When history teacher Priscilla Lindberg heard comments about the amount of chicken being served for lunch during a weekly assembly on Feb. 10, she was compelled to act. She posed a question regarding why bird flu affects the price of eggs but not chicken meat.
“I just spontaneously came up with this challenge. Like, if you can tell me why, I’ll give you a prize, because eggs are so desirable right now,” Lindberg said.
She believes that young people tend to ignore the larger implications of the economy and the world around them.
“When we’re students, we think none of this applies to us, that these systems operate independent of us somehow, that we don’t need to worry about it,” Lindberg said. “I remember feeling that way when I was in high school. I didn’t care about the economy. I didn’t care about politics. I didn’t think it was relevant to me.”
Lindberg hopes to inspire a shift in perspective in others, encouraging students to recognize their connection to larger societal issues.
“I just thought that it would get people thinking about that a little bit more,” Lindberg said. “It’s a timely topic, and I think it speaks more to something bigger. Like, it’s not just about this bout of bird flu. I think that the whole food system is compromised with diseases that are coming through.”
Two weeks later, while many students and faculty attempted to win the prize, nobody had quite nailed the response. The poultry industry relies on two types of chickens: egg layers and broilers for meat. Bird flu outbreaks are more devastating for the layers because they take six months to produce eggs, while broiler chickens can be replaced in just six weeks, leading to egg shortages and higher prices, especially for free-range and pasture-raised eggs.
Lindberg’s connection and proximity to the food production process fosters a deeper appreciation for her.
“When you are close to the to producing food for yourself, you feel passionate about it,” Lindberg said. “Chickens are surprising, I didn’t expect them to be so fascinating.”
