“Basically, what they are doing is destroying our local industry so that the international industry will survive.”
— Theresa Freund, manager of Freund’s Farm Market and Bakery
NORTH CANAAN — Theresa Freund gingerly removed a box containing 15 dozen large eggs from refrigeration. The fragile haul cost her $92 a week earlier.
“That’s 51 cents each … and that was a low number,” she explained during a Feb. 5 visit to Freund’s Farm Market and Bakery, which she oversees with her daughter, Rachel.
At last check, she said, the price for 15 dozen eggs had skyrocketed to $110, “and I bet it will be $120 next week,” predicted Freund, who uses them in a variety of baked goods made in her recently expanded commercial kitchen, as well as prepared food items like quiche.
After climbing in 2022 due to an outbreak of avian flu and dropping in 2023, the price of eggs has been steadily creeping up again and is expected to increase more than 20% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook released Jan. 24.
The federal agency reported that the wholesale cost for a dozen large Grade A eggs, which were $4.17 a dozen in November, has soared to a record $6.57. The agency predicted egg prices will climb by about 20% within the year, compared with a predicted 2.2% increase for overall food prices.
At the beginning of 2023, a dozen eggs cost an average of $4.82, the highest in the past decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bird flu is to blame
This year’s egg shortage is linked to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or bird flu, a virus found in wild bird species that is highly contagious among domestic poultry and has a mortality rate of nearly 100%.
To slow the spread of the virus the government has ordered millions of chickens slaughtered. Fewer egg-laying chickens means that consumers, and businesses, are shelling out more per dozen as demand exceeds supply.
At Collin’s Diner in North Canaan, a classic dining car style-diner built in 1940, the price of any menu item featuring eggs rose last week.
“I just raised the price on all my egg dishes by $1,” said Doonia Hamzy, whose family has owned the circa 1940’s diner for the past 55 years. “This is the first time I’ve raised my prices in six years.”
Hamzy said she shops locally every day for fresh eggs and the least expensive she has found is $13 for two dozen. The price hike, she said, is not intended to be permanent, and was a difficult, but necessary, decision to make.
“When the egg prices go down, so will my prices. That’s how we were raised.”
Nearby, four customers seated at the counter around lunchtime were nonplussed about paying a dollar more for an egg selection.
“It doesn’t bother me,” said Gary Ross, a piano technician from Falls Village, whose favorite dish is scrambled eggs with sauteed peppers and onions. “I come here just about every day,” he said, taking a sip from a hot cup o’ Joe.
The next stool over, Canaan resident Hope Dunham said she got sticker shock over the weekend after shelling out $7.50 for a dozen eggs at Dollar General in nearby Sheffield.
“It’s still cheaper for me to come here,” said Dunham. “Plus, I don’t have to cook … or clean up afterwards.”
Hamzy said she appreciates her customer’s support during these challenging times. “We live in an extremely supportive community. We are very blessed.”
The Freund flock in its protected enclosure.Debra A. Aleksinas
Surveillance testing for bird flu
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture conducts surveillance testing on domestic birds throughout the state. Testing for bird flu is available at low or no cost through a partnership with the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut.
The multi-generational Freund family farm in Canaan also keeps a flock of about 36 egg-laying chickens which were tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus by the state three weeks ago, the results of which came back negative.
Eggs from the family’s farm operation are sold by the dozen at its Farm Market but are not permitted to be used in the farm’s commercial kitchen, said Freund.
“The state Department of Agriculture tested them three weeks ago,” she said of her daughter, Rachel’s, egg-laying flock. “They banded and swabbed a sampling of about 20 birds.”
The virus is being spread as wild birds comingle with free-range birds in commercial and backyard poultry operations.
The Freund flock tested negative, as it has in the past, which its owners attribute to the chickens’ caged henhouse and enclosure, which protects them from contact with disease-carrying wild birds.
Why not vaccinate chickens?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week confirmed 81 detections of avian flu in wild birds collected across 24 states between Dec. 29 and Jan. 17.
Freund said health officials “have to do more” to protect domestic flocks from the deadly virus, including vaccination, which is currently not part of the federal government’s strategy because of trade concerns.
“Basically what they are doing is destroying our local industry so that the international industry will survive,” said Freund. “Things have to change. Millions of birds are being destroyed.”
On Jan. 15, Avian flu was confirmed in a backyard flock in New London County consisting of chickens, ducks and peacocks.
The flock of family pets, which had close contact with wild waterfowl in a nearby pond, was confirmed to be infected with bird flu, according to a Jan. 17 statement by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
“At this time there is no effective treatment or approved vaccine for the virus in poultry. The infected flock has been depopulated to prevent spread of the disease,” according to the state agricultural agency.
Signs of infection include a sudden increase in bird deaths, sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, watery or green diarrhea, lack of energy, poor appetite, drop in egg production, swelling around the eyes, neck and head, and purple discoloration of wattles, combs and legs.
The current risk of infection from avian influenza to residents of Connecticut remains low, according to Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani.
“The CDC is currently monitoring numerous H5N1 cases throughout the country and tracking the spread of the virus in states where it has been identified in people or animals,” Juthani said.
Flock owners are encouraged to report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to CT DoAg at (860) 713-2505 or ctstate.vet@ctgov, or USDA at (866) 536-7593.
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Stephanie Haboush Plunkett
“The field of illustration is very close to my heart,” she said. Inspired by that example, she studied illustration at Pratt Institute and began her career as an illustrator before shifting toward museum work. An internship at the Brooklyn Museum proved pivotal. “It was inspiring to see the children come alive in front of art,” she recalled.
