B.A.R.N. National AG Day essay and video winners 3rd through 5th grade focus on egg prices, production

Mar. 21—The Berks Agricultural Resource Network has announced the winners in its essay and video contest celebrating National Ag Day.

The day reminds people where their food comes from and agriculture's contribution to their everyday lives.

Submissions were grouped into three categories based on the student's grade level. Students could submit a written essay or a short video to answer the topics.

Winning essays and videos from each grade level will receive prizes in conjunction with National Ag Week, which is March 21 to 27.

Third- to fifth-grade category

Judge: Jaime Linn Brown, Owner of Deerfoot Farm Blueberries; co-owner/creative director of Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery

Essay topic: Where is my Dippy Egg?

Suddenly there are fewer eggs in many households and grocery stores. In the past, eggs have been a cheap and easy meal. Availability has gone down, and prices have gone up. Write about what has happened to cause this problem and how it has changed the way chicken farms work.

—First place: Karson Sutton, fourth-grader at Tilden Elementary, Hamburg School District.

A lot of farmers do not have many chickens because other animals keep eating them. In the winter, they have to keep the chickens alive and warm. It costs a lot of money for the farmers to keep the chickens safe and healthy. Electricity and gas costs more now and also farmers produce fewer chicken eggs because chicken feed costs more.

Some chickens lay eggs when they are incubating and they also like to stay in warm places in a shelter. All chickens need a good home. All chickens sometimes lay eggs for whoever gives them a good place to stay. Some chickens have to lay eggs if they don't want to, they have to anyway because it's not their problem to lay their eggs in the nest.

I love when I eat the eggs because they are healthy and delicious. A lot of eggs are brown, black and white. The black ones are always rotten eggs, brown ones mean they are healthy.

The chickens like to eat their own chicken eggs if the owner doesn't feed them. A lot of people have chickens. Some chickens are not available to other people if they don't have a right colony.

Some chickens like to play with their owners. Some chickens are feisty with one another. For example, they like, or they will peck each other. A lot of people who have chicken farms also have other farm animals.

A lot of animals eat chickens because they are hungry, too. Some people are allergic to chickens because they have a lot of seasoning. Chickens prey on worms and insects.

Some people wish they had a few chickens to raise, to collect their eggs. Chickens need chicken feed to be able to survive. A lot farmers sometimes collect them or sell them to get money.

Egg prices are a big deal around this country because feed and fuel prices to feed and transport eggs and other objects are high. Eggs alone are going for $4.25 a dozen! Eggs used to be $1.93/dozen.

One thing that is affecting chicken population is the Bird Flu. It can wipe out a pack of chickens quickly and is contagious. I love when other people protect the chickens and care for them. A lot of farmers have a lot of time with the chickens. I wanted to have a chicken farm myself. If you would, what would you do with egg profits? I wish chicken eggs would be $1.00 a dozen!

—Second place: Kaylyn Cinfici, fourth-grader at Tilden Elementary, Hamburg School District.

The most common eggs that people eat are chicken eggs. You can make dippy eggs, egg sandwiches or an omelet and fried eggs. Farmers' egg prices went up because there are not a lot of eggs.

The place China has 466 billion. Asia produces the most eggs. The United states has 109 billion eggs. The bird flu killed many birds and there not a lot of eggs. The egg prices last year were $1.93. Today they're $4.25. Eggs have gone expensive. Farmers don't have a lot of money if the chicken hut gets broken. They would need to pay for electricity or heating lamps for the chickens to lay eggs and be warm in the winter.

Eggs cost more because chickens could die from bird flu because if a chicken gets it could spread to another chicken. It costs more for farmers to buy chicken feed and buy hay for their homes to live in. It costs more for gas and stuff for them that there's not a lot of things that farmers need for their chickens.

The fewer eggs mean higher prices. The chicken eggs cost more than last year. Chicken eggs are not the only eggs people eat. They eat duck eggs, goose and quail birds. They can fry them and make an omelet. There are many things that people can make.

Eggs cost a lot more because 53 million birds died of the bird flu. The virus can kill chickens that have eggs.

The chickens need water and food. The food has gone higher in prices. Chicken eggs are more expensive. Fewer birds that can lay eggs are getting killed by the bird flu and it could spread to other chickens or birds that lay eggs. Chickens could get hurt or killed by foxes or wolves. Chickens need a lot of food and water. Chickens need to eat corn and bird feed. Chickens' eggs could be broken if someone in the stores don't pay attention to the egg they could break and they will have to pay for them.

Farmers have to buy a lot of hay to put more in if the chickens get messy in the pen. Chickens also have eggs even though a chicken doesn't have a mate. Chickens cost a lot to take care of and need the eggs checked so its not hurt or have a virus. People who farm could need to clean a lot. Chickens could have a lot of vet bills if they're sick. Chicken egg prices are way higher than last year. They were $1.93. They were cheaper last year. Farmers could afford that much and could pay electricity and gas. The chicken eggs prices are lower because of less chicken eggs.

—Third place: Regan Stoudt, fourth-grader at Tilden Elementary, Hamburg School District.

There's been fewer eggs in many households but why? Because in 2022 eggs used to cost $1.93 but now in 2023 they cost $4.25.

The country that produces the most eggs is China and the continent that produces the most eggs is Asia and the United States. They produce 109 billion eggs in a year but why are eggs more expensive?

Chickens produce the most eggs but for farmers it costs more to take care of the chickens and the chickens are dying from a bird flu that kills many birds. The bird flu is contagious and the bird flu affects many types of birds. Last year it killed more than 53 million chickens and only chickens!

Fewer birds means fewer eggs since there's fewer eggs the price went up. Feeding hens grains now costs more for egg farmers. Farmers also need to pay more for electricity and gas so it costs more to raise chickens so they make people pay more for eggs.

Some people have tried to raise their own chickens and some people are eating plant based food. Even though we have eggs from other animals, the main source is chickens. How would you feel eating robin eggs, hawk eggs and such were used to chicken eggs. If you would even eat eggs from other animals the bird flu still exists and they will die anyway since chickens lay the most eggs that's why we usually use chicken eggs. That's why we have fewer eggs in our households and eggs are more expensive.

Video contest:

—First place: Brennan Angstadt, 3rd Grader at Oley Valley School District — "The Egg Uprising" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4NuPXBFydE

—Second place: Noel Weidner, 3rd Grader at Oley Valley School District — "Egg Shortage" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wANGcYd2eRQ

—Third place: Madelyn Weiser, 3rd Grader at Oley Valley School District "Egg Shortages" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr8YUtLwx_4