Eggs-actly One in a Million

Located near Random Lake, Jeff-leen Farm has become a viable local food source that specializes in nutritious eggs and high quality cuts of beef.

Jeff-leen Farm is this week's "Favorite Local Pick of the Week!"

Jeffrey (Jeff) and Kathleen (Kathy) Preger bought this farm over 30 years ago on January 1, 1977.

Kathy, thanks for taking the time to tell us about yourselves and your farm.

Q1. How did you get interested in "free-range" chickens and egg production?

Our chickens are actually "pastured" chickens. We decided that this was a very healthy way to raise chickens. They are in large pens that are moved every day. This way they get fresh air, sunshine and fresh vegetation every day.

Q2. Approximately how many eggs do your chickens lay a week?

I get about 450 eggs each day, or 3,150 eggs per week.

Q3. Can you describe for us what a typical day on your farm would look like?

Jeff gets up at 3:30am to feed and water his horses before going off to work in the steel plant. I collect eggs twice a day and spend most of my day washing, sizing and packing the eggs. In between I cook, clean, can, and do other household chores.

Jeff gets home around 5:30pm. We then move and feed the chickens. Jeff also feeds hay to the cattle in the yard, and moves the cattle to new pasture every few days. He cleans the yard and helps our son with the field work when it needs to be done.

Q4. What other food items do you raise and sell on your farm?

We raise and sell various cuts of Piedmontese Beef. We have steaks, roasts, ground beef and various processed meats.

Q5. I've never heard of Piedmontese Beef before. What is so special about the Certified Piedmontese Beef you raise on your farm?

Piedmontese Beef is an Italian breed of cattle which is naturally lower in fat and cholesterol because it is a double-muscled animal.

Our beef are grass-fed and receive no hormones, steroids, antibiotics or animal by-products in their feed. In order to quality as Certified Piedmontese, the animal has to be at least 50% Piedmontese.

Kathy, having grown up on a farm myself, I find this all pretty fascinating and can certainly appreciate all the effort you and Jeff put into your food operation to ensure the availability of such high quality, nutritious products.

Thanks again for this brief and informative glimpse into your busy farm life.

You wouldn't think that there would be much difference between Jeff-leen Farm's eggs and those sold in a typical grocery store, but there most certainly is!

Pastured eggs have more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, more Vitamin A, less fat, and less cholesterol.

The quality of these eggs is immediately noticeable: the whites are whiter, the yolks, brighter, and the taste is so much tastier!

Please check out Jeff & Kathy's website for directions, or information on other Milwaukee area locations where you can purchase their nutritional eggs and high quality beef and chicken.

You can also call them at 920-994-9502.

If you by chance you get a busy signal, try again in a couple of minutes. It's probably just me making arrangements with Kathy to pick up my weekly quota of their awesome eggs!

Oh, and the beef--please fire up the grill, dear!