Harris Ranch Eggs

Harris Ranch Eggs
Bob and Sue Harris
P.O Box 1356
Freedom, CA
831-722-5527

Markets: Aptos, Monterey, and Del Monte

Products:Farm fresh eggs conventionally produced without hormones.

History/Philosophy: You’ll find Bob “the Egg Man” Harris selling his fresh eggs at the farmers markets. From time to time, Bob gets a hand from his wife, Sue, who is a special education teacher. Harris Ranch is one of the founding members of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market Association that has been providing eggs for our markets for 34 years. He is a first generation “Egg Man” who has been in the poultry business for 57 years.

Bob’s interest in poultry husbandry was hatched during high school in Jefferson, Oregon. He participated in a vocational agriculture program called Future Farmers of America and one of his favorite projects was looking after 200 laying hens. After high school, Bob studied poultry husbandry at Oregon State. Upon graduation, Bob’s career was on hold while he served in the Army for six months, and then the Reserve for thirteen years.

After returning to civilian life, Bob held many different positions in the poultry industry. He worked at an Oregon feed company for five years, a chicken hatchery for a year, and then sold baby chicks for seven years. In 1974 Bob bought into the production at Bluff Road Farms in Watsonville and for ten years he managed the production of the 250,000 bird operation. During this time, he also rented a ranch in Hollister where he ran a 55,000 bird operation. In 1979, the price of eggs dropped so low because there were too many chickens in production in California, that Bob sold all of his chickens. After stability returned to the market, in 1978 Bob started his next operation in his current location with the Rudy Vasquez family in Las Lomas. Today Bob has about 1,200 hens — Rhode Island Reds and While Leghorns.

The Rhode Island Red is one of the oldest breeds of chicken developed in America, with a history going back to the mid 1840s. They are raised for eggs and meat due to their heavy body, and for show. The Leghorn, a small breed and a prolific egg-layer, is named after the Italian city of Livorno, which in English means Leghorn. They are the most popular commercial of chicken world-wide and the majority are white in color. Bob explained that these breeds were originally brought to New England on tea ships. Bob keeps a few roosters on the ranch. “I like the crowing, and some of my customers like fertilized eggs because they have a higher enzyme level,” he said.

This summer, Bob will be finding new homes for all of his chickens and going to work with the Davis family poultry business located in Gilroy. The good news is that Bob will continue to provide us with delicious, fresh eggs at our markets.