This is not your typical story about eggs before Easter.

This is a story about a young farmer, Doug Groenendijk, who got cracking on a unique idea to deliver his product to consumers with an egg vending machine that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 pose the same problems as regular roadside stands. The part about getting cracking, though, has nothing to do with the state of the eggs when they come out of the vending machine 乌鸦传媒� they乌鸦传媒檙e all in one piece.

Anyone who乌鸦传媒檚 recently driven between Crofton and Chemainus on rural Vancouver Island would have noticed the vending machine and probably been surprised to find it contains eggs. Groenendijk sells farm fresh eggs from the machine on the farm he乌鸦传媒檚 renting.

He also has plans in the works to get more chickens and set up a website for the vending machine.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 actually hoping to sell these machines,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk added.

It乌鸦传媒檚 certainly turned into a novel idea and captured plenty of attention since he installed the machine in early January.

乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 spacey,乌鸦传媒� said one patron from Esquimalt, who stopped to buy eggs. 乌鸦传媒淚 haven乌鸦传媒檛 seen anything like that.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a different kind of vending machine,乌鸦传媒� added Groenendijk. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 the only one in North Cowichan.

乌鸦传媒淟ots of people are quite amazed by it. I get lots of comments, people saying this is a great idea.乌鸦传媒�

He knows of only one other vending machine for eggs on the Island in Cobble Hill and it乌鸦传媒檚 a slightly different model.

Groenendijk grew up on the family Greendyke Farm operation on Mount Sicker Road before recently starting up his own mainly dairy farming operation that he乌鸦传媒檚 calling Legend Dairy Farms.

He figures it乌鸦传媒檚 the perfect epic name for the site he乌鸦传媒檚 renting from a guy who used to dairy farm there.

Since setting up the egg vending machine, 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 been working out really well for me so far,乌鸦传媒� said Groenendijk.

He乌鸦传媒檚 grateful to all the people who are supporting him as a young local farmer.

乌鸦传媒淚 go every day and I put fresh eggs in every day,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk explained. 乌鸦传媒淭hey can乌鸦传媒檛 be any more fresh.

乌鸦传媒淪o far all my eggs are selling. There乌鸦传媒檚 never really any inventory left from the day before. They乌鸦传媒檙e usually sold out.乌鸦传媒�

The machine can hold up to 50 cartons depending how it乌鸦传媒檚 configured. Groenendijk has the normal dozen egg cartons, but also has 18s.

乌鸦传媒淚 only have two rows dedicated toward 18s,乌鸦传媒� he indicated.

All are brown eggs that currently sell for $6 a dozen and $9 for 18s.

乌鸦传媒淚 just say all my eggs are ungraded,乌鸦传媒� said Groenendijk. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e any size, shape.乌鸦传媒�

Figuring out how to operate the machine is a bit perplexing at first, especially for older people who aren乌鸦传媒檛 tech savvy, but it乌鸦传媒檚 actually quite simple.

It乌鸦传媒檚 all operated by a bank card. By not using cash, it deters thieves.

The card must be tapped first for a pre-authorization, then you look in the vending machine for the product you want and type in the number of the selection. You tap your card again at the end to finalize the transaction.

The machine works with a little elevator to safely bring the eggs down to the pick-up spot in a gentle process that ensures none get cracked.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 nice, it keeps the eggs refrigerated as well,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk added.

He actually did considerable research before settling on this particular type of machine.

乌鸦传媒淚 think it乌鸦传媒檚 a good option,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk said.

乌鸦传媒淎s long as I don乌鸦传媒檛 sell out, there乌鸦传媒檚 eggs available 24/7 for the consumer. It乌鸦传媒檚 not sun up and sun down.乌鸦传媒�

Egg vending machines that he discovered on the Lower Mainland are a different style with a locker system.

乌鸦传媒淚 would say they乌鸦传媒檙e in their infancy,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk observed. 乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 not too many of these egg vending machines yet, but I do think it乌鸦传媒檚 going to be catching on.乌鸦传媒�

It乌鸦传媒檚 all very exciting for him as he branches into his other new endeavours as well.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 about to start production on my dairy April 5,乌鸦传媒� Groenendijk said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檒l be milking my own cows soon.乌鸦传媒�

You can also expect to see him in the near future as part of the CTV series Farming For Love. It乌鸦传媒檚 a reality series based on finding love matches for farmers and Groenendijk was selected for the show.

Filming has already been done at the Greendyke farm and details about broadcast dates in the late spring should be released soon.

don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
Like us on and follow us on .