August 30, 2023

First US carbon-neutral, ethical egg farm opens in Indiana

Netherlands-based egg producer Kipster and family-run Indiana state company MPS Egg Farms have launched the US's first carbon-neutral, cage-free egg farm in Indiana, Inside Indiana Business reported.

Located in a rural town 56 km west of Fort Wayne, this project provides US consumers with the option to purchase environmentally conscious and ethically sourced egg cartons.

The farm's carbon neutrality is based on a number of factors. The utilisation of healthier and more sustainable feed for the chickens further bolsters the farm's eco-conscious stance. A blend of plant-based and human-food remnants, such as repurposed pasta, cookies, and bread, constitutes the feed. The farm also adopts solar panels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and counterbalances residual emissions through offsetting initiatives.

Central to the collaboration's ethos is the farm's dedication to animal welfare, underscored by complete transparency in operational practices. Spacious hen houses adorned with natural light and woodland-inspired structures create a nurturing habitat for the hens. The farm rejects battery cages and confining spaces, offering ample room for the hens to roam freely, feed naturally, and partake in dust baths.

A strategic alliance with New Manchester-based MPS Egg Farms and Cincinnati's supermarket giant, The Kroger Co., resulted in the planning of this project. Kroger, motivated by Kipster's practices, initiated the partnership, leading to the marketing of eggs under the Simple Truth + Kipster label.

The farm's eggs are currently sold in Michigan and Cincinnati, where there is demand for sustainable and animal welfare-oriented products. Kipster intends to expand its presence nationwide, extending beyond Indiana.

Undisclosed investments have nurtured the farm's growth, employing a workforce of 10 to 15 individuals tending to its 100,000 hens. The farm is projected to produce approximately 330 eggs per chicken per year.

This venture marks Kipster's fourth farm, with the preceding three situated in the Netherlands.

-      Inside Indiana Business