Spread a little local love during the holiday season by supporting local farmers, producers and artisans.
We've got local vendors all around the country creating unique products. Here's a sample of some locally produced items you'll find — remember to check your local store to find out what's available in your area.
Turkey Farmers and Ranchers
It's turkey season! Whole Foods Market goes to the effort to know exactly where our turkeys come. And since we do, we thought you'd like a chance to meet our turkey farmers and ranchers and find out a little bit about the people behind your holiday dinner. All of our turkeys are raised with these standards:
- No antibiotics — ever
- No supplemental growth hormones*
- No animal byproducts in feed
*Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones when raising poultry
Please note that the turkeys from these ranches and farms might be sold under a different label name. Just ask your local meat team member for specifics on your store's turkeys.
Diestel Turkeys
Sonora, California
Since 1949 the Diestel family has raised high quality turkeys in the Sierra Foothills the old fashioned way. The savory dark meat and juicy, tender white meat with satisfying old-time flavor comes in sizes from 6 to 36 pounds to fit any holiday table. Make your celebration memorable with a Diestel turkey.
Turkeys from Diestel Turkeys are available in all of our Northern California stores, as well as a number of the rest of our stores. You should check with your local meat team for specific availability.
Kosher Valley
Mifflintown, PA
Founded in 1938 by Joseph Katz, Empire Poultry aimed to meet the needs of the growing Jewish population. Originally located in Liberty, NY, Empire eventually moved to the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania where it has expanded to serve people seeking kosher chickens and turkeys in ever-growing numbers. Their staff of 65 rabbis oversee the birds' handling, according to Jewish dietary laws.
Kosher Valley Turkeys from Empire Kosher Poultry are stocked in a number of our stores, and you should check with your local meat team for specific availability.
Hillview Farms
Buckholts, Texas
Born into the ranching business, Wayne Hillman has more than 40 years of experience. About 10 years ago Wayne and his wife began raising turkeys, which allowed them to return full-time to the ranching lifestyle that's been a part of their families for three generations. This small, mom-and-pop operation is committed to providing the tastiest turkey for your holiday table.
Nature's Rancher Turkeys from Hillview Farms are available in our stores in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Nebraska.
Jaindl Farms
Orefield, PA
Since the early '30s, the Jaindl family has been producing great poultry. Located in the Lehigh Valley, Jaindl Farms is a model of sustainability. Feed for the turkeys is grown on Jaindl Farms and the by-products are used to make bio-fuel that is used for power on the farm. A Jaindl Grand Champion Turkey has been on the White House table for the last four decades.
Turkeys from Jaindl Farms are available in our stores in Western Connecticut, New York, New Jersey*, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine.
*Not available in the Marlton or Princeton stores.
Koch's Turkey
Tamaqua, PA
Koch's Turkey farm was founded in 1953 on 60 acres of land in Pennsylvania's Lewistown Valley. Here, the second generation of Kochs are raising turkeys and are leaders in excellent animal welfare practices.
Turkeys from Koch's Turkey farm are available in our stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina,Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and in Washington, D.C. and Princeton and Marlton, New Jersey.
Ladybug Manor
Aldergrove, BC
Rod Lacey and Marlene Freemantle founded Ladybug Manor in 1999, raising turkeys the way their grandparents did on their farms. In 2006, the five acre farm decided to go organic. Grain for the birds' feed is raised on the farm and is now proudly certified organic.
Turkeys from Ladybug Manor are available in our stores in British Columbia.
Larry Shultz Organic Farms
Owattona, MN
Larry Schultz and his wife Cindy are fourth-generation farmers, and they really know how to raise turkeys. Schultz Organic Farms has two farms that produce their amazing turkeys. The Schultz's farm is committed to providing the tastiest turkey for your holiday table.
Turkeys from Larry Shultz Organic Farms are available in our stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Maple Lawn Farms
Fulton, MD
Family pride. Maple Lawn Farms has it. They also have incredible turkeys. The Iager family has been raising turkeys since 1938 when Ellsworth and Mary Elizabeth Iager placed the first poults. The fourth generation is now learning turkey production to continue the Iager family tradition.
