Pitman Farms

Since I first tasted Mary’s chicken, I haven’t bought anything else. It tastes like chicken I ate as a pre-​K kid in the ’50’s.
All you ever have to do is go to a store which doesn’t sell Mary’s, such as a regular supermarket, and just look at the difference. Mary’s does not have globs of yellow fat as do others. Mary’s is smaller, meaning no artificial fattening or adding salty water to bloat the chicken.
I can see why it’s more expensive. Just contrast the pictures from regular chicken concentration camps, aka farms, to Mary’s.
If you care about your body and care about animals, you might consider switching to known humane operations. Mary’s is one of them.

Mary’s chicken, a product of Pitman Farms, has been a staple of my diet for over 25 years and I know they put out a high quality product. It tastes great and they employ humane husbandry practices — so I am happy on both counts. Recently, my local Whole Foods stopped carrying a product of Mary’s chicken that I buy regularly and they said it was because Mary’s stopped putting out bone-​in chicken thighs in the 3 pack. I sent Mary’s an email and Mary HERSELF wrote back to me and told me they still produced the product, but Whole Foods decided not to carry it. I had 3 or 4 people from Mary’s write to me to help me find the product elsewhere and in the end Mary’s called the head of the meat program at Whole Foods for the Southern Pacific Region and my local Whole Foods will start carrying that product again next week. I just received an email from the head of the meat program. What amazing service — I am floored! Most company’s never respond and if they do it is typically, «thanks for your comment, we will pass it along.» This company actually SOLVED my problem! I am sooo impressed by Mary’s responsiveness. They have solidified my loyalty and I will tell my friends and networks about their great customer service too! The amazing, caring service that Mary’s showed me is so rare these days, and it is a testament to who they are as a company. Thank you Pitman Farms!

Pitman Farms treats their employees very poorly. If only the employees were treated as fairly as the poultry, then it might be worth buying from them.

Along with many others, I have been quite confused by the different kinds of chicken Mary’s produces. The guys at the meat counter at Whole Foods have been clueless, and I find the website misleading and confusing re: GMO’s. Today I finally called the company and spoke with Ramon and then Ben Pittman (one of owners), both of whom were very helpful. I thought others might benefit from the following information; there are four levels of chicken sold:
1. (least healthy) Free-​range: birds are fed corn and soy that is likely GMO-​contaminated, have about 2′ bird movement area after old enough to be released from cages. All the chicken is air-​chilled.
2. Non-​GMO fed: Same as above but fed non-​GMO corn. The only difference on the label is a non-​gmo label. More specifically, corn with a max. of 1.5% GMO’s.
3. Organic: same as above but fed organic feed. (The allowable % of GMO’s in organics is 5, and will likely increase as GMO’s continue to contaminate the fields).
4. Pasture-​raised, same as «CA Bronze»: Chickens are «chicken-​tractored» in mobile coops out in fields. Organic field supplemented by organic (so GMO-​free) feed.
Ben says he will be redesigning this info on the site based on my input. I hope so, and I hope you found this of use.

Mary’s chicken is really as good as it gets! Not only delicious, but humanely raised, which is important to us animal-​loving non-​vegetarians with childhood farm connections. I had actually been buying it at whole foods, and a few local farmer’s markets rotisseries before I knew what it was, and was super-​happy to learn the great family farm story behind this awesome product. And a lot of their products are quite affordable — at $ 10 for an awesome rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods, they are barely more expensive than your standard grocery store roasted chicken, but a lot more succulent — really, incomparable in terms of taste. I can’t wait to try their turkeys and ducks, although I am a bit challenged as a gourmet meat cook;)

I have always heard about Mary’s chicken how great they are. It is moist, tender, tasty and cage free. I no longer can stand the odor of chicken, but with Mary’s chicken, I don’t have to worry because there is no odor. I am always sharing my experience with people. Thank you to the Pitmans family for their generosity to the San Fernando Rescue Mission recently. Monica M.

I discovered Mary’s chicken at Whole Foods in Fresno (and met Mary too!). Wow this is really the best stuff ever! I mean unbelievably good! I used to buy Harvestland, which is also good, but Mary’s is so much more tasty!

You have to get the Mary’s free-​range chickens when you find it at any market even though a place like Whole Foods Market Franklin, Mollie Stone’s on California and Real Food on Polk.
Those markets are famous for everything over priced and a jackass butcher. But they do carry the chicken.
But, always, you’ll find a jackass butcher at least one.
To be a butcher, should be a jackass for the job, sometimes, right? I think that there is no such a butcher that a «nice guy» in the business. You just can’t be. When I see an asshole-​butcher or almost asperger dude-​butcher, I trust him. I believe the dude, because not just they always carry a big sharp knife, so they can kill me if they want to, but, they’ll tell you exactly about beef, no more, no less.
That’s all what I want to know. I don’t have to be friends with the butcher, I don’t want to have a chat with him. No more no less, get me the beef so I can get the hell out of here.
Butcher is it. They know about meat. just don’t know how to communicate with other people. That’s all. As long as he does his business, I don’t care.
But the Mary’s Chicken is no joke. Absolutely Positively Great Chicken.
We had a baked chicken dinner the other weekend night.
My gf said that the chicken we are going to have is a top notch, high quality kind.
I was like … yeah? yeah. right, but so what? It’s just a chicken.
I did not pay attention for that what brand at all because I was thinking a chicken is a chicken. I was wrong, totally wrong.
The chicken was not just a regular chicken.
The chicken was TRULY Outstanding, the Flavor was Remarkable and Unforgettable. That’s all I can say.
You got to have the chicken. I did not find the chicken at Safeway.
I could tell the chicken was happy chicken without Monsanto’s growth hormone involved.
I personally Thank to the Pitman Farms Free-​Range, not harm, no abuse and mistreat birds.
I also Thank to my gf got the chicken.

Now I know why their chickens are so good: They truly have an ART to raising these birds
Had the opportunity to visit one of their poultry farms. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the standard raising these birds have evolved into something of an «art» — and definitely a «science». Not only was it well-​maintained & organized but the birds had plenty of room to wander — not shoved into any tight compartment as I had envisioned.
These folks are not «backwood chicken farmers» but decent, educated, honest, hardworking folks who have a passion for how they raise their poultry… It’s nice to know that «old fashion honest hard work» is still alive and well at this place. No wonder their chickens taste that much better than the others… really. (disclosure: not associated with this business).

Since my business, Pizza Rustica and Rustica in Oakland, switched to Mary’s free-​range chickens, we’ve seen our chicken sales sky-​rocket! Mary’s is the best!

Just had Mary’s Free Range Duck Breasts from Bristol Farms. Absolutely terrific. Bought 10 pounds.