RAYMOND, Ohio — First Lady Jill Biden celebrated America’s egg farmers on World Egg Day by visiting and touring the facilities at Outward Farms, a family-owned egg farm in Raymond, Ohio, that produces USDA Certified Organic cage-free eggs. Dr. Biden learned firsthand from third-generation egg farmer Sandra Lausecker, founder and CEO of Outward Farms, about what it takes to produce eggs, get them to market and feed America’s families.
The tour was hosted by the American Egg Board with Outward Farms, and it celebrates U.S. egg farmers’ decades-long support of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. During the 2023 partnership with the American Egg Board and the White House Easter Egg Roll, America’s egg farmers donated more than 5.5 million eggs to food banks across the country in the weeks leading up to Easter and Passover. The donation was part of the “Fighting Hunger by the Dozens” egg drive.
“This is a big day for egg farmers across the country. We are honored and absolutely thrilled—on World Egg Day—to offer the First Lady of the United States a front-row seat to experience the amazing dedication that egg farmers, like the Lauseckers at Outward Farms, give in their daily work to annually produce the 100 billion wholesome, nutritious eggs that Americans count on and love,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board.
The tour offered the First Lady and guests an in-depth look at Outward Farms’ operations – from spending time with the hens and understanding what goes into keeping them strong and healthy, to learning about the stringent on-farm measures taken to ensure food safety, to seeing how eggs are washed and inspected before being delivered fresh to stores. Importantly, the tour also acquainted Dr. Biden and guests with the rigorous and comprehensive biosecurity protocols egg farms across the country have implemented to protect their flocks from avian diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
“The opportunity to showcase our innovative approach to egg farming, sustainability efforts such as renewable energy and a unique manure management program, feature an overview of our future Education Center, and share the incredible work that U.S. egg farmers do each day to bring nutritious, high-quality eggs to Americans makes me very proud,” said Lausecker. “We take the health and safety of our birds and disease prevention extremely seriously, and worked to ensure that this very special tour could be accomplished while maintaining the highest levels of biosecurity and disease prevention.”
The tour took place on World Egg Day 2023, an annual event when egg lovers worldwide recognize the remarkable nutritional, environmental and societal benefits of eggs, and celebrates the exceptional contribution eggs make in supporting people globally. The 2023 World Egg Day theme is “Eggs for a healthy future” and highlights the unmatched nutritional power of the incredible, invaluable egg and its potential to combat common nutrient deficiencies across the world.
About the American Egg Board (AEB)
Home of the Incredible Egg, the AEB supports America’s egg farmers in its mission to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education, and promotion. The AEB is located in Chicago, Ill. For more, visit IncredibleEgg.org
About Outward Farms
Outward Farms is a third-generation, family-owned egg farm committed to honoring the history of responsible farming in new and intentional ways—by designing a farm that connects customers and communities and ensures sustainable production practices with unmatched transparency. Learn more at www.outwardfarms.com.
