Recently, I, Wagner Krohling, the owner of Princess Flock in Kissimmee, FL, had the privilege of hosting Matt Austin, an Emmy Award-winning anchor from the News 6 team, for an interview that aired on Channel 6 in Orlando, FL. 

I’m excited to share with you, my readers, what we discussed about my journey as a Central Florida egg farmer during a time when egg prices are skyrocketing and demand is through the roof.

Here in Osceola County, Florida, I’ve seen egg prices climb by 170% since 2019, including a sharp 15% jump just this past January, according to CBS News. What started as a small project with only 12 hens on my 2.5-acre property has grown into a bustling farm with over 300 egg-laying chickens. I raise them on pasture, feeding them a mix of corn and table scraps, but let me tell you, keeping up with the demand hasn’t been a walk in the park.

You’ve probably seen the “Sold Out” sign in front of my farm more often than not lately. I told Matt that even though I’ve ramped up production, demand has shot up three or four times over. To try to meet it, I recently brought in 1,000 baby chicks, but the cost of raising them has tripled since I started in 2020—from $2 to over $6 per chick.

It’s not just the chicks eating into my budget; feed prices have gone through the roof too. I’ve had to bump up my egg prices from $5 to $8 a dozen, and while folks are still buying, I’m worried about where prices might head next. Plus, there’s the ever-present shadow of avian flu. Florida’s been lucky so far, but with over 21 million birds lost in other states, it’s squeezing supply and pushing costs even higher.

During the interview , I also pointed out how big corporations are tightening their grip on the egg market. I told Matt it’s practically a monopoly—40% of the brands you see in stores are owned by the same company, just packaged to look different. This makes it tough for small farmers like me to keep up, and I warned that egg prices could jump another 50% in the next five to ten years.

As I shared with my readers, I’m proud of what I’ve built at Princess Flock, but I’m still nervous about the future of small-scale poultry farming in the U.S. I’m dedicated to my chickens and my customers, no question about it, but with costs climbing, the road ahead feels uncertain. 

read, watch the channel 6 Orlando full interview here :