Choosing Sustainable Meat Options: Straight From the Duck Farm
Sustainability is here to stay. And for some of us, it has been at the heart of our business from the start.
Maple Leaf Farms’ founder Donald Wentzel spent part of his career selling feed to duck producers on Long Island prior to starting Maple Leaf Farms in the 1950s. He was convinced it made more sense to raise the birds in the Midwest, where feed grains are abundant and easier to source. Not only would this help keep down the cost of the feed, and subsequently the product, but it would be much more efficient to market the products from a more central region of the country.
Fast forward 60+ years and time has proven Wentzel’s idea had a lot of merit. Although he didn’t call it sustainability then, he pursued efficiency and conservation much like we focus on today through our Corporate Sustainability Program.
So, who should professional chefs and home cooks, as well as the retailers and food distributors who serve them, turn to for sustainable duck meat they can feel confident in? Maple Leaf Farms.
As a vertically integrated poultry company, Maple Leaf Farms controls each step of production from breeding and hatching our birds to feeding and farming them. This means we can carefully monitor the practices and inputs used at critical points of production. The result is an array of high quality duck products you can be confident in serving your family.
For a transparent look at our production practices, check out our farm to fork overview, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the care and attention to detail our team pours into caring for our ducks and making safe, wholesome duck products. A few of the topics you can learn more about include:
- Trident Stewardship Program - An internal guideline, training, certification and audit program that addresses animal care and handling, biosecurity and environmental management
- Biosecurity - Steps our team takes to prevent disease and protect the health of our flocks
- Feed Production- How we utilize corn from local farmers and other important ingredients to make feed for our ducks
By working with local farm families to grow and feed our ducks, our fourth-generation family business can be your direct source for sustainable duck.
Maple Leaf Farms’ vertically integrated structure allows us to focus on sustainability at each level of production. As a result, we have been able to coordinate our conservation and recycling efforts to achieve the following milestones:
- Divert more than 1,000 tons of waste from the landfill to recycling programs
- Save 2,500+ trees by recycling and reusing pallets
- Upgrade our fleet to reduce fuel needs by 50%
Our corporate sustainability team works to expand our sustainability metrics and address a few impactful projects each year to reduce our environmental impact and improve our resource management to benefit the communities where our team members live, work and raise their families.
To discover where to purchase Maple Leaf Farms products locally, consumers should check out our store finder. Or, you can have the products shipped directly to your home by purchasing them from our online store. Professional chefs and retailers who would like to carry Maple Leaf Farms duck can work with our sales team to determine the best avenue for your operation
Duck isn’t just for high-end restaurants and the best at-home chefs. It’s a great option for cooks of all skill levels as well as the perfect addition to retailers who are bored with having the same old items filling their shelves.
Duck is delicious, unique, and a healthy alternative to other proteins, but for some reason, it’s not on many menus across the country. You can change that. Whether you manage a scratch kitchen or one with plates quickly moving out the door, duck meat is a meal option you must try.
Learn How Culinary Professionals Are Using Duck on Their Menus
As a retailer, you already face enough obstacles. Instead of more unknowns, you need a reliable partner. Along with short lead times and direct shipping options, Maple Leaf Farms offers data-driven solutions. We can help determine which products are right for you by analyzing local store market data and Nielson data.
You don’t need to feel alone. We are here to help you both online and in person. Our sales team can help with product presentations, demos, training, and so much more. After creating your account, you’ll also get access to training and sales materials. Let us equip you to succeed.
You, yes you, can cook duck. In addition to offering a full line of duck meat products, we give you access to all the resources you need. Recipes. How-videos. Expert tips. You’ll cook with confidence in no time. Duck meat also helps you break out of the rut of normal proteins you serve your family over and over again. So try something new. Your taste buds will thank you.
At Maple Leaf Farms we are passionate about producing safe, nutritious duck in a socially responsible manner. Not only do we need to focus on taking good care of our animals and the environment, but we also strive to care for our people and our communities. Maple Leaf Farms works to provide a transparent view of our farm to fork process and the explanations below:
Free Range
Many poultry products labeled free range must only have access to the outdoors for part of the day, and the birds may not actually go outside. Either way these birds can more easily be exposed to wild birds and rodents that carry disease or predators. This can pose food safety and animal welfare issues that consumers may not consider.
Organic
Although meat products labeled as organic may not be produced with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, consumers should not assume these products solve all the environmental and food safety issues associated with food production. Organic production takes much more land to produce the same amount of food. Furthermore, organic production can utilize strong natural inputs that are also toxic for humans.
Antibiotic-Free
Poultry that have never been given antibiotics may be labeled with “No Antibiotics Ever” or “Raised Without Antibiotics.” Technically all poultry is “antibiotic-free” because even if a bird is given antibiotics to treat illness, the farmer must follow a withdrawal period, so the medicine clears the birds’ systems before they are processed.
Hormone-Free
No artificial or added hormones are used in the production of poultry in the United States. In fact, the FDA has prohibited use of steroid growth promotants since the 1950s.
Through the Maple Leaf Farms Trident Stewardship and sustainability programs, our company lays the framework for how we responsibly produce our duck products. And with our farm to fork overview, we work to educate our customers on these programs by providing a transparent view of our everyday activities.
Although whole ducks remain the most readily available product in U.S. markets, you can find several convenient, value-added duck meat products throughout the nation.
Retailers
Like other poultry, duck meat products are sold by a robust network of supermarket chains, local grocery stores, club stores and specialty food markets across the country. Our product locator can help you find nearby stores that carry duck meat products.
Online
Shop the Maple Leaf Farms online store and have products shipped directly to your door.
Distributors & Wholesalers
If you are a professional chef, caterer, or foodservice operator who is interested in adding duck meat to your menu, you can purchase Maple Leaf Farms duck through a variety of avenues. Maple Leaf Farms will also ship directly to customer warehouses for orders of 300 or more cases or work with foodservice professionals to order online while working to establish other channels that offer more consistent pricing and shipping rates.
Today's variety of duck meat products and ease of availability, make duck a healthy go-to protein. To learn more about where to find farm-raised duck meat, contact Maple Leaf Farms.
Find A Store
Does your local grocery store carry Maple Leaf Farms duck products? There’s an easy way to find out. Choose the product or products and then enter your location.
Shop Online
If you’d rather have your next meal shipped directly to you, browse our online store. You’ll find a variety of products that will quickly become favorites in your house.
