Listening, Transparency, and How We’re Thinking About Your Questions
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve heard from many of you with thoughtful questions about how our hens are raised and what goes into their feed. Many of these questions center on feed, pasture access, and how claims circulating online relate to what actually happens on farms. We want to take a moment to acknowledge those questions, explain how we’re thinking about them, and share what matters most to our team doing this work every day.
First, thank you for reaching out. When conversations about food get louder online, especially around something as personal as what you feed yourself or your family, it’s natural to want clarity. We take that seriously.
Listening comes first
We’re a small team, and while we’re doing our best to respond to everyone as quickly as possible, we’re also being intentional about how we respond. Our goal right now is simple: to listen carefully, understand what people are really asking, and make sure those questions are met with honesty and respect.
We’re not interested in rushing out statements or oversimplifying complex topics just to keep up with the noise. We believe trust is built by being thoughtful, not reactive. Listening doesn’t mean standing still. It means making sure what we share next is accurate, responsible, and rooted in how our farms actually operate.
About our hens and how they’re raised
At New Barn Organics, our hens are pasture-raised and spend time outdoors every day. They forage naturally, scratch, explore, and engage in the behaviors chickens are meant to have. Many of the questions we’re receiving about bugs, outdoor access, and quality of life are exactly the areas where we’re proud of our farms and our partners.
For our Regenerative Organic Certified® farms in particular, outdoor access means more than just space. Regenerative Organic Certified® standards require actively managed pasture with cover crops, not bare dirt. Those cover crops support healthier soil and create a more diverse forage environment, including a wider range of insects, worms, seeds, and naturally occurring nutrients.
That diversity is part of what allows birds to express natural foraging behavior in a meaningful way, and it’s a standard we’re proud to uphold.
Like all laying hens, our birds also receive supplemental organic feed to support their health year-round. That feed includes USDA Organic corn and soy, which provide complete, balanced nutrition. This isn’t something new, and it’s something we’ve always been open about. It’s part of caring responsibly for hens across seasons, weather, and stages of life.
We also do not use antibiotics. Our approach to animal care is rooted in prevention, good husbandry, and supporting healthy birds through nutrition, pasture access, and attentive care.
Why simple answers don’t always tell the full story
Eggs are shaped by many factors working together: breed, age, season, access to pasture, nutrition, soil health, and how eggs are collected and handled. Looking at any single number or data point without that full picture can be misleading, even when questions are asked in good faith.
We conduct internal testing on a regular basis as part of how we monitor and care for our system. At the same time, we believe testing represents a snapshot in time. It can be useful, but it’s rarely a complete barometer on its own.
For us, quality comes from how the whole system is working together. Are the hens healthy and expressing natural behaviors? Are the farmers supported and able to care for their land? Is the soil alive and improving over time? When those pieces are in balance, the result is eggs we feel confident feeding our own families.
It’s also important to distinguish between concerns about refined or industrial oils and how fats naturally exist in whole foods like eggs. An egg yolk is a complete, natural food, not a processed oil, and its nutrients work together as part of a broader nutritional picture.
How we’re moving forward
We know our customers want to hear from us, and we plan to continue showing up. Over time, we’ll be sharing more about what you’re asking about, including what our pastures and cover crops look like, how our farms operate day to day, and how we think about raising hens responsibly within a living system.
We’re also working with trusted third-party experts to take a closer look at the questions being raised, knowing that careful testing and interpretation take time. When that work is complete, we’ll share what we learn openly and with context.
We also want to keep the conversation open. If you have questions or concerns, please keep sharing them with us. Your feedback helps guide where we focus and what we explain more clearly. You can always reach out to us at hello@newbarnorganics.com.
We don’t believe leadership always means being the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes it means staying grounded, doing the work, and showing up consistently as who you’ve always been.
Thank you for holding us accountable
We truly appreciate the trust you place in us and the care behind your questions. We’re here because we believe in raising animals well, producing nourishing food, and being honest about how that food is made. That commitment hasn’t changed.
We’ll continue to listen, learn, and share thoughtfully as we move forward.
With gratitude,
The New Barn Organics Team
