The labelling question is enormous. What free range legally requires, and whether it means what people assume, gets asked by shoppers who have started distrusting the box, and an honest answer earns the sale that follows.
Buying direct is a decision, not an accident. Somebody searching for a farm rather than a shop has chosen to skip the supermarket, and they buy weekly rather than once.
Trade buyers count differently. Trays, weekly volumes and consistency of size is the language of a bakery or a kitchen, and one of those accounts outweighs a great many doorstep customers.
Shortages create sudden demand. When supply tightens and shelves empty, searching for local eggs spikes within days, and a producer already visible collects customers who then stay.