Turkeys from Maple Lawn Farms are available in our stores in Maryland.
Michigan Turkey Producers
Grand Rapids, MI
Michigan Turkey Producers is cooperatively owned and operated by 16 family farms throughout Michigan. With the passion and drive of owner operators and a new state-of-the-art facility, this group of farms produces the highest quality poultry in the Midwest.
Turkeys from Michigan Turkey Producers are available in our stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Misty Knoll
New Haven, VT
John Palmer and Rob Litch have been raising turkeys in Western Vermont since 1984. They treat the farm as an irreplaceable resource and follow sustainable farming practices to ensure their cropland will be productive for future generations. Their care contributes to turkeys with firm meat and deep flavor.
Turkeys from Misty Knoll are available in our stores in Western Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine.
Neal Farms
Crawford, TX
After earning a degree from North Carolina State University's School of Poultry Science and working for decades in the poultry industry, Mike Neal and his wife, Carolyn, decided to start their own turkey farm. Their commitment to the environment has earned awards, including 1st Place Family Farm Environmental Award from the Texas Poultry Federation.
Nature's Rancher Turkeys from Neal Farms are available in our stores in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska.
Pitman Farms
Fresno, CA
Rick and Mary Pitman have dedicated their life to producing premium quality turkeys. Their farm is home to traditional turkeys and rare Heritage breeds. The birds are matured for seven months (the standard is five months), which creates a richer, more savory bird for your holiday table.
Turkeys from Pitman Farms are available in all of our Southern California stores, Arizona, Southern Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
Plainville Farms
New Oxford, PA
Founded in 1835, Plainville Farms is one of the first turkey producers in the country and are known for their great-tasting turkeys. They use time-tested methods that have been refined over six generations of farming. Plainville Farms' passion for raising turkeys resonates in their flavorful birds.
Both Nature's Rancher and Plainville Farms branded Turkeys from Plainville Farms as part of Hain Pure Protein are stocked in a number of our stores, and you should check with your local meat team for specific availability.
Timbro Farms
Rockdale, TX
With a 50-year family history in the poultry and livestock business, D.H. and Karen Martin have the expertise to raise delicious turkey — along with a dedication to responsible land stewardship. Timbro Farms is a classic example of how poultry, livestock and wildlife can coexist, and they earned the Texas Poultry Federation Family Farm Environmental Award in 2008.
Nature's Rancher Turkeys from Timbro Farms are available in our stores in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska.
Local Egg, Meat and Seafood Producers
Alexandre Kids
Crescent City, CA
Christian Alexandre won the Future Farmers of America Poultry Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award for his remarkable pastured eggs. Each brown egg is hand gathered and has a deep orange yolk and flavor. You can find them on our shelves year round, but you've got to grab them while you can because they disappear fast!
Chino Valley Ranchers
Arcadia, California
In 1959, Charles Nichols started a backyard flock of chickens, and by the early 1970s he began selling cage-free eggs to stores around Los Angeles. His chickens were free to run, flap their wings, and scratch as they pleased. Charles' son Steve has taken the reins and he and his oldest son Christopher represent the second and third generations of ownership for this family business. Today their chickens are still cage-free, just as they were 40 years ago.
Gary's Seafood
Orlando, Florida
A family-owned business begun by Gary Reed with one truck and three employees in 1991 now employs nearly 100 people statewide. Gary's Seafood specializes in fresh local Florida fish, supports local fishermen and also sources fresh seafood worldwide.
Goodnight Brothers
Boone, North Carolina
For over 60 years, Goodnight Brothers has been curing country hams in the cool crisp air of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. Through a new partnership with Whole Foods Market and the North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association, Bill Goodnight is producing traditional dry-cured Carolina Country Ham and Side Meat using fresh hams from local Global Animal Partnership Step 4-rated pig farms.
