Are Farm-Fresh Eggs Safe?

When I am making my egg delivery rounds, I often run into people who have never seen an egg that was laid and collected that very morning. They also have never seen a green, blue, pink, or peach colored egg. "What kind of bird laid THAT?!" is a question I hear almost every single week. "A chicken" I say laughingly. We then discuss taste, cooking, and nutrition. A green egg is only better than a white egg if the chicken has been allowed to roam the wild looking for bugs, worms, tender grass, and berries. Otherwise, the shell color is just for funsies.
The last question I get is "Do you have to wash and refridgerate them?" Well, no. And yes. For my own family, I do not wash or refridgerate. Actually, if your home is cool inside the eggs can stay on the counter for up to SIX MONTHS! Your mileage may vary, as they say.
For my customers, however, we sanitize the eggs in a commercial sanitizer that is Vitamin C based, along with a gentle bubble from a battery-operated bait bubbler. It's something they can look up on the internet and feel safe knowing their eggs have been cleaned and cooled. Washed eggs MUST be cooled, as we have now washed off the protective bloom, or coating, that the hen put on them when she laid them.
Also, we NEVER pack fresh eggs into used cartons. There's too much chance for cross-contamination from people who crack their eggs, then, place the shells back in the carton. We only use new paper cartons as well, since styrofoam is a nasty product in my opinion.

So if you can, buy farm-fresh eggs and help support a local farm. The taste, look, and results of using fresh, pastured eggs will add so much to your meals!