This term, Dartmouth joined roughly 80 other colleges nationwide that use eggs produced only by chickens raised outside of cages, making it the first Ivy League institution to change to what are known as "cage-free" eggs. Prior to DDS' switch, the College received its supply of hard-shelled eggs from factories which keep chickens in small, wire cages. Pete and Gerry's, a local organic farm, now supplies all of DDS' eggs.
The change to cage-free eggs costs four cents more per egg than the previous hard-shelled eggs. DDS Director Tucker Rossiter said there will be no change in prices for egg products this year, but that DDS will review the policy next year and determine whether a change in price for certain items is necessary. Dartmouth consumes roughly 300,000 eggs a year, which means that the change will cost DDS around $12,000 annually.
Despite the price increase, Dartmouth Sustainability Coordinator Jim Merkel -- who collaborated with Rossiter on the new egg policy -- said that the switch was a win-win situation.
"This is part of a nationwide campaign to have more humane treatment of animals and with some research we found that there were some local businesses that could provide us with high quality cage-free eggs," Merkel said.
Merkel compared the lower price for eggs produced by caged chickens to sweatshop labor. Products made in sweatshops may be cheaper, he said, but the moral implications of buying those products often outweigh the price benefits.
"You just have to walk through a chicken house once with caged animals and you'll never want to eat eggs again," Merkel said.
Before implementing this change, DDS conducted a blind taste test comparing the cage-free eggs with the eggs previously used by the College. According to Rossiter, everyone involved in the test preferred the cage-free eggs.
Dartmouth began looking into a new egg supplier after being influenced by The National Association of College and University Food Services and The Humane Society. Rossiter spoke with contacts at other local schools, including the University of New Hampshire, which have also made the switch to cage-free eggs. DDS then collaborated with Merkel to select Pete and Gerry's.
For Merkel, the issue resonated on a personal level. Throughout his childhood, he raised chickens at his home on Long Island and grew up eating the eggs that came from his backyard.
"I know what it means to take care of chickens properly," he said.
Rossiter added that the change makes sense on many levels, having practical and moral advantages.
"We did it because it's the right thing to do and we are getting a better product and buying locally," he said.