Latta Eggs
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Three generations of Lattas work on this small egg farm in Orange County. Their cage-free hens have been supplying beautiful brown eggs to our customers for over 18 years. All of our North Carolina Whole Foods Market bakeries and kitchens use Latta eggs for cooking and baking — look for these eggs in the dairy case, scrambled on the breakfast bar, baked in a cake, or boiled on the salad bar!
Lucki 7 Livestock
Rodman, New York
We've gone whole hog for tender, flavorful, local pork raised by the Winkler family. Lucki 7 pigs frolic in deep straw and are free to roam green pastures at the base of the Tug Hill Plateau. They enjoy a vegetarian diet and are never treated with antibiotics.
Provitello Farms
Elba, New York
Since 2005, farm manager Jurian Bartelse has been raising veal calves. They are raised in group housing so the calves can move around freely and engage in social interaction with other calves. Our quality standards don't permit calves to be tethered or kept in individual crates and requires that they have unlimited access to grain.
World's Best Eggs
Elgin, Texas
Jerry Cunningham is committed to raising chickens humanely on his certified organic farm on open pastures so they can thrive and produce great tasting, organic eggs. The chickens are free to roam about and dine on nutritious soil-dwelling critters and native grasses in addition to fresh organic grains that are milled on-site daily.
Local Growers
Amherstburg Mushroom Farms
Amherstburg, Ontario
A family-run organic mushroom farm located just outside Windsor, Ontario, Amherstburg Mushroom Farms currently offer cremini and portobello mushrooms and are committed to delighting customers with fresh, tasty mushrooms every day.
BTTR Ventures
Oakland, CA
BTTR (pronounced "better") stands for "Back To The Roots," and the two Berkeley grads growing mushrooms using leftover coffee grounds certainly embody that spirit. They use an ingenious method to turn coffee ground waste—tons generated locally every day—into a rich fertilizer for their delicious specialty mushrooms, which are rushed to our stores just hours after harvest.
Cinzori Farms
Ceresco, Michigan
"We greatly value our customer relationships because it helps us explain how food is grown and get feedback on its taste." The 60-acre, second-generation organic farm has operated since 1975 and grows a wide variety of produce, including cabbage, beans, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, winter squash and basil.
Columbia Marketing International (CMI)
Wenatchee, Washington
The folks at CMI have been growing and packing exceptional apples since 1989, although the company's founding families have roots in agriculture that extend back 100 years earlier. Their orchards in the arid, fertile land of the Yakima Valley produce some of Washington state's finest fruit. CMI is proud to partner with Whole Foods Market to support Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign through the sale of organic Fuji apples.
Country Herbs
Tillsonburg, Ontario
"We get immense satisfaction in delivering what we think are the best culinary herbs available." Since 1989, Country Herbs has supplied edible flowers, French shallots and fresh-cut herbs like bay leaf, chervil, lime leaf and basil throughout eastern Canada.
Don Valpredo Farms
Bakersfield, California
Don Valpredo has been farming at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley since 1962. His grandparents were pioneers to the area back in 1944 and Don's father, John, was the first to drill deep enough to find water—making farming a viable option on the valley floor. Today, the fourth-generation of Valpredo farmers continues their legacy as Don's son Michael joins his father in the fields.
Driftless Organics
Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin
For the owners of Driftless Organics, farming is a dream job. When you grow everything from asparagus to zucchini on over 100 acres, it's vital to love what you do. For these farmers, cultivating healthy soil is foremost and delicious organic produce naturally follows. Owners Noah and Josh Engel have further diversified their operation with the addition of Mike Lind and his herd of grass-fed beef cattle.
Eastern Carolina Organics (ECO)
Pittsboro, North Carolina
ECO is a farmer-owned cooperative of organic and environmentally friendly farms. The co-op of small and large farms gives ECO the ability to provide our customers with fresh, local choices year round.
Eaters' Guild
Bangor, Michigan
"Farming feels good. Each year is a learning curve. We still believe we are in the journeyman's phase—enjoying every step of the way." Eaters' Guild grows nearly every crop possible in southeastern Michigan, including a wide variety of cooking greens, lettuce, carrots, kale, squash and melons.
