With Quail and Hound, you are receiving 100% pure, local, raw, unfiltered honey.

We do not refrigerate or clean our eggs until you are ready to pick them up. This may sound gross, but it preserves the bloom (an invisible impermeable membrane that protects a baby chick from outside bacteria). Eggs with the bloom on are good for up to 2-3 months! When you pick up eggs from us, we take great care to wipe them clean without removing the bloom, but we do recommend refrigerating them once you get them home. In a refrigerator, they should be good for at least a month. Of course, these are natural products with no preservatives, so please make sure eggs are thoroughly cooked when consuming.

Yes, they are perfectly safe to eat. Double yolks and blood spots are perfectly normal especially in young hens that are new to laying. We consider a double yolk a good thing... double the protein. Small blood spots are actually much more common in farm-fresh eggs, and especially common in brown eggs.

Short answer is yes. When laid, eggs have a protective impermeable membrane called the bloom. The bloom creates a protective barrier that keeps the developing embryo inside safe from outside contaminents such as bacteria. Keeping the eggs unwashed with the bloom means that it can remain on a shelf for up to 3 months. However, unwashed eggs can spread illness such as salmonella, so when we prepare your eggs for sale and pickup, we wipe them clean in order to minimize any potential health hazard to you and your family. That means that the bloom MAY NOT be intact, so refrigeration is highly recommended. Please ensure eggs are thoroughly cooked before consuming; the ingestion of raw eggs can lead to illness. For your safety, we have now added a small refrigerator at our farm stand to ensure product quality and safety with Virginia's ever-changing temperatures.

Crystallization occurs in honey because of it's high sugar content. When temperatures change and/or the honey's moisture level drops over time, honey can crystalize. Crystallization is actually a way to determine that your honey is of high quality and is truly raw and pure. Honey that has been heated, filtered, and/or mixed with corn syrup, sugar, or other sweetners will not crystalize. Is it safe to eat? Yes! In fact, it's Wendy's favorite way of eating honey because it's crispy and crunchy almost like candy, and we all know that Wendy has an enormous sweet tooth. Crystalized honey can actually be used as a spread on toast (pure deliciousness). If you prefer your honey in purely liquid form, you can put it in some warm and it will liquify. DO NOT microwave honey.