The Early Years

Foster Farms was founded in 1939 by Max and Verda Foster, who borrowed $1,000 against a life insurance policy to purchase an 80-acre farm near Modesto, California. The Fosters built a small barn and began raising turkeys. Within a few years, they purchased a second farm and switched from turkeys to chickens. A feedmill was added in early 1950, and a processing plant in Livingston was purchased in 1959.

Expansion in the 60's and 70's

As a result of continued growth, the company moved its corporate headquarters to Livingston in the 1960s. Foster Farms continued expanding with the acquisition of a distribution and sales center in El Monte, California, in 1973. This enabled the company to provide a full customer service function as a distributor of poultry products in Southern California. Today, the El Monte center services a large territory that stretches from Santa Barbara to San Diego, and as far east as Las Vegas.

Return to the Turkey Business

In 1982, Foster Farms returned to the turkey processing business by purchasing the assets of The Grange Company and its subsidiary, Valchris Poultry. This acquisition enabled Foster Farms to develop its line of packaged deli products, including poultry franks, bologna and luncheon meats. In May of 1990, Foster Farms continued to expand the chicken processing side of the business, acquiring a plant in Fresno, California. Since then, the plant has been expanded twice. Its initial staff of 200, has grown significantly to more than 1,200 employees.

Acquisitions in the Pacific Northwest

Foster Farms' first venture in the Northwest came with the acquisition of Fircrest Farms in 1987. Formerly the Willamette Poultry Company, Fircrest Farms had been in operation since 1959, with headquarters in Creswell, Oregon. In 1994, Lynden Farms became part of the Pacific Northwest operations of Foster Farms, followed by the acquisition of Pederson Farms in 1997. The company's first new plant built outside California opened in May, 1998 in Kelso, Washington. Today this plant and the company's Creswell, Oregon, plant process poultry for Northwest consumers.

Expansion East of the Rockies

Foster Farms is the West's largest producer of turkey products for the foodservice industry. The broad line of foodservice products includes a variety of turkey and chicken items such as a wide selection of turkey breasts, smoked deli meats and ready-to-prepare meal kits. In 1996, Foster Farms acquired Griffith Foods of Alabama, a producer of corn dogs. This acquisition, combined with Foster Farms' existing corn dog business, gave Foster Farms the leading corn dog market share in the United States.

Addition to the Turkey Business

In 1999 Foster Farms purchased ConAgra's Butterball Turkey operations in Turlock, California allowing Foster Farms to significantly expand its turkey operations.

A New Plant and New Products

Foster Farms opened a new plant in Porterville, California, and began producing cooked chicken products there in the fall of 1999. At full capacity, the 83,000-square-foot plant processes 30 million pounds of further processed, value-added poultry products per year.

Acquisition of Zacky Farms Chicken

In October 2001, Foster Farms acquired the chicken operations of El Monte, Calif.-based Zacky Farms, the second largest poultry business in the West. This acquisition included Zacky Farms' Fresno area plant, hatchery, feed mill, and 35 live production ranches as well as its Los Angeles distribution center. This added 165 million pounds to Foster Farms' annual poultry production, 1,500 employees to its workforce and enabled Foster Farms to broaden its customer base and expand its product line.

Today and Tomorrow

Today Foster Farms remains a family owned company and Foster family members continue to constitute the company's Board of Directors. Foster Farms' current President and CEO, Ron Foster, is a member of the board of directors who are appointed by the Foster Family shareholders.

The vision and passion for quality shared by Max and Verda in 1939 remain the legacy of every Foster Farms employee today.