This month we’re focusing on our friends at Happy Chicken Farms, a local, family owned and operated egg and dairy distributor in Grove City, Ohio. Co-founded in 1953 by the late Lee Lackey and his wife, Marjorie, today Happy Chicken is run by their children: CEO Bruce Lackey; Finance Officer Mark Lackey; Leo Lackey, who heads the new ice cream division; and Merry Draghi, who handles sales and public relations. It is she we spoke with about the Greenfield Farms large and jumbo organic eggs they supply to us.

“Greenfield Farms produce excellent organic eggs,” Merry says, echoing her father’s model of sourcing and selling only the highest quality, farm-fresh products
available. “We have a strong, long-term relationship with Greenfield based on their solid organic certification and the freshness of their products. We wanted to offer our customers an organic option and Greenfield allows us to do this at a level that meets our high standards.”

Originally Merry’s father, Lee, staffed a USDA Grader to grade the eggs he bought — only A or AA would do. Lee would then process and package them while Marjorie took orders and managed the household. Since then, the company has grown not only to distribute eggs, but butter, milk, ice cream and more, and to involve the third generation of Lackeys including Merry’s son and his
wife. Happy Chicken also provide a vital internship program for nieces and nephews and employs 28 highly valued, non-family members.

“This is foremost a family business and we still choose only products we know would make our parents proud,” Merry concludes. “If Happy Chicken Farms carries it, that’s our reputation on the line, that’s our family name.”