Petaluma Farms

PEOPLE: The Mahrt Family along with around 70 employees; Stan and Janis Keena manage sales at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

ABOUT: The Mahrts have been producing eggs in Petaluma for three generations. The second (father Boyd) and third (son Steve) generations currently operate the farm. Steve's wife, Judy (of Judy's Family Farm Eggs), also comes from a chicken-raising family.

THE EGGS: Petaluma Farms produces several different types of eggs from more than 70,000 chickens. Eggs labeled "free-range" are raised in large hen houses without cages and are allowed access to the outdoors. Pullet eggs are from young hens raised and kept in cages that have solid bottoms and are tall enough to allow the birds to stand up straight. All hens are fed a mix of grains grown in California and milled at a facility that the Mahrt family has partial ownership of. None of the chickens are fed animal byproducts of any sort. Organic eggs are from chickens that are cage-free, fed certified organic feed, and do not receive antibiotics.