- [Announcer] Support for Carolina Impact comes from our viewers and Wells Fargo.

- [Narrator] Wells Fargo has donated $390 million.

- Honey, like I said, you get your own room.

- [Narrator] To support housing affordability solutions across America.

- You're never gonna get it!

- [Narrator] Doing gets it done.

Wells Fargo, the Bank of Doing.

- [Announcer] This is a production of PBS Charlotte.

- Just ahead on Carolina IMPACT: - Why are store bought eggs so expensive right now and why are they hard to find at some stores?

I'm Jeff Sonier at a local egg farm where we've got the answers, Coming up.

- Plus we learn about implicit bias through a new exhibit at Discovery Place and we get to hear beautiful music from a world renowned concert master.

Carolina IMPACT starts right now.

(soft music) - [Announcer] Carolina IMPACT, covering the issues, people and places that impact you.

This is Carolina IMPACT.

(soft music) - Good evening.

Thanks so much for joining us.

I'm Amy Burkett.

We're all spending more on groceries these days.

Prices are rising faster in the store than ever before.

Even on basics, like a dozen eggs, which cost twice as much today as it did a year ago.

And some local shoppers are also finding egg shortages, despite North Carolina's ranking as a top 10 US egg producer.

Carolina IMPACTs Jeff Sonier and videographer Doug Stacker, take us out to one of those Carolina Egg Farms to find out why prices are so high and supplies so low.

- Yeah, we're just north of Charlotte in Huntersville at a 100-year-old, fourth generation family farm where they raise goats and grow melons and produce and fresh flowers too.

They even produce their own honey here.

But what customers really want right now are those eggs.

('50s-style music) ♪ How do you like eggs in the morning?

♪ - [Farmer] Let's bring him out.

♪ I'm satisfied - Hey girl.

Look at here.

- We're here in the hen house with Danny Austin owner of Austin Kidd Farm where every morning his chickens go from rusting to nesting.

(chickens cluck) - We got what, 6, 7, 8, 10 boxes.

You got about one nest for every five or six chickens and most of 'em lay a egg a day.

About five.

Average about five eggs a week per chicken ♪ How do you like the eggs in the morning?

♪ - So they roll 'em around and keep the chick moving inside.

- I'm getting about 80 eggs a day.

(chickens clucking) Yeah, still warm.

Fresh as you can get.

(laughs) Here chick, chick, chick, chick.

Hello girls.

Free bird.

- [Narrator] Later on, Austin's hens moved from their cooped up early morning lay time to their rest of the day time crowding through the coops sliding door for a little free ranging outside instead.

(upbeat piano music) - I don't gather the eggs until afternoon 'cause we have some late layers.

There's a couple fresh eggs.

I guess I got happier chickens.

(laughs) - [Host] Happier says Austin because there's no cages for the chickens on his farm.

Just more room to roam.

Compared to these high output commercial egg farms that are more like egg factories with thousands of eggs laying on sort of an egg assembly line.

- Commercial chicken, that's a lot different than this.

They're not outside all, you know, all afternoon.

Eating grass and bugs which makes the egg a lot tastier.

You know you got a deep yellow, deep, almost orange yolk.

It's just got better flavor.

- [Host] Austin also has the answer to that question supermarket shoppers have been asking for more than a year now.

Every time we wheel our carts over to the egg aisle.

Why are grocery store eggs so expensive all of a sudden?

- Well the short, the bird flu.

So we've got 58 million been euthanized since the bird flu started.

It's going on two years now.

The prices keep going up, the feed went up.

Egg shortage.

So now they're even more popular.

You know, everybody wants eggs.

- [Narrator] But the bird flu that's killing off so many commercial farm chickens hasn't reached Austin's farm, so they've still got eggs to sell.

Austin Kidd Farm.

Just look for the sign and the customers in line every Saturday here at Charlotte's Regional Farmers Market.

- Sir, your chicken's doing good?

- Yeah.

Yeah, they did pretty good for this winter.

- It'd be in line at 7:30 and you sell outta eggs in an hour.

- [Seller] You like a dozen?

- I'm gonna get 'em next week.

- Okay.

- I still have a dozen.

- Either they were short supply or they went through the roof in price.

- How y'all doing today?

- And now they realize the eggs taste so much better so they keep coming back and get the fresh eggs.

- I need eggs.

- Okay, you do?

- Couple dozen.

- Okay great.

- [Host] In fact, Austin Kidd Farm's entire egg inventory for sale on this Saturday morning.

30 dozen eggs were gone in less than 90 minutes.

Thank you.

