Maple Leaf Farms, Inc.

Maple Leaf Farms, Inc. operates at 9166 North 200 East in Milford, Kosciusko County, Indiana, under FSIS establishment number P300. The federal record lists poultry slaughter and poultry processing activities, poultry as the species slaughtered under inspection, a small size class, and a grant of inspection date on file of October 13, 2021. The FSIS slaughter volume category on file is 4.0. No custom-exempt activity is reported to FSIS.

The company website describes a fully integrated duck operation covering hatchery, family grow-out farms, a feed mill, and processing at USDA-inspected plants. According to the site, eggs are incubated and hatch within 28 days before ducklings are moved to family farms, where birds are visited by field technicians and audited through the company Trident Stewardship Program. Feed is described as a grain-based diet formulated by a company nutritionist, made with corn from local farmers and containing no antibiotics or growth hormones. Site language for the brand includes free to roam, humanely raised, antibiotic free, and hormone free.

The website says Maple Leaf Farms was founded by Donald Wentzel in 1958 after he bought an existing poultry plant, and that 280,000 ducks were raised at the Milford location in the first year. Annual duck production is described today as more than 9 to 12 million. Wentzel died in 1968, and the site credits growth and vertical integration to his son-in-law Terry Tucker, with the company since 1963. Products are sold through an online store, through retail and foodservice channels, and through a store locator page.

The website sells duck products directly through an online store, with items such as all natural ground duck, rendered duck fat in a 3.5 pound tub, roast half duck, and boneless duck breast, some listed at foodservice case sizes and several shown as sold out. A store locator page and a where to buy section list national grocery stores, club stores, regional grocery stores, local butcher shops, local restaurants, hotels and lodging, catering operations, and foodservice distribution as channels. Shipping terms, delivery areas, and any on-site retail counter are not stated in the sources on file.

If you are buying a half or quarter animal, the plant is where the animal is processed; the farm sells you the animal. Read how to buy a half cow for the sequence and the math.