Demand for clean, wholesome animal feed is on the rise as more consumers seek organic food for their chickens, ducks, and livestock. To meet the demand, Scratch and Peck Feeds is expanding its operations and relocating to Burlington in early 2017.
The new facility in Skagit County is more than double the square footage of the current mill and production work area. The space includes the addition of indoor and outdoor silos for grain and ingredient storage. This new location and facility accommodates the steady growth the company has been experiencing.
“We are grateful to have found the right place after a long process of searching for a larger facility that allows us to continue growing as a business,” said Diana Ambauen-Meade, owner and founder of Scratch and Peck Feeds. “Ensuring that we have a safe and functional work environment is a top priority. The size of this new facility gives us room to increase our efficiency and productivity to meet increased sales, while also better serving our employees and customers.”
A family-owned company founded in 2010, Scratch and Peck Feeds was the first feed mill in North America to become both Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. This year it also gained Animal Welfare Approved status on its feeds, supplements, and treats.
“We have been honored by our customer loyalty all these years,” Ambauen-Meade said. “Our customers have been instrumental in helping us change the way food is made – they are truly dedicated to organic agriculture and more transparency throughout our food systems.
“With growth comes new challenges, and we are looking forward to addressing those in the new space by offering a shorter production window for our wholesale and online orders, increasing automation in our production system, and adding more warehouse space. Not to mention, being in Skagit County locates us closer to many of our organic grain producers and farmers,” she added. “We achieved our goal of finding all these components in one space, making this an exciting and much anticipated time for our company.”
The search for the new space, located in Burlington off Interstate 5, took several years. The facility is 40,000 square feet compared to the current mill and production space at 3883 Hammer Drive in Bellingham, which is 15,000 square feet. The new space will bring increased automation for milling feed and bagging all products. There are seven grain silos in total, loading docks for loading and unloading trucks, larger office space, more electrical capacity, and yard space for truck maneuvering.
Scratch and Peck Feeds specializes in producing high quality soy free and whole grain feeds that are Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Animal Welfare Approved. Feeds for chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and goats are available, as well as supplements and treats for chickens and ducks. By buying grains directly from regional farms, Scratch and Peck’s sustainable business practices support local agriculture, the community, and the planet. Happy planet. Happy Farmers. Happy animals. Because … You are what your animals eat!
Learn more about Scratch and Peck Feeds at www.scratchandpeck.com
