Dean Dickel didn't set out to be an egg farmer. Years ago, he was growing conventional grains in Iowa, when something funny started to happen. He and his family started feeling poorly.

A lot of farmers would shrug it off. Not Dean. He wondered if the chemicals he used might be making his family sick. That’s when Dean stopped using toxic pesticides and fertilizers and made a commitment to use organic practices.

At New Century Farm, it starts with the baby chicks that are fed certified organic corn and soybeans, vitamins and minerals. Throughout their life on the farm, Dickel’s chickens never get antibiotics or any other drugs or additives.

And the Dickel’s chickens enjoy three times more roaming space than in most conventional egg operations — twice the space required for chickens advertised as “free range” and “cage free.” Not content to offer mere ‘organic’ eggs, the family gathers, processes, and packages them immediately, so they’re super fresh.

“If you want a fresher egg, you’ll have to get your own chickens,” the Dickels’ say.