Meet the farmers who make up our cooperative. These hard-working families bring nutritious and delicious chicken and turkey to our tables all year round!
Danny Reimer
Danny Reimer & Father
“In farming, if you’re not looking ahead, you’re already moving backwards.”
Strike up a conversation with Danny Reimer about farming and you’ll instantly understand that he loves every aspect of the business. An obvious business man, he believes in pushing boundaries and always looking ahead, a perspective he learned from his father, David J. Reimer, who he says has always pushed their operation towards being leading edge.
Danny was born and raised on the farm. He took over for David In 1997 after nine years working side by side. The youngest of six, Danny says his dad was starting to wonder if someone was going to take over. His older siblings showed little interest, but Danny knew the farm was where he belonged. “My heart has always been in it.”
Farming continues to be a family affair for the Reimers. Danny and his wife Shirley run the farm with the help of their four children, ages 21 through 13, who are all very involved during the summer months. Danny loves working along side his family, but if the children are interested in the family business, he insists they try out other career options first. He wants his kids to experience a variety of work environments and learn the values of communication and leadership by working for someone other than their dad. After that, he says if they decide they want to come and work on the farm, they will know it’s what they really want.
Danny believes the best poultry comes from creating conditions that are clean and comfortable for the birds. His aim is to always create as pleasant an environment for them as possible. He pays particular attention to the feed formulas the turkeys get, meeting regularly with a nutritionist to ensure he knows exactly what the birds are consuming and that it’s as healthy as possible.
In 2007, the Reimer family built a new turkey barn. True to his father’s vision of leading edge, it’s equipped with solar walls to pre-warm the air and a ventilation system that can exchange the entire air supply to the barn in 14 seconds. Danny and his father, now 85, joke that the turkey barn is the best place on the farm. “It’s where we go when we want to be comfortable.”
Danny takes pride in being a part of Granny’s. For him, it’s not only good business sense; it’s tradition. His father began farming turkeys 60 years ago and was one of the farmers who founded the Cooperative. Danny is proud that today the Cooperative continues to be producer run, or as he puts it - run by everyday farm folk.
If he’s not in the barn or out in the field, you’ll likely find Danny organizing the local soccer program, coaching or officiating a basketball game, or if all else fails - out for a ride on his mountain bike. The only place you won’t find Danny is sitting around. He’s too busy living a life he loves.
