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Foster Farms Will End Fresh Turkey Operations in Turlock, California

Jan. 30, 2025

The May 9 closing of a former Butterball facility will idle 519 employees and is in response to market conditions.

Foster Farms will close part of its only turkey processing plant, in Turlock, Calif., on May 9 and lay off 519 employees.

The closing will affect only the plant that handles fresh turkeys; the adjacent plant for cooked products will continue operating. The facility apparently was a former Butterball plant Foster acquired in 1998.

The laid-off workers may be offered jobs at other Foster locations nearby. The company has chicken plants in Livingston, Fresno and Porterville, Calif.

A company announcement cited by the Modesto Bee explained the move “in response to changes in market demand and is part of Foster Farms’ ongoing strategic plan.” The Livingston, Calif.-based business is the top seller of both chickens and turkeys in the West.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.