New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Hatching a plan
Cancer survivor finds happiness in new egg delivery gig
ORANGE — A local mom is earning mere chicken feed in her new egg delivery business, but as a cancer survivor, she feels the riches pouring down upon her every time she pulls up to a house in her SUV. “It’s sort of a feel-good thing. If I can provide eggs from happy, free chickens, I feel good,” Tasha V. Meisenheimer said.
Customers can get the eggs delivered for themselves or a half or full dozen delivered to someone else for special occasions such as a birthday, anniversary or get well wish, or just as a “thinking of you.” She’s working on little sayings for gift cards, such as “just chicken on you,” “Happy Birthday, spring chicken” and “You’ve stol-HEN my heart.”
“You send flowers, you
“You send flowers, you send plants, why not send eggs?” Tasha V. Meisenheimer, on her egg delivery business
send plants, why not send eggs?” she said.
Gas is high, eggs are cheap — but because Meisenheimer's outlook was changed by breast cancer, she's going for fulfilling dreams rather than making money, and raising chickens has always been among them.
“After going through cancer your entire life changes,” she said. “I realized I wasn't going back to work. I started doing things I always wanted to do but didn't have time for.”
The fresh eggs in tones of brown from Meisenheimer's own chickens are $5 per dozen and delivery is free. The eggs come in an elegant, square egg box wrapped in twine, with a sprig of thyme from the garden.
Noting she's fortunate to have a supportive husband, Meisenheimer said she makes about enough to buy the certified organic feed her chickens eat.
Formerly a high school English teacher, Meisenheimer's approach to life changed in 2019 when she went for a routine baseline mammogram at age 40 and found out she had stage three breast cancer.
“I was in complete shock,” she said.
She underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, and took the year to heal.
Meisenheimer, who has a 5-year-old son, now is in remission and feeling great.
She's also found some time “to do some writing” that she always wanted to do, but didn't have time for.
Liz Tremper said a delivery of her friend's eggs is special because they're organic and come from a pure love of raising chickens.
“It's a simple thing that people really enjoy,” Tremper said of the deliveries. “She doesn't have to do it. It's a hobby and her hobby is making people feel better . ... She's known to be a very special person.”
Meisenheimer calls the little slice of heaven on the family's home property “Chicken Little Farm,” as it was a chicken farm in the early 1900s and the earliest owner they can trace in land records had the last name “Little.”
They have six chickens and will get eight more in June. Currently, she's harvesting 4-5 tasty, fresh eggs per day in different shades of brown and various shapes and sizes.
“They're more than just chickens,” she said.
“The chickens are so special. They're doing something for me, my son, the community.”
Meisenheimer started gifting eggs to people during the pandemic as part of the “Buy Nothing Orange” Facebook page where people give away items and in some cases state what they need.
“When I went to people's houses (to pick up or drop off items) I'd bring them a half a dozen eggs,” Meisenheimer said. “It's been a great way to connect with the community . ... I was giving eggs as gifts.”
That gave her the idea for the new, not-so-profitable business venture.
She delivers free in the Amity area of Orange, Woodbridge and Bethany.
Meisenheimer uses eggs to spread cheer among her friends; one of them, Jennifer Bessette of Oxford, said the gesture “made my day.”
“I was feeling low and she brought them to me with a clipped hydrangea. My favorite flowers,” Bessette said. “I made myself a very nice breakfast – eggs Benedict. They were full of flavor and warming to my soul.”
The matriarch of the family's flock is Millie, a deep-red hen known for laying double-yolk eggs.
Reba, Meisenheimer's favorite, is second in line, described as feisty and fearless. Esther, the lightest colored with a lot of gold in her feathers, is the sweetest and most gentle, Meisenheimer said, and Gumbo loves to go off alone. Gloria, Meisenheimer's son's favorite, is “the wallflower” or “boring one.”
“Eggs never go out of style,” Meisenheimer said, noting that most people react at the door with,
“Oh, my God, I've never had eggs delivered before.”
The fresh eggs have a “richer, deeper flavor,” than store-bought, she said.
“It's about making people happy, treating animals well,” Meisenheimer said. “I thought this would be one thing less (that) people would have to worry about.”