The Petaluma Egg Farm Difference
Petaluma Egg Farm owners Steve and Judy Mahrt with their sons Jonathan, Justin, Jordan, Jeremy (left to right).
Steve Mahrt started Petaluma Egg Farm in 1983.
When you buy our eggs, you're getting the family farm difference. We are the last independent, family-farmed egg available in Northern California grocery stores. When we get out of bed in the morning, we're not putting on a suit and dress shoes to go into the office — we're putting on jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of boots to head out to check on the chickens. 365 days a year, before we do anything else, we're taking care of our chickens. Growing up, my dad always told us that the chickens come first, and if we take good care of our chickens, then they will take good care of us...and that's a daily mantra we still live by.
Because we aren't owned by a private equity group or have shareholders to please, we're free to do things the Petaluma Egg Farm way, even when it goes against conventional wisdom or the bottom line. Our family has been independently farming for more than 100 years, so you can be sure that we won't be changing any time soon. Over the last couple of years, we've been working hard behind the scenes to make some exciting changes to our farm and we can't wait to show everyone! Most farms wouldn't consider these kinds of changes because of cost, but it’s an investment we’re willing to make because we think it’s what’s best for the chickens. Keep an eye out for that news soon.
Jeremy Mahrt and his dog Ellie on their way to check out the chickens.
We’re not just one of many family farms contracted to a massive public company — we’re one family with one farm, selling our eggs only in Northern California.
For this reason, we like to call our eggs “single-sourced,” or if we were a fancy vineyard, we’d be “estate grown.” No matter which term you prefer, both mean that when you buy any of our brands, they only contain eggs raised by our family in Sonoma County. When you buy eggs from the “other guys,” it’s hard to know the origin of the eggs, but when you buy our eggs, you know exactly who and where they come from.
This is all a part of our ongoing sustainability journey. We only sell eggs in our own backyard because we don’t want to ship eggs 1,000s of miles. We use solar to power our egg processing plant, and we’re looking at ways to use chicken manure for both power and compost. Instead of lawn mowers, we often use sheep and cows to help keep down the grass on our farm. These are just a few of the many ways we try to minimize our carbon footprint here on the farm.
Sheep help minimize the farm’s carbon footprint by doing the work of many lawnmowers!
Open sided barns are not the norm in chicken farming, but we feel it is important for our chickens’ health
Our dedication to providing the highest-quality eggs is evident in every step of our process. Did you know that most chickens are raised in barns with little access to fresh air or natural light, relying mostly on forced ventilation and artificial light? In contrast, because we live in such an ideal climate for chickens, our barns are open-sided and naturally ventilated so when the weather is nice, even while inside the chicken house, our hens have access to fresh air and sunshine. We also give our hens more space and plenty of opportunity to roam, socialize, preen, perch, and dust bathe as compared to industry standards. We ensure that they receive a nutritious diet, free of antibiotics, hormones, and animal by-products, which promotes the production of healthy and delicious eggs.
This low power laser (like a laser pointer) helps scare away wild birds from the farm that might be carrying diseases.
Additionally, our farm follows strict biosecurity measures to prevent disease and maintain the health of our hens. We also undergo regular inspections by both governmental and independent agencies to ensure that we meet or exceed all industry standards.
Our family works hard every day to provide fresh, local eggs to those who care. If you already buy our eggs, thank you for supporting our family. If you haven’t yet tried them, please consider supporting your local farmers by giving our eggs a try.