Newman Turkey Hatchery

1938 - 2015

The now defunct Foster Farms Newman Hatchery, located at Main & Stanislaus Streets in Newman, started out life as Husman's Turkey Hatchery which operated here under Husman family ownership from 1938 to 1972.

The hatchery business was started by Soren and Astrid (Ebbesen) Husman in 1923 with its production moving to this Newman location in 1938.  The Husman's son Alfred ("Al") took over management of its operations in 1946 after his return home from World War II.  

The business workflow involved having turkey eggs shipped to the hatchery from breeders. Once the eggs hatched and the poults (turkey hatchlings) were vaccinated, they were sent to turkey ranches across Central California to be raised.

During its time in operation, countless Newman locals worked at the hatchery, testimony that it was a significant employer in the city for many years.

The Husman family sold the hatchery to the Grange Company in 1972, which in turn sold it to Foster Farms in 1982.  Foster Farms operated the facility until 2015.  The Newman hatchery was said to have been the oldest in the state of California at the time of its closure.

The city-block-long site has been sold to the City of Newman which plans to demolish it to make way for a new mixed use development project.

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