I’m going to continue the theme from last month, sharing another stroke of good fortune that has sustained us for 15 years in business at Ferndale Market. None of us can do it alone, and nothing has been more central to our continued growth than our partner farms. They’re tops in our “Greatest Hits” of good fortune.

I’d argue that we’ve got the best of the very best. We’re a unique group of longtime farmers and new farmers. Diversified farms and turkey-or-bust farms. Some were former poult customers from our hatchery days and others discovered us through the grapevine. But, we all have one thing in common: we’re independent farmers who want to do things a little differently – to be a part of a different model in agriculture.

You might ask why we need partner farms in the first place. The initial response is simple: we’re at a sustainable flock size here on our home farm. It fits right for our birds, land and team. As our demand grew, partner farms gave us the opportunity to bring real value to fellow family farms.

The second reason for partner farms involves a bit more insider turkey knowledge. Unlike many other farm animals, there’s no single ideal size for turkeys. Hens are different than toms, and we grow both to a variety of finished weights. The diversity of birds allows us to achieve our mix of products and bird sizes, and our family of partners gives us the ability to do it even when things don’t go quite according to plan. Yes, even after 85 years of farming, turns out we haven’t seen it all!

While we’re an independent bunch, we all follow the same practices and standards.  We’re all fully invested each day in doing what’s right for our flocks and farms. We’re all in this for the long haul. Trust me, there’s a ton of pride in our group, knowing this model isn’t the norm today. I’m grateful for the partnership within our group and know they’re another of our good fortunes along the way to 15 years.  We wouldn’t be here without them.