What Our Farmers Say

We believe that great tasting duck starts way before it reaches the kitchen. That is why we have implemented programs and initiatives like our Trident Stewardship Program to ensure confidence in our Farm-to-Fork process.

Trident Stewardship Program

There are three main focus areas that make up this program- animal care and handling, biosecurity and environmental management. And while they are all important, we want to highlight our Humane Animal Care and Well-Being Practices and share what our farmers have to say about raising ducks with Maple Leaf Farms.

Nearly 150 local farm families care for our ducks according to the standards outlined in our Duck Well Being Guidelines. Some highlights of our program include:

• Birds are free to roam in barns that protect them from predators, disease and extreme weather.
• No antibiotics or hormones are used for growth promotion. In fact, the use of hormones in poultry production in the United States has been outlawed for more than 60 years. And, our company only uses antibiotics when prescribed by a licensed veterinarian to treat sick birds. In such cases, our company strictly adheres to pre-processing withdrawal times to ensure there is no residue in meat products.
• Farmers must keep thorough records and practice good biosecurity, which includes using boot and hand sanitizing stations, implementing pest management programs and limiting traffic through their farms.

To ensure the farmers understand and comply with the guidelines, they must complete an annual certification and undergo internal and third-party audits.

It Starts at the Farm

So what do our farmers feel about the important role they play in our Farm to Fork story? Meet Aaron. His family has been raising ducks for Maple Leaf Farms for nearly 7 years, and they take great pride in the work and attention to detail they put into raising ducks in a healthy and safe environment.

“Me and my brother Josh are in partnership here with the barns. We have five duck farms for Maple Leaf... I have a boy that’s five. He loves to come help with the ducks!”

When asked to explain why they enjoy raising ducks, he said, “The family feel of the farm is really great.”

He continued, “Probably the favorite part about raising ducks is the challenge of getting a good bird at the finish. So it starts from cleaning the barn well, and then through getting them through each day they’re here in our barns to maintain the best suitable environment for ducks to grow, be happy and so tweaking the ventilation, keeping the waterline clean, and producing a nice duck that we can load on the truck and be proud of is probably the most enjoyable challenge that we do as growers for Maple Leaf.”

“It is an art. It takes effort and so we do that and hope that at the end of the day our consumers are satisfied and happy with the effort that we put in to raise a good duck.”

As leaders in duck farming, Maple Leaf Farms wants to ensure that consumers also understand the care and work that goes into raising the ducks and the importance of farmers in the Farm-to-Fork process. As Aaron said, raising ducks is an art, and our farmers are always working to help perfect it.