Thanks to a local farmer, I never worry about running out of eggs.

I have two options. The first is buying their eggs from a vending machine in town.

When I first discovered it, blinking twice to confirm there were really cartons of eggs inside, I was ecstatic – recalling numerous frustrating Sundays when I had sudden inspiration to bake something, only to discover I was out of eggs. As grocery stores are closed on Sundays in Germany, I either hoped to find some at a gas station or relied on the old-fashioned way of asking a neighbour.

But I was curious…how would those eggs be dispensed? 🤔 Flashbacks of my vending machine purchases of chip bags and chocolate bars flying off the shelf came to mind. Would the eggs come out the same way? Pre-scrambled?

To my delight, the eggs are delivered perfectly intact by slowly sliding out from the shelf. I can buy a carton of six or ten eggs (no dozen eggs in Germany!) and leave behind previously purchased cartons to be re-used. Feathers are sometimes still sticking to the eggs.

For an extra perk, an adjacent vending machine offers up a variety of fresh sausages and other packaged meat. Just in case you run out of that too.

My second option is to take a short walk and buy their eggs direct from their farm.

A blue insulated cooler sits on a bale of hay at the end of their driveway, also offering up packages of six or ten eggs (and sometimes REALLY large ones that appear hatched by a stork!). You help yourself to the eggs and leave payment in a cash box. Total honour system. I love it.

I also love that I can see the chickens who eventually lay the eggs I buy.

Alongside their farm is a public walking path where I take my dog Mogly, with a full view of the chickens happily fluttering around, grazing in the field, or relaxing in their mobile home. Mogly likes to watch them too, but with a different interest in mind 😉.

About seven years ago, hubby and I started buying the bulk of our food as organic. All the eggs we buy are organic or free-range. They cost more, but we refuse to support farmers or factories that stack and cage chickens for the sole purpose of producing (cheap) eggs.

Coming from a family with roots in farming, the opportunity to buy my eggs and directly support a local farmer is immensely gratifying. It’s admirable that they not only stock a vending machine in town, but take time each day to replenish that blue bin at the end of their lane.

And these days, with my teenage son now eating three or four eggs in one sitting 😳, I’m running out of eggs not just on Sundays. The convenience of walking down the road to buy more is a godsend.

I just need to keep in mind when buying their eggs from the vending machine, if the carton gets stuck while being dispensed, not to shake the machine.