Defined by Vision, Perseverance and Personality …

For more than half a century we have been defined by peo-ple like Wayne Carlson and

his family.

Eight acres in Crows Landing, Cal-ifornia, once accustomed to weeds that would brush finger tips and piles of discarded lumber from nearby construction sites, was where Carlson family farming began, utilizing this same scrap lumber for the construction of chicken barn number one and pro-ducing 200 chickens at a time.

Wayne’s parents, step-father Cecil and mother Ruth Daggs, were either crazy or strategic with their vision of building a life around poultry in California’s rural Central Valley, 1951. Wayne was involved in the majority of the construction on the ranch, helping his father build additional poultry houses and making improvements to house one while learning the business and lifestyle of a chicken man.

Orville, Ruth and Wayne Carlson 1948

Wayne returned to the Crows Landing chicken farm from Ger-many, off a two year military com-mitment, and was soon married to Jill. The marriage brought a new generation to the farm, a genera-tion that was born from Cecil’s vision and Wayne’s perseverance.

The story repeats and characteris-tics are passed down to today’s fourth generation. The farm still operates the way it did in 1951 with a personality that defines it as true California family farming.

Cecil and Ruth Carlson Daggs, 1951

Where Food Meets Family …

Fulton Valley Farms, part-nered with Central Coast Farms, is where food meets

family, where quality is challenged by internal progression and where expectations are always a step ahead of industry standards. Our distinction, aside from a flavorful product and happy chickens, is a core group of employees striving for a goal of continuously improv-ing our original foundation. While one might often compare selec-tions in the meat department at their local grocery store, we hope to help with that decision through our story. We guarantee that every Fulton Valley Farms and Central Coast Farms product has valuable ingredients in it including family, personality and extra effort, three elements that land us above the typical chicken outfit. Bauer Family—Bauer Family Farms

A Little About Us …

Fulton Valley Farms was established in 1925 as the main processor for Central

Coast Farms. Fulton Valley Farms processes their product in the heart of California near the farms where the chickens are raised.

Our objective is met every time a customer’s needs are satisfied with our unique product. We are proud to say that all our lines, organic, range, and traditional are all raised without the use of antibiotics, ani-mal by-products and hormones. Another trait that sets us apart from our competition is the fresh-ness of our product. Product will leave our docks within 48 hours of the process date. This characteris-tic is noticed in the taste and tex-ture which are both greatly pro-moted by the freshness.

Our Grains …

Traceability through our mill would not be com-plete without the ability to trace the grains which arrive for processing.

The diet of our chickens is mainly dependent on corn. Promising traceability of our product to our custom-ers was questioned by us a few years ago as we did not have complete knowledge of what our chickens’ diets were. The only way to feel right about our promise was to have traceability over, not just the chicken, but the feed as well and the way the grains are managed. Acreage in western Nebraska was purchased in 2006 and the first harvest was cut and shipped out west in 2007. Central Coast Farms has extended its reach across half the United States and back to settle an internal squabble about the term traceability. The ability to monitor the planting, growing and harvest of our grains allows us to feel right about our prom-ise and offers a traceability that cannot be claimed by our competition.

HEARTLAND GRAINS AND MILLING

Ceres, California is home to our mill, Heartland Grains and Milling. Heartland is the main provider of our feed and is responsible for ensuring our flocks receive a healthy, tasty, vegetarian diet consisting mainly of corn and soy.

All the yellow corn results in a yellow skinned finished poultry product. The difference, other than the sun bleached yellow color, is a tender, flavorful product which is very distinct when compared to the whiter, more common poultry products. Yellow chicken is not widely available on the West Coast but thanks to Cen-tral Coast Farms, you can say hello to yellow.

Defined by Sustainability …

Sustainability is an ecological, social, and economic concept. It is intended to be a means of

configuring civilization and human activity so that society and its members are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while pre-serving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and act-ing for the ability to maintain these ideals indefinitely. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighborhood to the entire globe.

“Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Bruntland Report, 1987. World Commission on Environment and Development.

Fulton Valley Farms, along with Central Coast Farms will ensure and protect sustainability through ongoing traceability and responsibility through, and not limited to: hatch date to market age, planted corn to feed con-version, water availability to consumption, and energy

resources to industry standards. We plan to continu-ously pave a path for future generations and fulfill our goal of keeping this promise.

He acquired a processing plant to sell more cHickens.

He bougHt some land and built cHicken barns to grow cHickens to process at His plant and tHen sell to His customers.

He bougHt some grain to feed tHe cHickens tHat grew in tHe barns to be processed at His plant to sell to His customers.

He bougHt some land to grow tHe grain to feed tHe cHickens tHat grew in tHe barns to be processed at His plant to sell to His customers.

He bougHt some trucks to deliver tHe grain He grew on His land to be fed to tHe cHickens tHat grew in tHe barns to be processed at His plant to be sold to His customers

He acquired a mill to process tHe grains to be delivered in tHe trucks to feed tHe cHickens tHat grew in tHe barns to be processed at His plant to sell to His customers.

He tHen Had a staff for all tHis, a staff tHat managed His cHickens, mill, plant and trucks tHat delivered tHe grain

He grew on His land to be fed to tHe cHickens tHat grew in His barns to be processed at His plant to be sold to His customers.

Defined by Traceability …

This is traceability. This is what we do every day. Whether traceability is in reference to hatch date, packaging material or the equipment we

have on our ranches, we have done enough research and hand shaking to know what has gone into our product, making it truly traceable.

We guarantee through management commitment that we will, for indefinite time, continue to broaden our ownership and control of aspects related to our operations to ensure traceable methods are applied to every corner of our business.

Fulton Valley Farms 1955

A Message From Our CEO …

We are in a time right now where people want to know about their food and I am happy to be a part of that time. Running a company I grew

up with gives me an advantage in providing you just that. We are in a time where diet and healthy eating are very important to us and to our families. I feel our prod-uct is a very safe bet for health and has a taste I would put up against any other chicken in the nation.

Our country is also watching as our agriculture is out-sourced to other nations. This outsourcing may be fine with some, but I believe there is a great customer base that is looking for California grown, high quality prod-ucts. This is the market I will strive to serve.

Apart from an excellent flavor and strict growing pro-cedures that promote our beliefs, there is one ingredi-ent in our product that sets us apart from the rest, our employees. Their diverse personalities, ambitions, senses of humor and families are what really make us. If you enjoy our product flavor I think by knowing a little about us through this book, it might allow you to enjoy it even more. Thank you for your support of our company and the California Farmer.

Andrew Carlson, CEO

Andrew Carlson 1982