And some customers who aren't buying eggs are buying chickens instead.

(chicks chirping) For do it yourself eggs at home.

(chicks chirping) - Got four more to pick up in April.

- [Host] Here at LL Goodnight in Sons in China Grove, they've been in the farm supply business since 1948.

- Every year from about the 1st of March through June we'll have chickens.

We'll get 'em every week.

- [Host] But fourth generation family owner Ben Watts says this year, chicken buyers started calling in January to place their orders months in advance.

Yeah, if you would like seven white ones, I can definitely write your name down.

- People calling in, they'll be like, "We want a dozen chickens."

I'm like, "Are you sure you want a dozen chickens?"

Like, "Yeah, we really like eggs," but we recommend for a family, three to four, three to five chickens.

'Cause I mean three or four eggs a day you will suit most families pretty good.

(chicks chirping) Some they lay blue and green eggs.

We've got some to lay a black egg, some lay brown.

- But Watts warns before they lay any eggs, these chicks will need eight to 10 weeks of care both inside your house and outside in the yard.

- So chickens need feed, water, place to keep warm.

You have to worry about hawks, dogs, possums at night.

I mean everything gets a chicken.

So a good strong, sturdy cage helps a lot.

- [Host] What also helps a lot is understanding that raising chickens is less like having a pet and more like having a backyard garden.

Even if you wind up paying more than the store for your own eggs.

- You will.

But the best thing about it is people can, they can educate.

They know where their food's coming from.

They know they have a constant supply.

- [Host] And when that egg supply finally runs out?

When they're done laying, is it Sunday dinner?

- Chicken noodle soup.

(laughter) - One more thing about those farm fresh eggs, Not only do they taste better but they might actually last longer.

All eggs are usually good in the fridge for five or six weeks, but those grocery store eggs by the time they're on the shelf, they're already about two weeks old.

The farm fresh eggs, well they're straight from the chicken.

Amy?

- Thank you so much Jeff.

For more information on eggs and why they cost so much check out our website, PBScharlotte.org.

We'll link you to a fact sheet from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension with details on egg prices and supplies.

The bird flu, plus a checklist for raising backyard chickens.

Well, imagine you're walking down the street and someone is coming up on the other side, based on how that person is dressed or what they look like, chances are you'll form a split second opinion.

In essence, judging a book by its cover.

Turns out, that instantaneous reaction is human nature and we all tend to do it.

There's a new exhibit in town taking a look at just that.

Carolina IMPACTs, Jason Terzis takes us for a sneak peek to check it out.

(gentle tune plays) - [Narrator] Take a look at these faces, each one on the screen for exactly one second.

What do you see?

And what sorts of assumptions do you make about each person based solely on that split second?

Aware of it or not, it's something we all do countless times each and every day.

It's your brain making those snap decisions.

Something researchers have termed "implicit bias".

- It's something that's completely unconscious.

- [Narrator] Implicit bias refers to attitudes or beliefs that happen outside of your awareness and control.

It's those snap assumptions you make, much different than "explicit bias" where people are very much aware of their labeling and attitudes towards certain groups of people.

- I think a lot of people, when they hear prejudice or they hear racism, they immediately think, "Well, I'm not a racist because I don't use hateful language and I don't engage in hateful activities towards other groups."

That's explicit bias, but implicit bias is that snap judgment that our brain does and it's a combination of factors for why that happens.

Some of it's cultural, some of it's how our brains work.

- Implicit bias, in its purest sense is the unconscious mind acting in a way that might be inconsistent with how you think you are as an individual.

- Taking a deeper dive into this unconscious thought process, how it works, what researchers have found, and how we can try to counteract it, is the basis of the latest exhibit at Discovery Place Science in Uptown Charlotte, "The bias inside us".

- "The bias inside of us" is a partnership that Discovery Place brokered with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington to bring an exhibition that we feel like deals with a really important topic.

- [Narrator] Discovery Place is one of just a few sites nationwide to be hosting this traveling exhibit.

- The reason it's here in terms of in relationship with the Smithsonian is because we're one of the top science and technology centers in the country not just in the Carolinas but in the country.

- We are thrilled to be partnering with Discovery Place to bring this important exhibit to Charlotte.

We've been partners with Discovery Place over the years on other things, but I think this is really important for the whole city to have the opportunity to see it.

- Discovery Place has always been a leader when it comes to looking at the issues that are tougher to combat.

- [Announcer] Which of these two people is more trustworthy, A or B?

And what about from this pair?

(clock ticks) And this one?

(clock ticks) This probably wasn't hard.

These are the ones you chose as being more trustworthy.

