I’m always struck by the quiet that comes immediately after the hustle and bustle of TurkeyFest. After days of cheerful conversations, ringing phones, swinging doors, and the movement of trucks and orders, there’s a sudden quiet after we lock the market door on Thanksgiving eve. In the quiet hum of the cooler compressors, I’m overcome with a deep sense of gratitude for all that goes into our Thanksgiving season.

While the signature TurkeyFest event happens in the final week before Thanksgiving, our staff has been working hard for months to prepare for the season. The poults get started in the spring and summer, our frozen turkeys begin shipping in the fall, and our market staff is busy ordering cranberries, pies, and brine along the way. It’s a team effort, and we’ve got a good one. I’m incredibly grateful for our Ferndale staff.

Of course, none of this work would matter if we didn’t have customers (that’s you!) who see the difference in our turkeys. Especially in a year where we’ve learned about supply chain bottlenecks and feared shortages, you chose to go with the best “supply chain” of all: straight from the farm! It’s a special model, where you know your farmer and we know our customers, and one we are proud to carry forward in a food landscape without enough farm-to-table connections. We know you bypass other options to be here, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support of our customers.

We now quickly turn the page to Christmas, and soon we’ll be planning for TurkeyFest 2022. In the meantime, I cherish the deep feeling of gratitude for our Ferndale team – both staff and supporters – that comes with this season. Thank you for being a part of what we do!