Maple Leaf Farms Dishes on Duck

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Duck from right here in the Hoosier State has graced the presence of presidents and traveled the world to be shared with dignitaries.

Scott Tucker, co-president of Maple Leaf Duck Farm in Milford, Indiana.

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Indiana’s own Maple Leaf Farms duck breast was featured in President Obama’s inaugural luncheon and was served to our very own Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman when she visited China – a country that raises more than 2 billion ducks yet proudly served duck raised by Maple Leaf Farms half the world away.

While Maple Leaf Farms is now North America’s leading duck producer, raising 12-15 million ducks annually and accounting for more than half of the North American duck market, it still remains in the family that started it all back in 1958.

My grandfather and father worked very hard to expand and improve our business while keeping it family-owned and with a definitive family feel,” says Scott Tucker, co-president of Maple Leaf. “Although my brother, John, and I now lead the company as co-presidents, my father is still very active in the business and serves as CEO. In fact, our entire family helps set the overall vision and values of our business through our Tucker Family Council.”

Maple Leaf works with approximately 140 contract producers in northern Indiana who grow and care for their ducks on their own family farms, many of which raise ducks as part of a larger farming operation.

“[Some partner farmers] work off the farm and are able to hold their family’s connection to farming through their duck operation,” Tucker adds.

White Pekin Ducks at Maple Leaf Farms

Animal Care and Food Safety

Maple Leaf owns and operates a breeding farm and hatchery, commercial hatcheries, feed mills, support facilities, processing plants, and feather processing and manufacturing facilities that make high-quality down and feather products, all of which are biosecure (which means that the farm has instituted disease prevention and food safety procedures).

If Maple Leaf’s guiding principle is “if you do the right thing, success will follow,” then their Trident Stewardship Program is at the foundation of their position as a leader in their industry. Their three-pronged approach to stewardship focuses on the well-being of their ducks, biosecurity (disease prevention and food safety) and natural resources conservation. Their system is the first in North America that includes science-based duck care for all stages of production, a training program for staff and growers, and an audit system that helps them continually find ways to improve.

“In addition, we rely on the feedback and recommendations of an independent advisory committee made up of poultry scientists, animal behavior experts and veterinarians to make improvements or identify areas of further research so we are continuously improving in these three key areas,” says Tucker.

Furthermore, Maple Leaf has a corporate sustainability team that oversees their recycling, energy-reduction and water conservation projects at their processing plants and offices. And, in keeping with their tradition of “doing the right thing,” they uphold a commitment to community education efforts through various poultry program, projects and contests through local Ag Days, 4-H, FFA, Purdue and the Midwest Poultry Consortium.

Maple-Glazed Duck Breast With Cranberry Chutney

Easy to Prepare, Nutritious to Eat

Despite common myths about duck, Maple Leaf says it isn’t difficult to prepare, nor is it gamey in taste. You might be surprised to find that this Indiana-grown, farm-raised duck has a much milder flavor than its wild game counterpart. Correctly prepared duck is a very nutritious meat that isn’t greasy – it is actually considered low in fat and calories. In fact, the USDA even states that a boneless, skinless portion of duck breast is actually leaner and has fewer calories that a similar portion of chicken, beef or pork.

Maple Leaf has made it easy for the home cook to learn how to prepare duck properly with these great duck cooking tips, along with a large collection of recipes sure to please a variety of palates, such as this recipe for Maple-Glazed Duck Breast With Pear-Cranberry Chutney.

If a chef’s hat doesn’t quite suit you, fear not, Maple Leaf has made it easy to enjoy their duck through several fully cooked products that are very easy to serve up to the family

Where to Find Duck

While several Indiana retailers and specialty stores stock Maple Leaf Farms products, consumers can visit their website, to find a wide variety of Maple Leaf duck products available to buy, which range from whole duck to duck sausage. If you would prefer the convenience of your local grocery store, you can always ask the store manager about stocking Maple Leaf’s products.

Maple Leaf Farms also connects with consumers online through its website and social media efforts, and it holds recipe contests, shares coupons and has partnerships with food bloggers to create new duck recipes – often from people who are cooking duck for the first time. The company also credits Facebook and Twitter for gaining valuable feedback on its new duck products from taste-testers, sharing recipe ideas and informing people of cooking demos.

11 Comments

  1. Craig Boyer

    August 22, 2011 at 4:52 am

    Interested in raising ducks. How can we find out about going into this business?

    Craig and Sons

    • Beth Lichty

      August 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm

      Craig, thank you for your interest in raising ducks. Please send an email with your contact information to mlf@mapleleaffarms.com and we’ll put you in touch with Maple Leaf Farms staff who work with our partner farmers.

  2. Jeanne Finney

    August 22, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    I have been looking for your products. Where can I find them?

    • Jessy Yancey

      August 23, 2011 at 9:58 am

      Hi Jeanne,

      You can purchase Maple Leaf Farms duck online here: http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/11. I have seen their product in some grocery stores, too.

      Hope this helps, and thanks for reading My Indiana Home!

      Jessy Yancey, editor

    • Beth Lichty

      August 23, 2011 at 12:13 pm

      Jeanne, Maple Leaf Farms duck products are in some chain stores in Indiana in larger cities. Please drop us an email with your location to mlf@mapleleaffarms.com and we’ll send you some store suggestions. Thanks for asking.

  3. Ruth Willy

    August 26, 2011 at 10:16 am

    My husband and I do Agriculture in the classroom here in Lake County Indiana. We like to include duck in our presentation as Iniana is number 1 in duck production. I would like to know if you have any material we could hand out to the students to help them remember to tell their parents about ducks and the fact that they are raised just down the road from us. Also in our presentation I only have a mallard drake and hen miniture model animal and I was wondering if you know where I might find a Peking drake and hen. As of now I tell them that the ducks on a farm are white and bigger than the wild ducks as Peking ducks are meat poultry and make more muscle. When taking to the urban children I need to keep things simple and use what they know for a refrence point. Ruth Willy 219 374 5091

    • Jessy Yancey

      August 26, 2011 at 3:05 pm

      Hi Ruth, you can contact Maple Leaf Farms directly at mlf@maplelaffarms.com, and they might be able to better help. Thanks!

  4. keri odonnell

    March 23, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    Do you accept ducks that have been raised by others? Im taking care of some baby ducklings and would like to find a place for them to be after theyre raised.

    • Blair Thomas

      March 26, 2012 at 10:25 am

      Keri,
      You’ll want to contact the folks at Maple Leaf Farms with this question. You can find their contact information here: http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/38

      Thanks for reading!

      Blair Thomas
      My Indiana Home

  5. Heather

    January 19, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    hello do you sell duck trachea fresh, also duck eggs? and the duck heads thank you

  6. Jamie Staback

    November 1, 2023 at 1:18 pm

    Do you take in ducks? I have 2- 8 1/2 old ducks. We really don’t want and have no idea what to do with them.

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