pictured – David Pitman
Pitman Family Farms of Sanger has made two significant property purchases in recent weeks in facilities in the Hanford Industrial Park setting the stage for what is expected to be a major expansion of operations into Kings County.
The latest transaction as of October 14 was the purchase by Bel’s Poultry,the family’s limited liability company, of 110 acres owned by the city’s redevelopment successor agency.
The purchase price was $2.75 million or $25,000 an acre with escrow set to close in 30 days. The acreage is clustered on the western side of 10th Ave east of the BNSF tracks at Iona Ave. The 110 acres includes three different parcels of land.
The purchase complements Pitman Family Farms earlier purchase in August from Cargill of their Hanford, Calif. feed manufacturing facility. The sale included the land (about 16 acres), buildings and machinery said Cargill in a news release. Terms of the agreement were not made public.
Pitman has already taken over operations at the former Cargill Nutrena feedmill that sits next to the BNSF tracks on one side and the 110 acre parcels they are buying now on the other side,putting the total land at over 126 acres.
Just what is planned on the large site is unclear but a good source says “it will be big.”
Pitman Family Farms has its current packing/slaughterhouse in Sanger and its ranches scattered in the Central Valley. The family owned company produces free range, organic and non organic chickens,turkeys and ducks for the US market. They now offer a line of pasture-raised chicken said to offer fuller flavor. The family farmer has been praised for their ethical treatment of the birds with their products sold at Whole Foods stores and others.
The company is also growing its ranches this month with permits for 7 new chicken barns near Traver issued.