Discovering NC Agriculture is a year-long series focusing on twelve N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives!
The poultry industry is one that impacts communities across the United States. Since its inception in 1925, House of Raeford Farms in Rose Hill has not only been committed to providing high-quality poultry products to consumers, but also helping communities in need by doing the most good. From feeding the hungry to youth development, sports camps, mental health resources, disaster recovery and more, House of Raeford is a leader for the poultry industry in more ways than one.
As a fourth-generation family farm, House of Raeford has deep connections and roots in the communities where their facilities are present (ie: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana). “We care about the communities we are a part of,” said Bob Johnson, CEO of House of Raeford. “Our mission is to do the right thing in all things that we do, which includes the farmers and the animals that we work with, but also expands beyond them into the needs of the community.” House of Raeford currently partners with 452 family farms in N.C., S.C., G.A., and L.A. to raise their chickens, with 150 of those farmers being from our state! “Our farmers are the heart of our business,” Bob said. “They not only understand and support our mission, but they also believe in environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and giving back.” From Bob and his employees to the farmers and other agribusiness companies they work with, everyone involved at House of Raeford works with compassion, transparency, and generosity. “We don’t put lipstick on the pig, as they say, we are who we say we are,” said Marketing Manager, Kristin Taber. “Everything we do at House of Raeford is centered around the mission statement ‘to do the right thing in all things that we do.'”
Today, House of Raeford is co-owned and operated b the Johnson and Beasley families, with Bob Johnson and Dianne Beasley at the helm. Both leaders not only take pride in producing high-quality products for their customers, like chicken wings and rotisserie chicken, but also participating in and contributing to community events throughout the year. “We believe charity begins at home, so we invest heavily in our towns and communities,” Bob said. House of Raeford’s heart for outreach became evident across the state in 2020 when they responded to the need of farmers and consumers through bulk chicken sales. “People used to just call us when they needed help, but this was the first time we launched truckload sales,” Kristin said. “75% of our business goes towards restaurants, so during COVID, our farmers were really hurting and needed somewhere for their product to go. Likewise, consumers were becoming more aware of where their food comes from, while also running into shortages of meat products in the grocery stores. The truckload sales were a way to help both parties by bringing farm fresh products straight to those in need.” Today, anyone can go online to the House of Raeford website and order truckload sales or donations for communities in need, including food pantries, fire departments and medical establishments. Last year, the importance of this program grew even stronger through the devastation and need in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. “Our company was quick to respond to the overwhelming need after Helene,” said Bob. “We understand from our own experiences the challenges that storm victims face. Personally, my family has close connections to the mountains, and we have personal friends that were impacted.” In total, House of Raeford contributed enough chicken to hurricane victims last fall in NC, SC, and GA to sere over one million meals!
Each year, the company also impacts the community through charity donations, scholarship programs for employee’s children and grandchildren, funding for local schools, Fellowship of Christian Athletes donations and sports camps, volunteer programs, and outreach through their non-profit organization FLOCK.
House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, aka Faithful Love Offering for Christ’s Kingdom, is a non-profit organization that seeks to impact communities through hunger relief, youth development, mental health resources, and addiction recovery. “FLOCK was launched in 2009 as a way to help those doing good to expand their reach and do more,” said Dave Witter, Manager of Corporate Communications and Sustainability. “We partner with organizations to take resources that they have, plus the resources that we have, and sow them back into the community.” For example, one way that FLOCK impacts the community is by funding counselors for local schools so that children have access to mental health resources and professional help. “Mental health has become a large battle in schools across the country,” Dave said. “By providing the funds for schools to hire counselors and print resources, it gives students the opportunity to overcome their mental struggles.” FLOCK also introduces agriculture into schools, hosts sports camps, and more. “We want compassion and love to become actions, not just things that we talk about,” said Luanne Johnson, Bob’s wife. “Our goal is for people to realize that this is what we are called to do.”
Although a majority of products from House of Raeford go to restaurants across the state, consumers can also purchase products for themselves at a variety of locations, including the House of Raeford website, Publix and Walmart. In the future, Bob and his team will continue to expand the impact of House of Raeford Farms. “I not only want this business to be one that I pass down to my children, the next generation, but one that continues to impact the community and extend Christ’s love,” Bob said. “The heart of House of Raeford will always be to do the right thing in all things that we do.” Join us in thanking the Johnson and Beasley families for their hard work each year, both in poultry production and community outreach!
