Nearly seventy years ago, Dale Peterson settled in Cannon Falls, MN, to do what he knew best: raise turkeys. In the early years, he shared a residence with incubators, and the sound of day-old turkeys routinely filled his home. Dale's wife, Fern, had grown up raising turkeys, and although she thought she had left them forever when she left home and became a school teacher, her plans changed when she met Dale! Fern was an avid advocate for the environment, and believed that everybody had a role to play in preserving our earth. The legacy of Fern and Dale guides our mission, so it's only fitting that the market is named in their honor.

Dale always believed that raising quality turkeys was the best contribution he could make to the world, and his formula for success was simple: he worked hard, treated customers as family, and cared deeply for both the land and his turkeys.

This tradition has continued for three generations. Today John and Erica work side-by-side with Dick and Jane to raise our turkeys. Although our days of literally sharing a home with turkeys are in the past, we are still committed to raising our birds naturally: free range during the warmer months and antibiotic-free all the time. All our turkeys are also processed naturally-without any additives-at a USDA facility.

Ferndale Market is our way of continuing Fern and Dale's legacy. Our heritage will be evident if you visit us in the summer, when you're likely to see our turkeys outside, happily spending time "on the range" in the rolling hills of the Little Cannon River Valley. Because we move our turkeys onto fresh pasture each week, they can oftentimes be seen in the grass right out in front of our store.

We are proud to see our turkey products on shelves of area natural food stores and on the menu of many area restaurants and kitchens. See our "Where to Buy" page for a full listing of where you can find our turkey, and for more information on wholesale purchasing.

We invite you to visit Ferndale Market. And don't forget to thank the turkeys on your way out!