Report: Cargill to Sell Virginia Turkey Operations to Pitman Family Farms
According to one local news outlet, Cargill is selling its turkey operations in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley region to Pitman Family Farms out of Hanford, Calif. The news report noted that the sale would include the feed mill, hatchery, breeder farm assets, and a distribution center, as well as a turkey processing plant in Dayton, Va.
Pitman raises turkeys in Utah and is a third-generation family-owned company. Details on the transaction were scarce, but the news outlet’s sources said an agreement is in place, even though neither company has announced anything.
The sale of the Shenandoah Valley turkey operations would be another hit to Cargill’s turkey business within the past 12 months. Last January, Cargill announced the closure of its Springdale, Ark., turkey plant, impacting some 1,100 workers. That plant officially shut down in August of 2025, and was acquired by Tyson Foods (which is headquartered in Springdale) in December after a month or two of working with officials to facilitate the transaction.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.