Although the overall sale of eggs is down from the 1970s, the sale of organic eggs account for $190 million according to the Organic Trade Association. But even beyond organic or free range eggs, some eggs that would have seemed odd are making their way into dishes these days - from quail to duck to the blue-tinted egg of the Aracucana.
Another type of egg growing in popularity according to the Associated Press is the pastured egg, which keeps hens outside all day. It can increase the price of the egg, but some say it's well worth it.
"What we're doing is creating a unique product and in a unique way," Jody Padgham, who raises pasture hens near Eau Claire, Wisconsin told the Associated Press. "You're not going to get rich, but it's very satisfying and the product is very well-received in the marketplace."
Egg suppliers saw their profits shrink in 2008 with Cal-Maine Foods, which owns Eggland's Best and Farmland, reporting its net income fell 32 percent for the fiscal quarter ending November 29th.
