I spent my afternoon today walking through a turkey processing plant and learning the backstory of a four-generation company. In many ways, they were a very technologically savvy company – their food safety practices included things I had never seen in a meat plant, and I’m looking forward to telling more of their story in the April issue of Independent Processor.
In other ways, this company was doing things with very traditional methods. That’s not a bad thing, either. By adhering to core beliefs and production practices, it has become known for its high-quality, artisan-type products. Its retail and foodservice customers are looking for quality they can’t find elsewhere, and they’re willing to pay a little more for that quality. They found the way to combine the efficiency that technology offers with old-school craftsmanship to get the best products.