Yay ... we're in business :-)
We have sold eggs since we first got chickens and continued selling then when we moved here over four years ago, but we have always been a bit haphazard with the 'farm gate sales'. A box would be put out in fair weather, mostly in Summer when the eggs are plentiful, vanishing with rain or wind (before the wind made it vanish) and selling regularly in bulk to our lovely neighbor who runs a B&B. But now we are in the farm gate sales business properly with this lovely smart box set against our wall and with the contents well protected from the elements.
It was designed by me and then hand made and painted with numerous coats of our favorite color by Alan in his workshop, and then it spent a day or so drying out on the Aga.
It should last us a while, especially now it's got it's also got corrugated top on to protect it in even the worst of the weather.
There's lots of room inside for eggs, and anything else that we decide to sell in the Summer months. I decided to decorate the back with some photos of the ladies that supply the eggs for a bit of added interest. We also have a couple of new larger signs for the wall and the fence on the opposite side of the drive advertising that we sell eggs, which will go up when Alan has time to mount it on wood, a new supply of green egg boxes that will tie in with the sales box and brand new labels with all of our details on them, but we are just running down supplies of the ones we already had first.
And as you can see although it's resting on the wall it is firmly anchored to the ground at the back.
Sales are already going really well, with people stopping on their way to and from work to pick up a box or two of eggs ... thank goodness we have the 'Welsh girls' who really are good layers all year round and should keep us in business though the Winter months.
The money raised by the sale of the eggs goes straight back to the chickens to pay for their feed, bedding, more egg boxes etc and any other things they may need, but of course we also get eggs for our own use. Any that are weak shelled, very small or very big stay in the kitchen for Alan's breakfast or to pop into quiches and cakes when I'm baking, and visiting family never go home empty handed if they like eggs.
Open for business.
Sue xx