Four Town Farm
Seekonk, Massachusetts
Some of the freshest, tastiest Macomber turnips in our produce department are from the Clegg family and Four Town Farm. They've been in the farming business for five generations, working and perfecting their 150-acre farm to produce some of the highest-quality fruits and vegetables around.
Fresh Herb Company
Longmont, Colorado
Founded by Chet Anderson in 1983, the Fresh Herb Company cultivates high-quality, fresh culinary herbs, flowering hanging baskets and specialty field-cut flowers.
Full Circle Farm
Longmont, Colorado
Growing delicious produce since 1993, Full Circle Farms conserves resources by using runoff water and drip irrigation techniques. Owner Dave Asbury works to revive area crops that have been lost to residential and commercial development, keeps the soil fertile by rotating crops and uses local supplies to minimize fuel use.
Grant Family Farms
Wellington, Colorado
In the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Grant Family Farms has been growing organic vegetables for the past 35 years. Today they have 2,000 acres of farmland and cultivate over 150 varieties of vegetables and 34 varieties of heirloom beans and corn.
Hokto Mushrooms
San Marcos, California
Beginning in 2009, Hokto began producing four types of mushrooms at their facilities in San Marcos, California. Varieties include: King Trumpet, Maitake, Brown Beech and White Beech.
John Givens Farm
Goleta, California
John Givens started farming in the Goleta Valley around 1980 after taking an organic gardening class at the Santa Barbara Community Environmental Center. Today, his farm has grown to approximately 175 acres spread along 30 miles of Santa Barbara coastline. John's team plants many varieties of produce every week of the year and harvests daily to provide the freshest produce for your table.
Kenter Canyon Farms
Fillmore, California
Robert and Andrea Dedlow first explored their love of food in the restaurant business in the Bay Area but discovered that growing food was a healthier and more interesting way to pursue their passion. Today they cultivate a variety of fresh herbs, wild arugula and a wide array of baby greens on an old orange grove along the banks of the Santa Clara River in Ventura County, where they also established a 5-acre permanent conservation easement for the native birds in the area.
Monterey Mushrooms
Princeton, Illinois
A second-generation, family-owned and -operated agribusiness, Monterey Mushrooms has 10 mushroom growing farms in North America that deliver the best, most innovative mushrooms possible to nearby markets throughout the country.
Osage Gardens
New Castle, Colorado
"Our local herbs are the freshest because they get to our customers faster. We hope you enjoy the overwhelming fragrance of these happy plants." Osage Gardens took root in January 1992 by selling tomatoes, growing basil as simply a side project. After quickly realizing that there was a high demand for fresh basil, the farm expanded to grow over 22 different varieties of culinary herbs including basil, thyme, rosemary, chives and dill.
Peri & Sons
Yerington, Nevada
David Peri is a third-generation farmer with a passion for growing premium and organic onions in Yerington, Nevada. Peri & Sons started over 30 years ago and continues to be a family-run business, packing over 350 million pounds of onions annually.
Rainier Fruit Company
Selah, Washington
The Zirkle family has been farming for five generations and founded Rainier Fruit Company in 1974. Today Bill and Mark Zirkle lead the company, which has strategically placed orchards in Washington's best fruit-growing regions to reap the benefits of rich volcanic soil and abundant snow-fed irrigation. Rainier is proud to partner with Whole Foods Market to support Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign through the sale of organic Fuji apples.
Randy's Orchard
Phoenix, Arizona
Randy's Orchard is one of the last heritage citrus orchards located in Central Phoenix, offering delicious tangerines, tangelos, kinnow mandarins and grapefruit, all picked at the peak of ripeness. Fruit is often picked and delivered to our stores on the same day it is ordered. No pesticides or fungicides are ever used, their citrus trees are fertilized with compost and irrigation is by Salt River Project water from Lake Roosevelt.
