SALEM, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pete & Gerry’s Organics, LLC, a pioneer in humane egg farming, today announced it has purchased Farmers Hen House, a privately-held Kalona, Iowa-based company providing Certified Humane® eggs. Farmers Hen House joins the Pete & Gerry’s family of brands, including Pete & Gerry's Organic®, Pete & Gerry’s Pasture-Raised™ and Nellie's Free Range® eggs.
This deal joins together two leading premium egg companies, combining complementary offerings across the Free-Range, Pasture-Raised, and Organic segments. Both companies have grown by nearly 50% since 2021 amidst the rising popularity of premium eggs; the combined resources and infrastructure will help in continuing to meet growing demand from customers and consumers. With the addition of over 90 family farms and a modern processing facility in Iowa, this combination will support Pete & Gerry’s growth, especially across the Midwest and West. Pete & Gerry’s now operates four packing facilities, significantly increasing its overall processing capacity and providing greater flexibility and efficiency in its manufacturing system.
“Humanely sourced eggs, like our Pasture-Raised, Free-Range, and Organic products, are rapidly gaining popularity due to their quality, consistency, and ethical appeal. As the effects of Avian Influenza continue, this trend is expected to drive a larger share of the egg market toward premium options due to enhanced biosecurity afforded by more distributed farm networks,” said Tom Flocco, CEO of Pete & Gerry’s. “Joining together with another purpose-driven company like Farmers Hen House, which shares in our mission to protect hen welfare and the American family farm, felt like a natural fit. We’re stronger together to advance our mission toward healthy hens, healthy eggs, and a healthy planet.”
By integrating Farmers Hen House’s network of over 90 partner family farms, Pete & Gerry’s now works with a total of nearly 300 family farms, ensuring a reliable supply of ethically sourced eggs for consumers and retail partners.
“Farmers Hen House was created nearly three decades ago with a mission to produce premium eggs as a way to keep local family farms competitive in a modern economy,” said Ryan Miller, President and Co-Owner of Farmers Hen House. “We’ve grown and scaled the company while keeping with tradition, and we’re proud today to embrace a new era with Pete & Gerry’s to grow the reach of our collective Certified Humane® eggs.”
Terms of the transaction will not be disclosed. Farmers Hen House was advised by Brown Gibbons Lang & Company. Giannuzzi Lewendon and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisors to Pete & Gerry’s.
For more information about where to find Pete & Gerry’s products across the country or to learn more about Pete & Gerry’s, please visit peteandgerrys.com or the brand's Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook pages.
About Pete & Gerry's Organics, LLC
The Pete & Gerry's family has been raising hens for generations and is committed to bringing consumers the highest-quality organic, free-range and pasture-raised eggs possible via its quality brands and products, including Pete & Gerry's Organic®, Pete & Gerry's Pasture-Raised™, and Nellie's Free Range®. Pete & Gerry's is a values-led company dedicated to the humane treatment of animals and to supporting the livelihoods of family farmers, each of whom follow the strictest standards of humane animal treatment, safety, and environmental sustainability. In 2003, the company became the first Certified Humane egg producer in the US, and in 2013 it became the first egg producer in the world to achieve Certified B Corporation status. Pete & Gerry's believes hens deserve a safe, comfortable place to live a happy, healthy, natural lifestyle – and that family farmers deserve the right to keep their land and income without having to resort to the unhealthy and inhumane factory-farm practices plaguing this country. To learn more, visit www.peteandgerrys.com and www.nelliesfreerange.com.
About Farmers Hen House
Farmers Hen House provides organic, free-range, and pasture-raised shell eggs, responsibly sourced from local family farms and sold through retail customers who share the Company’s values of humane treatment of animals, sustainability, and commitment to family farming.
The Company was founded in 1997, with the mission to provide local Amish and Mennonite farmers with a sustainable means to competitively produce and market specialty eggs in the modern retail economy. Today, Farmers Hen House has grown to be one of the largest independent processors and marketers of premium shell eggs sold through the natural, conventional, mass and club retail channels. For more information, please visit farmershenhouse.com.