Not Just a Dream

Sixteen years after making their first foray into specialty turkey production, Jack and Debbie Froese of Aldergrove, B.C., have realized a dream. In mid-September, they held the grand opening of the new JD Farms Turkey Deli & Bistro in Aldergrove.

Jack and Debbie Froese make ‘gate to plate’ a reality

Sixteen years after making their first foray into specialty turkey production, Jack and Debbie Froese of Aldergrove, B.C., have realized a dream. In mid-September, they held the grand opening of the new JD Farms Turkey Deli & Bistro in Aldergrove.

Jack and Debbie Froese wield some giant scissors as they cut the ribbon on their new Turkey Deli & Bistro at JD Farms. Also in the picture were Langley mayor Kurt Alberts, Aldergrove-Langley MLA Rich Coleman and Langley MP Mark Warawa.

When the Froeses bought the farm in 1979, it was an egg production unit but Jack, who was raised on a poultry farm, was more interested in meat than eggs so they soon switched from producing eggs to growing turkeys.

Despite the switch, Froese noted “we weren’t making enough money so we wanted to differentiate our turkeys from the rest of the market.”

To do that, they decided to produce “specialty” turkeys, defining specialty as turkeys receiving no animal byproducts and no antibiotics. They created their own labels and did their own marketing, sending most to stores in Vancouver and the  Fraser Valley. They also converted their garage into a small plant to produce handmade turkey sausages fronted by a small shop where they sold the sausage as well as whole and cut-up turkeys and turkey parts.

PERSERVERANCE PAYS OFF
In their first year, the Froeses sold only 900 specialty turkeys. But they persevered and sales increased steadily. This year they expect to sell 26,000 turkeys in stores all over the province, including their own which “just got too small.”

That prompted the Froeses to build a large new plant and store at the corner of their property. While brand new, it has the look and feel of an old country market.
“We’ve taken another step into agri-tourism,” Froese said. “We provide good quality food and invite people to get it at the farm. People want to buy food locally and that’s really helping us.”

He says people are not only more interested in food, they are also asking more questions about how and where it’s produced and processed, especially in light of recent food recalls. “Customers are not only asking us more questions, there’s a shift in what they’re asking.”

JD Farms is part of the Circle Farm Tour,  “another way to connect” with the public. “More and more people are making a day of it. They’re coming out and touring all the farms.”

Started in small-town Agassiz just five years ago, the Circle Farm Tour is now a major initiative involving six Fraser Valley communities, including Aldergrove-Langley. Slick brochures with self-guiding tour maps lead urbanites to eight to 12 direct marketers and other agri-tourism destinations in each of the participating communities.

Langley district mayor Kurt Alberts complimented the Froeses’ efforts, calling their new deli “one example of the growth in value-added agriculture.”

While most everyone celebrated during the grand opening, there was a clear reminder the property is still a farm. Jack and Debbie were surrounded by their three children but missing their son-in-law, who was in the barn fixing a feeder that had broken down that morning, a situation all too familiar to farmers everywhere.

This vintage car added decor to the grand opening of the new Turkey Deli & Bistro at JD Farms in Aldergrove, B.C.

GROWER SUPPORT
Rather than expand their own production to meet the growing demand the Froeses now depend on two other growers to supply most of their turkeys. In fact, 75 per cent of their turkeys are now grown by Patrick Huestis (president of the BC Turkey Association) and Dan Kampen (president of the Fraser Valley Egg Producers Association).

“We’re licensed as a broker by the BC Turkey Marketing Board, which allows us to buy live turkeys from growers,” Froese explains, adding JD Farms is currently the only operation with such a licence.

Huestis, Kampen and Froese’s own production unit are all subject to independent audits to ensure “we meet our own standards.”

Debbie and Jack Froese speak to dignitaries in front of a large crowd assembled for the grand opening of their new Turkey Deli & Bistro at JD Farms in Aldergrove, Sept. 13. On hand for the opening were (l-r) Langley mayor Kurt Alberts, MLA Rich Coleman and MP Mark Warawa.

VARIETY OF PRODUCTS
The turkeys are custom-killed  at a nearby processor and trucked back to JD Farms for packaging as whole birds (“we expect to sell about 2,000 through our store at Thanksgiving”) or further processing. JD Farms now produces 10 varieties of turkey sausage, a range of cut-up turkey parts and such deli fare as lasagna and other pastas, soups, roasts and even hams, all made with turkey.

“Our product is very lean, we use no fillers in our sausage,” Froese says.

Only open since July, the new store has been an instant success. “Our on-farm sales doubled when we opened the new store,” Froese notes.

While he would like to double total sales to more than 50,000 turkeys/year in the next five years, turkey is a supply-managed commodity and the BC Turkey Marketing Board’s “assurance of supply” provisions could limit how much turkey JD can obtain. “We will do what we can within the rules,” Froese states.