I spend the quiet days after Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and a bit of amazement that we made it to the finish line of our peak season. I’m struck each year by all the pieces that have to fit together just right to make our model work. In no particular order, here are a few of the things I’m thankful for as I look at Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror:

  • Mother Nature: The poults we started in the heat of summer had a picture-perfect fall. Good turkey growing weather, as my dad would say. Despite the continued bird flu worries around us, we made it through!

  • Truck drivers: I love logistics, so I’m in awe of all the wheels it takes to bring our Thanksgiving turkeys to market. From our own drivers working overtime, to the partners that deliver our birds to retailers and meat markets across the Midwest, everything got to where it needed to be.

  • Partner farms: We can only meet the full range of turkey sizes with the help of our partner farms. Healthy flocks and their hard work combined for right-sized turkeys and a bird for every order.

  • Our team: They put in extra hours, lift more pounds of turkeys than we can fathom, keep the gravy freezer stocked, and field calls and emails with a smile. We even convince a few Ferndale alums to jump back into the fun each season. We couldn’t pull this off without such a great flock of people to make it happen!

  • Our customers: It may sound trite, but none of this happens without you. I was lucky enough to hand out the first fresh turkey at TurkeyFest and I was still around for the last customer at closing time on the final day. We value each and every one of you, whether you purchase your Ferndale turkey here or at one of our retail partners. There’d be no bustling Thanksgiving season or festivities without customers who appreciate what we do. It’s an honor to be a part of your traditions.

I hope your Thanksgiving season was filled with gratitude. And, of course, I hope your Ferndale Market turkey was delicious!