Waverly Business Hatches Plan With Local Community To Save On Egg Prices Amid Bird Flu, Inflation
WAVERLY, Minn. (WCCO) - A combination of bird flu and inflation are causing the price of eggs to skyrocket ahead of the Easter holiday.
Those prices are hitting restaurant owners hard, especially in small Minnesota towns. But one family-owned business in Waverly has hatched a creative plan to keep the cost down and the quality up.
"When we bought this place and started it, we wanted to be participating with the community and this just seemed like an excellent opportunity," said Judson Meyer, who owns the Uptown Bar and Grill in Waverly.
Judson and Natasha Meyer have owned the small-town staple for 15 years. This year though, bird flu and inflation have taken a toll, considering the bar uses 400 eggs a week.
"It went from 8 cents an egg to 26 cents an egg," said Judson Meyer
So they hatched a plan and asked on social media if any local farmers would sell them their weekly eggs.
"I think the more we stay local I think the more sustainable it is," said Judson Meyer added.
Veterans Farming Initiative hopped on board. They'll be dropping off their free range, organic eggs weekly from their Montrose farms.
"With supply chain issues it's really important that we start to try to re-localize and be able to support our needs locally rather than relying on far reaching transportation systems," said Tom Norris, CEO of Veterans Farming Initiative.
The eggs will also come from the backyard flock at 9-year-old Ellarie Elsenpeter's Buffalo home.
"Anything we can do to help support the community, because they support us," said Judson Meyer.
Depending on how the plan goes, the Judson and Natasha Meyer say they could see this becoming a long-term partnership between them and the community.
So far, more than a million birds in Minnesota have contracted bird flu. The owners of the Waverly bar and grill say they're working with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to ensure they're following all the safety rules to keep people healthy.