In addition to her curatorial work, Plunkett is the author of two children’s books, “Kongi and Potgi: A Cinderella Story from China” and “Sir Whong and the Golden Pig,” and has written or co-authored numerous books on illustration, including “Drawing Lessons from the Famous Artists School” and “Leo Lionni: Storyteller, Illustrator, Designer.” She earned an MFA from the School of Visual Arts and built a museum career that included positions at the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Heckscher Museum of Art before joining the Norman Rockwell Museum, where she has worked for 31 years.
But elevating illustration has meant challenging decades of critical skepticism.
“The goal has been to shine a light on this important American art form and to elevate public awareness of its artistic and cultural importance,”Plunkett said.
As a popular and widely circulated art, illustration is sometimes thought of as inferior to fine art, such as painting and sculpture. Plunkett considered why. She theorized that the 1913 New York Armory Show, the International Exhibition of Modern Art, with works by artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Duchamp, initially contributed to this evaluation. In the 1930s and ’40s, abstract expressionism became the art of the nation, and the rift widened further.
“Norman Rockwell became the antihero for many art critics of the time,” said Plunkett. “Illustration was viewed as too commercial and sentimental because of its emphasis on visual storytelling.”
Plunkett calls illustration “art with a job to do.” She explained, “Illustrators are adept at solving visual problems for their clients while expressing their own aesthetic and artistic vision.”
Visitors consider Norman Rockwell’s paintings on Civil Rights for Look Magazine, “New Kids in the Neighborhood” (1967) and “The Problem We All Live With” (1963.) L. Tomaino
She noted that the line between the fine and applied arts “is much more porous now, with many artists working across platforms and styles.” She cited late-20th-century illustrators like Marshall Arisman, Barbara Nessim, Robert Cunningham, Bernie Fuchs and Mark English as illustrators who forged unique approaches to working and seeing.
Plunkett commented that people want to see the original illustrations. “Generally, Rockwell exhibitions bring high attendance. Currently, our traveling exhibition, ‘Norman Rockwell: From Camera to Canvas,’ is at the New Britain Museum of American Art, but we’ve traveled Rockwell and illustration to 45 states and several countries, including Japan, France, Italy and Germany.”
Nowadays, illustrators take on subjects that are important to them. “The children’s book industry is committed to sharing the richness and diversity of people and cultures with young readers.” Plunkett cited the late illustrator Jerry Pinkney’s commitment to this goal. As a boy, Pinkney found no books portraying children like him, and “his life’s mission as an artist was to present inspiring, positive images of children of color.”
The Norman Rockwell Museum and Rockwell Center seeds were sown when “Rockwell placed the first 199 artworks in the care and collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum upon its founding in 1969, some of which he personally acquired for the fledgling collection,” said Plunkett. “The museum’s current Rockwell holdings include 865 original artworks, the artist’s Stockbridge studio and an archive of 400,000 photographs, letters, props and first uses of the artist’s work. We also hold about 25,000 illustrations by other artists, from the historical to the contemporary.”
“We call ourselves the home for American illustration. We have a real commitment to illustrators and what they’ve accomplished,” said Plunkett.
The Norman Rockwell Museum is located at 9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit
nrm.org
A tray can help group items in a way that looks and feels thoughtful and intentional.
A tray creates a moment. It gives the eye a place to land and turns everyday objects into something intentional. More importantly, it’s approachable. There’s no measuring, no commitment, no pressure to get it “right.” It’s a small, easy project — affordable, functional and even a little fun — that can be tailored entirely to you.
One of the things I love most about styling trays is that your cozy “moment” becomes mobile. Everything you love is gathered in one place and can be easily moved from room to room as your day unfolds. A tray that starts on an entry table can later migrate to a coffee table or kitchen counter, adapting to how you’re actually living in your home.
In one client’s entryway, we styled a tray that sets the tone the moment you walk in. A simple pair of brass candlesticks adds warmth, a blue-and-white chinoiserie vase brings character, and two vintage books ground the arrangement. It’s not decorative for decoration’s sake — it feels collected, welcoming and personal, all while keeping the surface from becoming cluttered.
In another home, a coffee table tray became the quiet anchor of the living room. We included a strand of wooden beads for texture, the TV remote tucked neatly into a small vintage box, and a plant nestled in a pottery bowl. The tray keeps everyday necessities close at hand while making the space feel relaxed and lived-in rather than chaotic.
Styling a tray can give a home or room a re-fresh.Kerri-Lee Mayland
Kitchens may be where trays work hardest, especially in winter when we’re cooking inside more and gathering more casually. For one client, we styled a tray with a pepper mill; a shallow bowl for garlic, shallots and onions; and a white Italian ceramic container filled with olive oil. It’s practical and beautiful, and it makes cooking feel intentional instead of rushed. The tray warms up the counter while keeping essentials within reach.
Another version I often create is the cocktail, mocktail or tea-and-coffee tray — endlessly useful for friends popping over to say hello. A few cups, a teapot or carafe, honey or sugar, and a candle create an inviting setup that’s ready at a moment’s notice. It says, “Stay a while,” without any fuss.
What makes trays so effective this time of year is that they respond to winter’s quieter rhythm. Winter decorating isn’t about bold color or dramatic statements — it’s about texture, warmth and restraint: wood, stone, ceramic, linen, candlelight. A tray helps you edit rather than add, grouping items so they feel thoughtful instead of scattered.
When the seasons shift, the same tray evolves with you. Heavier elements can be swapped for lighter ones — fresh flowers, glass, pale ceramics — without starting over. One tray, styled seasonally, becomes a constant that gently changes rather than something that has to be replaced.
Remember, good design doesn’t have to come from big gestures. Often it comes from small moments done well — a surface that feels intentional, a corner that feels cared for. In winter’s stillness, creating a simple tray may be just enough to make your home feel calm, personal and complete.
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