- [Narrator] The exhibit dissects everything, from how we look at people's faces, decide who's trustworthy, attractive, dependable, and so on.

With those unconscious thoughts affecting more than you might realize.

- [Video] They also affect who we hire, who we give opportunities to, who we promote.

Now, if everyone sees the same thing when they look at a face, it raises the question are these impressions accurate?

Do people look more competent because they actually are more competent?

Do they look more trustworthy because they are more trustworthy?

The short answer is no.

- [Narrator] Through compelling images, hands-on interactives, and powerful testimonials and videos, the exhibit explores various examples of bias and some of those unwritten social codes that guide how we treat each other.

- All of us have bias.

That's just human nature.

It's how our brains work.

We have to take in a lot of information and sort and organize it very quickly but the trick is to recognize that bias and to understand the things that we need to attend to to make sure that we are questioning those snap judgements that we might make about people or whole groups of people.

- Let's say you're lost in a new city and need to ask for directions.

Researchers say the person you choose to talk to isn't necessarily random.

Some unconscious factors influence who you approach.

Like if the person has a friendly face or is well dressed.

- [Video] Research tells us we're more likely to agree with babyface adults, to accept their offers and negotiations.

We're even less likely to convict babyface defendants for premeditated crimes, and more likely to give them more lenient sentences when we do.

- [Narrator] The challenge the exhibit presents to visitors is to better understand bias and how it works and to be aware of its influence and ultimately how it affects our daily behaviors.

- What about bringing your work colleagues or your work team or your neighborhood group or your, you know group from the synagogue to take this in together and have a conversation about it?

- I'm hoping after people have had the chance to see the exhibit they just have a better understanding of what bias is.

That we all do have it, but that you can fight it, you can learn more you can understand more about how it works and there are tools that you can use to make sure that you're counteracting it in your daily life.

- [Narrator] Our brains make millions of decisions every day, most of them automatic and triggered based upon past experiences.

We may not be able to stop our brains from triggering implicit bias but we can check ourselves in those various instances and give just a little extra thought to how we view the world.

For Caroline IMPACT, I'm Jason Terzis reporting.

- Thank you, Jason.

If you'd like to experience "the bias inside us" at Discovery Place, time is limited.

The exhibit is only in town for a month and runs through April 9th on Thursday evenings admission is free, but you have to head to the website to reserve a time in advance.

Well, a trip to the North Carolina Mountains offers countless options for adventure.

In Little Switzerland, there's a unique tourist destination that serves up a bit of history mixed with a bit of treasure hunting.

Jason Terzis back and he and producer John Branscomb take us to Emerald Village.

(upbeat music) - [Jason] Buckets of ore, screens and cool flowing water provide young gem miners like Isaac all he needs to find his next treasure.

- Collecting rocks.

- [Narrator] Rhonda Phillips brought her grandsons, Jesse and Isaac to the Gem Mine at Emerald Village, continuing a family tradition.

- I started doing this with my sons when they were little boys.

It brings a lot of joy to my heart when they start picking out different colors and then we'll go home.

We'll take the card, and I'll teach 'em about all of the different minerals.

- [Alan] Emerald Village is a collection of mining related attractions, near Little Switzerland and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We have the mining museum, we have gem mining.

We have shops, walk-in trails, a whole village.

- [Jason] Ask owner Alan Schabilion how it all got started over four decades ago and he's quick to point fingers.

- Well, I can actually blame my dad on that.

He had the wild idea of coming to the mountains, finding some old abandoned mines and turning them into a museum.

We opened it in 1980.

I moved here about that time.

Did construction work on the buildings.

Been here ever since.

Some people would say, I have rocks in my head.

- [Narrator] Of course, creating a tourist attraction from an old mine required a rock solid business plan.

- Imagination and luck probably made a few mistakes but we've always been open to new ideas, new attractions, making it a little bit better each time, and making sure we have fun.

- And that plan seems to be working.

- We're actually working on the fourth generation so it's still very much a family business.

- [Narrator] For most, a visit to Emerald Village means exploring the rich mining history of Mitchell County.

- We call this, the Bon Ami mine.

If we were French, of course we'd say "bon amie" but none of us are French.

So Bon Ami it is.

Bon Ami makes a scouring powder.

Many people are familiar with it.

They made it for 125 years now using feldspar from these mines here.

Feldspar was a magic ingredient.

Actually 95% of the product was ground up feldspar, 5% was soap.

- [Narrator] Inside the mining museum, there's memorabilia related to Bon Ami, historical photos, tools, and various mineral samples.

Outside old mining equipment dots the landscape all around the property.

