Meet Murray, one of Vital Farms’ first farmers! Murray began farming with us in 2015 with a flock of brown hens at CG Farms. Now, 9 years later, CG has has evolved as a home for Azur hens, the white-feathered ladies who lay our pretty pastel True Blue Eggs.
I was always a chicken guy. I poured over chicken magazines…I love watching them and seeing them enjoy life.
We had the honor of visiting Murray on his family farm, where his girls roam pastures that stretch as far as the eyes can see. We spoke with Murray about his lifelong passion for raising hens, met his family, and confessed how many eggs we eat on the daily.
“When I was a kid, my dad had a few cows. I tried milking once, but I was always a chicken guy. I poured over chicken magazines. My parents let me order and hatch chicks. I love watching them and seeing them enjoy life,” Murray shared.
Before Murray became a full-time farmer, he worked in construction for 30 years, building everything from residential and commercial buildings to mobile chicken coops. Murray even built his own barns, complete with energy-efficient solar panels.
Today, CG Farms is more than just an egg farm. It’s a place for his growing family to gather. His young nieces, nephews, and grandson, Alec, will often arrive after school to help Murray gather eggs.
“Alec loves to walk to barn and go with me to pick up eggs. And Felix—he likes to set them up in a row. He always did that with books and his bottles. Now he does it with eggs!”
And the family wouldn’t be complete without Aztec, Murray’s furry, four-legged sidekick.
“Aztec goes everywhere with us. Wherever we go, she goes. She loves to be in the pastures and will run around with me before dark when I gather the hens back to the barn for the night.”
Just as we were wrapping up, Murray’s wife, Darlene, rolled up on a 4×4 with a friendly smile and a large pitcher of the most refreshing sweet tea we’ve ever tasted. Here, the whole family gathered around, sharing conversations in the pasture while sipping cold glasses of iced tea. Around us, dozens of white feathered, floppy-combed hens bob their heads forward and back—these girls are responsible for the gorgeous, light blue eggs that bring this family together each day. Moments like this make us stop to appreciate our family farmers’ hard work, commitment, and authenticity, including Murray and the family surrounding him.
