SALISBURY, Md., (October 12, 2017) --- To help mark National Farmers’ Day, October 12, Perdue will launch a series of videos featuring five of the farm families that raise chickens for the PERDUE® brand. The videos, which tell the story of how Perdue is continuing the change the way its chickens are raised, will appear on the Perdue chicken website and through social and digital media.

“We want to connect our consumers to see where their food comes from, and PERDUE® chicken comes from farms,” said Eric Christianson, senior vice president of marketing and innovation for Perdue Foods. “These videos let consumers meet the farm families, hear how they raise our chickens, understand what we’re doing differently and see inside the chicken houses.”

Perdue is the first major poultry company to move all of its chicken production to no-antibiotics-ever programs and is now making significant changes in how chickens are raised. The company is also the leading producer of USDA-certified organic chicken. The series, called “Fresh from Farmers,” carries the tagline “Raised Right in America.”

“Consumers care about where their chicken comes from and how it’s raised, but we believe they want more than a demonstration of the status quo,” said Christianson. “They want us to not only answer their questions, but to listen – and respond – to their concerns and expectations. That’s why we’re raising chickens without antibiotics, giving chickens more space and light, adding things like perches and straw bales and making organic more affordable and accessible. All of those things involve the commitment of our farmers, and their passion comes through in these videos.”

Perdue did not have to look far – the five farmers are all from Delmarva, the same region where the Perdue family started raising chickens on their farm exactly 100 years ago, and where the company is headquartered today in Salisbury, Md.

Farming is a family business

For all of five families, farming is a family business, and all share a willingness to tell their stories.

Sarah Kirk bought a 64-acre farm with a chicken house, across the street from her grandparents’ poultry farm, as soon as she got out of school. “Growing up I always knew I wanted to farm,” she said. “You could say farming is in my blood.” Her farm is within a mile of farms owned by her parents, cousins and an uncle – all of whom also raise chickens for Perdue. As a mother, Sarah welcomes the opportunity to tell other parents about their farm: “They think food comes from a grocery store. It comes from a farm like this,” said Sarah. “I tell them I care for those chickens just as if they were my own kids.”

• Jesse Vanderwende got an even earlier start raising chickens, renting two chicken houses from a neighbor when he was still a senior in high school. “I’ve always wanted to grow for Perdue,” he said. “My family’s grown for Perdue for years.”

• Ryan Greer built chicken houses on his family’s 283-acre farm and raises organic chickens for the PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® organic label. “I was looking for a way to be able to make living here on the farm,” he said. “My grandfather bought it when he got out of the war with my mum-mum.”

• “One of the big things about wanting to grow chicken was being able to be with my family and be here on the farm,” said farmer Matt Webber, who recalls receiving a delivery of baby chicks the day after his daughter was born. “Farming and producing food is something I just love to do.”

• Choundry Asif is the one first-generation farmer in the series. He previously owned a New York City limousine service, but wanted to spend more time with this family. “I still work seven days a week, but I love what I’m doing and I spend a lot of time with my family,” he said. “This is a family business.”

Strengthening relationships with its farmers and increasing transparency is part of Perdue’s commitment to continue accelerating advancements in animal care. Learn more at www.perduepoultrycare.com.