- All the various things the miners needed to work in these mines.

These were hard rock mines.

Drilling the holes and then packing those holes full of dynamite, blasting it down.

They used mules here to pull the railroad cars in and out of the mine.

It was hard work.

Nobody wants to be a miner.

Say we're paid 10 cents an hour, 10 hours a day, a dollar a day, six days a week, very hard, dangerous work.

- [Narrator] There are a dozen mines on the 88 acre property.

Most like the McKinney Mine though are too dangerous to enter.

But with some creative water management you can explore the Bon Ami mine.

There's old mining carts, drills, a black light room highlighting the minerals, and a lake full of trout.

But sorry folks, no fishing allowed, but you're allowed to feed them.

After exploring the mine in the museums at Emerald Village the next stop for most rock hounds, of course, the gem mine.

- We offer buckets that people can sit down at the the flume and we provide the screens, go through 'em pick out the pretty ones, keep anything you find.

For those that really want a real experience is the old mine dumps here have been open for collecting and so for a fee you can go out and spend all day on the dumps picking up whatever strikes you're fancy.

Probably won't strike it rich, but you're guaranteed to have fun.

- [Narrator] Fun, easy, and educational for the kids.

From the Avery County, 4-H. - Avery 4-H, during the summer, we have kids ages five through 12 and we take them on different field trips and so today our field trip is here to Emerald Village to let our kids explore rocks and gyms and so they've been looking forward to this and just to see their face light up when they find a a colored gem and they want to know what it is, and of course, they always think they're worth a million dollars every time they find anything cool.

- [Narrator] The real lesson for the folks visiting Emerald Village?

- [Jason] If people wanna know, am I gonna strike it rich?

Well, I tell you, but you're having fun, you're rich.

- For Carolina IMPACT, I'm Jason Terzis reporting.

- Thank you, Jason.

Looking for something a bit more unique with your visit to Emerald Village?

Several times a year the staff offers special evening tours of the mine using black lights.

The ultraviolet light really makes the mineral inside the Bon Ami mine pop.

Well, finally tonight, we've got a musical treat for you.

Peter Devries is a concert violinist and teacher who spent much of his childhood in the Philippines with his missionary parents.

After earning a full ride to Indiana University's Jacob's School of Music, he went on to become the concert master with the National Symphony in Portugal and now calls Charlotte home.

(violin plays adeptly) - My violin is a remarkable partner to me.

This was made in 1706 and I'm fortunate enough to have it and get to play it every day.

(violin and piano plays adeptly) For me, the highest test and the greatest joy is playing chamber music.

Chamber music is solo playing as in the demands of a solo artist put together with other artists in to one thought.

It is an incredibly demanding and equally rewarding experience.

(violin and piano plays adeptly) - Playing with Peter is one of those rare collaborative joys that just happens.

It isn't something that one creates, a relationship like that.

It either happens or it doesn't.

(violin plays adeptly) Peter has a big personality and a very generous spirit.

He's a fabulous musician, that's for starts, but he has a way of making it human and the connection is so vibrant.

It's very, very rare.

(violin plays adeptly) - I think being able to think and anticipate what the other person is doing and thinking, it's hard to teach that, but your job as a teacher is to ratchet up the inspiration and the determination in this person to the point where it's almost unachievable and see if they find it in themselves and if they have it in themselves to rise to that level.

- So this one goes, (violin plays adeptly) My measure of success for my teaching is the degree to which I can help the student I'm working with realize their potential.

Do it again.

Play.

(violin plays well) Yes!

I have students who are playing professionally and I have many students who are just glad they've studied, but I don't think I have any students who don't love music at this point.

(violin plays adeptly) - He's truly an extraordinary talent.

I could listen to his music all day but unfortunately we're out of time.

This is another story that came to us from one of our viewers.

Who do you know that we should share their story?

Please send your ideas to stories@wtvi.org.

Well, before I leave, I wanna recognize the amazing middle schoolers from Whitewater Middle School.

They were in our studio audience today.

They asked the best questions and were glad when the community comes to visit their public television station.

Well, thanks so much for joining us.

We always appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you back here again next time on Carolina IMPACT.

Goodnight, my friends.

(soft music) - [Announcer] A production of PBS Charlotte.

Support for Carolina Impact comes from our viewers and Wells Fargo.

- [Narrator] Wells Fargo has donated $390 million.

- Honey, like I said, you get your own room.

- [Narrator] To support housing affordability solutions across America.

- You're never gonna get it!

- [Narrator] Doing gets it done.

Wells Fargo, the Bank of Doing.