Farmers seeing a demand for eggs rise, as prices skyrocket for consumers

Florida farm sees massive demand as egg prices skyrocket

The huge increase in the price of eggs at the grocery store -- and limited supply -- has put the focus on local farms, which have also seen an increase in demand. Tiffany Eddy and her family own Hartwood Homestead, a small farm in Winter Garden, where they sell eggs. ""We had a lot of people just showing up and a lot of people wanting more than we had," said Eddy. "I’ve had people complain about the price of eggs before saying $5 is too much and they could get it cheaper at the grocery today. Now, no one says that anymore," she said.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Central Florida farmers are seeing a demand for eggs as consumers see prices at the grocery store skyrocket.

Tiffany Eddy and her family in Winter Garden run Hartwood Homestead where they sell eggs locally from their home. Recently, she's seen a huge increase in demand for her eggs.

"We had a lot of people just showing up and a lot of people wanting more than we had," said Eddy. "I’ve had people complain about the price of eggs before saying $5 is too much and they could get it cheaper at the grocery today. Now, no one says that anymore."

What some are calling "eggflation" has hit consumers hard. At a Winter Garden grocery store, FOX 35 News saw empty shelves and some eggs almost sold out Monday. The median price for eggs in the U.S. is $4.25 which is double what it was last year. For organic eggs, prices are nearly $7 in Florida.

At Hartwood Homestead, they just raised their prices from $5 to $6. While we were there today, even their Amazon delivery driver was interested in buying some eggs.

"I was dropping off the package and I saw the eggs, I figured why not ask since I’m in the neighborhood," said delivery driver Steven Giron. He said if he's going to spend more for eggs at the grocery store anyway, he might as well get the freshest ones. "It might come out of my way from going to the grocery stores – it’s easier to get to Publix and Walmart – but I would take the extra five to 10 minutes to save the money for something fresh and local," said Giron.

Eddy homes to inspire more people to raise their own chickens. "I think everyone should have chickens. That would offset a lot of grocery bills so much," said Eddy. "I love the farm part, but not a lot of people do. I get that they have HOAs and restrictions. It’s good to seek out the local farmer, but we can only do so much."

Experts say some factors that have contributed to the rise in egg prices are inflation, supply chain issues, and the devastating bird flu.