Ferndale Market in Minnesota: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, is a family turkey farm founded in 1939 that markets about 150,000 free-range turkeys a year under its own label. Agweek and the Star Tribune describe an operation that sells to about 75 stores plus restaurants and institutions, and the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association features the Peterson family on its list of turkey farmers.
| Location | Cannon Falls, Goodhue County, Minnesota, along the Little Cannon River |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939, by Dale and Fern Peterson on 120 acres |
| Sectors | Free-range turkey; on-farm store also carries beef, chicken, dairy and seasonal local produce |
| Scale | About 150,000 turkeys marketed a year, with about a dozen partner farms (Agweek) |
| Why it is notable | Among a handful of free-range turkey farms nationally at similar volume; featured by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association |
| Ownership | Family-owned; third generation led by John Peterson, with his sister Katie Peterson in marketing |
| Official website | Ferndale Market official site (listed by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association) |
History of Ferndale Market
Dale and Fern Peterson started the farm in 1939 on 120 acres along the Little Cannon River, naming it Ferndale after themselves. In its early decades the farm bred and hatched turkeys and sold many of the poults to other growers. Their son Dick Peterson became more involved in the mid-1970s and expanded the turkey growing.
In 2007 the farm stopped breeding and hatching to concentrate on growing. John Peterson and his wife Erica moved to the farm in 2008 to build a direct-marketing business, and an on-site retail store opened that year in a former hatchery building. John is now owner and general manager, and his sister Katie leads marketing and communications.
What Ferndale Market Grows and Raises
Ferndale raises Nicholas broad-breasted white turkeys on a free-range system without cages or antibiotics, according to the Star Tribune. Birds are outdoors from about April until the pre-Thanksgiving processing rush, hens mature in four to five months and toms need another month or two. Agweek reports that about a dozen partner farms help supply the volume.
Processing is done by partners. Whole turkeys are processed at Turkey Valley Farms in Marshall, and three secondary processors, Lawrence Meats in Cannon Falls, Steve's Meats in Ellendale and Big Steer Meats in St. Paul, make retail products. For context, Minnesota raises roughly 45 to 46 million turkeys a year in those reports, so Ferndale's flock is a small share of the state total but a large one among free-range producers.
How Ferndale Market Makes Money
Retail and food service sales
Ferndale sells under its own label, and Agweek reports that it self-distributes to about 75 stores and reaches as far as Fargo, Sioux Falls, Des Moines and Chicago. The Star Tribune adds Twin Cities restaurants, natural foods co-ops and supermarkets, and Agweek notes colleges and other institutions.
On-farm store
The retail store opened in 2008 and carries turkey plus beef, chicken, dairy and seasonal local produce, selling directly to customers at the farm.
Value-added and partner supply
Secondary processors turn turkey into retail products, and partner farms help supply volume. The farm's own coverage does not publish revenue or margins, so none are stated here.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Ferndale Market
First, own the brand. Ferndale gave up breeding and hatching in 2007 and put its effort into a branded, free-range product and its own distribution, which let it capture more of the value between farm and grocery case.
Second, use partners for capacity. Contract processors and partner farms let a family farm reach 150,000 birds without building every piece of the chain itself. Direct relationships with stores, co-ops and restaurants then hold that volume steady.
Raising 150,000 turkeys that spend spring and summer outdoors, then delivering them to freezer cases across the Upper Midwest, turns the Peterson family into a seasonal logistics company with feathers. After Thanksgiving, visit farm.FM for farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, including affectionate teasing about turkeys that look at the oak trees like they pay rent.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
How to Contact Ferndale Market
Website: https://ferndalemarket.com/
The official site was identified through the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association farmer listing, November 2026. Address, phone and email were not confirmed from the site itself, so check it for visiting hours and store details before traveling.
Ferndale Market Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Ferndale Market official site - Farm store, turkey products and ordering
- Star Tribune: one of Minnesota's top turkey producers - Profile of the farm, its birds and its customers
- Agweek: free-range and fiercely local - History, scale, distribution and processing
- Minnesota Turkey Growers Association: our farmers - State producer association farmer profiles
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture profile - State agriculture facts and figures
Ferndale Market FAQ
Where is Ferndale Market?
It is in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, along the Little Cannon River.
When was it founded?
Dale and Fern Peterson started the farm in 1939.
How many turkeys does it market?
Agweek reports about 150,000 turkeys a year, with help from partner farms.
How do I contact the farm?
Use the official site linked above for store hours and ordering. Confirm details there before visiting.
Ferndale Market shows how a family turkey farm built a branded free-range business in Goodhue County. To compare it with other leading operations, read the Minnesota farms guide.