SouthTex Organics
Mission, Texas
The 1983 hard freeze was a blessing in disguise for fifth-generation farmer Dennis Holbrook. Although frigid temperatures obliterated most of his crop that season, he saw it as an opportunity to completely convert his citrus groves to organic. The farm has since grown into the largest organic citrus and vegetable operation in Texas with more than 500 acres of wonderfully sweet and juicy Rio Star grapefruit, Meyer lemons, Mars oranges and more.
Stehly Farms Organics
Bonsall, California
At Stehly Farms Organics working the land runs in the family. Brothers Jerome and Noel operate the third-generation farm that now produces millions of pounds of organic produce every year, including avocados, limes, raspberries and chiles.
Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes
Walnut Cove, North Carolina
The climate and the soil conditions in the land surrounding Hanging Rock State Park and Sauratown Mountain Range produce a purple sweet potato unusually rich in color and nutrients.
Sunizona
Willcox, Arizona
Byron and Janice Smith and their children Janna, Aimee, Kymbrelee and Charles make up Sunizona, a family farm that uses heirloom seed varieties to grow some of the best produce around.
Uncle Matt's
Clermont, Florida
As a fourth-generation Florida grower, Matt McLean ventured into the organic citrus business in 1999 with a passion for healthy living. By supporting Uncle Matt's, you also help more than 15 small growers that make up their family of farms. Brighten someone's holiday with a gift of fresh Florida oranges.
Weiser Family Farms
Tehachapi, California
The Weiser Family has been in business since 1977 when Sid Weiser fulfilled a lifelong dream of working off the land. He began by tending fruit trees and now the family farm cultivates heirloom produce through bio-diverse farming year round, harvesting at their crops' seasonal peaks.
Willows Cranberries
Wareham, Plymouth and Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Some of our fresh, sweet-tart cranberries come from Willows Cranberries, which consists of a group of small family-run cranberry farms harvesting the lush berry bogs of Wareham, Plymouth, Cape Cod and other coastal areas of Massachusetts.
Local Artisans
Arizona Cheese Company
Tempe, Arizona
Fresh milk from local Arizona dairies combined with the experience of Wisconsin cheese makers comprises the Arizona Cheese Company. They produce their savory cheeses the old-fashioned way, by hand. Try their cheese curds, a traditional Midwestern snack that squeaks in your mouth when you eat it!
Bread Alone
Boiceville, New York
Daniel Leader, founder and baker of Bread Alone, chose an idyllic hamlet in the Catskills and began baking the extraordinary organic loaves that have been wowing bread lovers for over 20 years. We love his amazing hearth-baked, crusty breads and the magic he works with whole grains.
Cosi Duci
Boca Raton, Florida
Cosi Duci ("sweet things") specializes in authentic homemade Italian baked goods, including gluten-free items. By purchasing sweet treats like their cookies, pastries and biscotti, you're also supporting Cosi Duci's contribution to the National MS Society.
Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy
Longmont, Colorado
For over two decades, Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy's cheese makers have handcrafted award-winning goat cheeses using sweet, fresh Colorado goat's milk and vegetable rennet, including fresh herbed chèvre and soft-ripened bloomy rind varieties.
Hot Bread Kitchen
Manhattan, New York
Hot Bread offers baked goods that are inspired by the many countries its bakers come from, preserving cherished culinary traditions while offering training and employment to women in immigrant communities.
Pure Luck Farms
Dripping Springs, Texas
Pure Luck was one of the first farms in Texas to be certified organic, and these days, both cheese making and organic farming are alive and thriving on the farm. Delicious and highly respected cheeses are top priority, while the Nubian and Alpine goats are cared for with kindness and joy.
Straus Family Creamery
Petaluma, CA
In 1994, Straus became the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi River. Active in farmland protection, the family creamery produces milk (in old-fashioned glass bottles), yogurt, butter and ice cream.
Fight Childhood Hunger in America
For every pound of organic Fuji apples sold, a donation goes to Share our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign, a national effort to end childhood hunger. Learn about more ways to help.
Have We Got a Deal for You
Pick up The Whole Deal value guide in stores now for tips, coupons and recipes to help you enjoy the bounty of the season.
