BEAVER SPRINGS -- Fresh food from a farm is something many people want but not everyone can get. A family in Snyder County wants to change that and make farm fresh eggs available to more people.
There are all kinds of animals at Shade Stone Farm in Beaver Springs. But lately, chickens take center stage. Jon and Mary Plasterer own the farm. They say they've wanted to raise chickens for a long time, but they used to live in a city where that wasn't allowed.
"And we thought, when we couldn't do it and had all these barriers keeping us from holding chickens, why don't we set it up so people could maybe have a chance to own their own chicken?" Jon Plasterer said.
With that, the flock sharing program was born. The couple set up the program so people could have farm fresh eggs, without actually raising chickens.
Here's how it works: For $12, you "buy" a hen. The hen stays at Shade Stone Farm and lays eggs. The boarding fee is $6 a month and you get six farm fresh eggs each week.
"(It's) a different way to get your eggs. It's, I guess, the next best thing to having your own," said Mary Plasterer.
"You can come visit her and if you decide, 'Hey I'm ready to take the next step and bring my chicken home,' You can come get her," added Jon Plasterer.
The couple sells eggs, maple syrup and vegetables at the Selinsgrove Farmer's Market. That's where most people involved in the flock sharing program pick up their eggs. Mary says the program is going well.
"We've gotten some calls and emails and got more interest than we've anticipated," she said.
To find out more information about the hen sharing program, stop by the Selinsgrove Farmer's Market located at the Commons in downtown Selinsgrove every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.