Foster Farms Consolidates, Supports Local Farmers

LIVINGSTON, Calif. - Foster Farms announced today it is consolidating its Oregon-grown and Washington-grown packaging on its fresh chicken tray into a single label reading "Locally Grown in Washington or Oregon." The change will become effective on May 6 and appear on supermarket shelves soon after.

An independent research company found that 95 percent of Pacific Northwest consumers surveyed said that separate labels specific to Oregon and Washington were not important as long as the products were still grown in the Pacific Northwest - local, fresh, natural and reasonably priced.

"It's a relatively minor change but a significant one for our local partners here," said Foster Farms' Vice President of Marketing Dave Schanzer. "The competition from out-of-state producers, who already enjoy certain cost advantages, is fierce. Foster Farms is committed to supporting local farmers and providing Pacific Northwest consumers with the freshest locally grown chicken available, so we continually seek ways to keep costs down. By consolidating the two labels, Foster Farms will be able to ensure its premium quality product remains a good buy in Washington and Oregon.

"It is expensive for our customers to maintain two separate labels in areas where their distribution may provide products to both Oregon and Washington stores. There is also the additional cost of maintaining two labels during processing. A consolidated label is a win for everyone: our retail partners will only have to work with one label, and we will not have to maintain separation of Oregon and Washington birds in our Kelso processing plant."

Foster Farms is the largest poultry producer in the Pacific Northwest. Based in Livingston, Calif., the company has remained a family-owned business since its founding in 1939. Foster Farms branded fresh chicken is always locally grown on farms it owns or farms owned by local farmers. In addition to fresh chicken, Foster Farms produces fresh turkey, a marinated fresh chicken line, deli meats, corn dogs, a variety of cooked chicken products and refrigerated chicken entrees.