If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Farmers Pride Inc. is sincerely flattered, though the presence of two followers in the segment is more a point of irritation. On the other hand, Farmers Pride's Bell & Evans brand is the category leader, and competition from mainstream food companies-local competitor BC Natural has cross-ownership ties to Swift & Company-suggests natural poultry has made the transition from niche product to established segment.
The natural and organic foods movement used to be dismissed as a phenomenon of former hippies; in fact, it's fueled by long-time industry players who likely would have been squeezed from the market if they competed head-to-head with commodity suppliers like Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride. Scott Sechler, Farmers Pride's chairman and president, grew up on an area livestock farm and had a bird's eye view of yield-driven changes by growers. Convinced he could realize similar yields with birds reared on a more wholesome diet, Sechler began lining up growers to execute his concept soon after he acquired Farmers Pride in 1984.