Turtle Island Foods

The company name is derived from a common legend found amongst the native people of North America.{{cite journal|journal=Vegetarian Times|title=I Can't Believe It's Not Turkey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DwQAAAAAMBAJ&q=turtle+island+foods+name+native+american&pg=PA18|via=Google Books|page=18|date=June 1998}} {{open access}} Once, when all of earth was underwater, a turtle offered its shell as a home for land animals, and that shell became North America. As a result, several Native American and First Nations refer to the continent as "Turtle Island."{{Cite web|title=Turtle Island {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca|access-date=2020-05-28}}{{Cite web|title=Turtle Island|url=https://www.deadlystory.com/page/culture/articles/World_s_Indigenous_Peoples_Day/Turtle_Island/|website=www.deadlystory.com|access-date=2020-05-28}}

Headquartered in Hood River, Oregon, Turtle Island Foods began in 1980 in Forest Grove{{cite web|work=Whole Foods|title=Turtle Island Foods|access-date=October 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125101428/https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/local-vendor/turtle-island-foods|url=https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/local-vendor/turtle-island-foods|archive-date=November 25, 2012|url-status=dead}} with intentions "to create delicious, nutritious, convenient and affordable vegetarian food."{{cite web|url=http://www.tofurky.com/ourstory/tif_story.html|work=Tofurky.com|title=Our Roots|date=12 November 2015 |access-date=October 8, 2017}} It was founded by Seth Tibbott,[http://www.tofurky.com/ourstory/companyhistory.html Company History] who began by producing tempeh for friends and family. Tibbot was inspired to create meat substitutes after having become a vegetarian in college.{{Cite web|work=Business Insider|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-story-behind-the-guy-who-created-tofurky-2011-11|title=The Story Behind A Guy's $14 Million Tofurky Business|date=November 24, 2011|author=Brown, Adam}} According to Tibbot, the first twenty years of the company had not been economically fruitful, and he built tree houses on a neighbor's property in Husum, Washington, which he rented out to tenants for additional income.{{Cite web|url=http://cnnradio.cnn.com/2012/11/21/inside-the-tofurky-slaughterhouse/|work=CNN|title= Inside the Tofurky slaughterhouse|author=Andres, Tommy|date=November 21, 2012|access-date=October 9, 2017}} With the help of family, Tibbot eventually expanded his company to what is now the second largest tempeh producer in the United States.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

The company developed Tofurky in 1995, and initially sold in local markets in Portland, Oregon. During the Thanksgiving season of 1995, the company sold a total of 500 of their Tofurky roasts. In the early 2000s, the company began to grow considerably, shipping a record-breaking 201,108 of their Tofurky roasts in 2006, a 27% increase from the year prior.{{sfn|Shurtleff|Aoyagi|2014|p=1277}}

In 2008, Turtle Island became a sponsor of the Humane Society of the United States, the first food processor to do so in the society's history.{{cite news|title=Tofurky sponsoring Humane Society |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/10/daily34.html |access-date=January 13, 2025 |newspaper=Portland Business Journal |date=March 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317043322/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/10/daily34.html |archive-date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=live}}

In 2011, the company announced plans to build a new plant in Hood River at a cost of $10 million with a goal to achieve a LEED platinum certification on the building.{{cite news|last=Gunderson|first=Laura|title=Tofurky maker, Turtle Island Foods, plans a $10 million plant in Hood River|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/08/tofurky_maker_turtle_island_fo.html|access-date=August 1, 2011|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=August 1, 2011}}{{cite news|title=Turtle Island Foods plans $10M Hood River plant|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2011/08/turtle-island-foods-plans-10m-hood.html|access-date=26 October 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=August 2, 2011}} The new {{convert|33000|ft2|adj=on}} plant opened in October 2012.{{cite news|last=Culverwell|first=Wendy|title=Turtle Island tops $10M facility with green roof|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2012/10/turtle-island-tops-10m-facility-with.html|access-date=25 October 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=October 25, 2012}}

Since 1995, when Turtle Island Foods took an official stand against GMOs, they have made "every effort possible" to avoid them.[http://www.tofurky.com/ourstory/ingred_gmos.html Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's)] Much of what the company produces is organic, and Turtle Island Foods is certified by Oregon Tilth.{{cite web|work=Oregon Tilth|title=Turtle Island Foods, Inc.|access-date=October 11, 2017|url=https://tilth.org/tilth-producer/turtle-island-foods-inc-4/}} According to the Cornucopia Institute, Turtle Island uses tofu sourced from 100% organically farmed soybeans, and all manufacturing of products is done in the company's facility.{{Cite web|work=Cornucopia Institute|title=Tofurky / Turtle Island Foods|access-date=October 11, 2017|url=https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/soy/tofurky/}} The Green Stars Project awarded Tofurky 5/5 green stars for overall social and environmental impact.{{Cite web|work=Green Stars Project|url=https://greenstarsproject.org/2019/07/03/tofurky-sustainability-ethical-rating/|title=Daily Footprint, #35 – Tofurky|date=3 July 2019 |access-date=December 31, 2019}}

The company refuses food ingredients made with hexane solvent extraction, choosing instead expeller pressed isolates and concentrates.{{cite web|work=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/soy-burger-with-a-side-of-toxin/|title=Soy Burger With a Side of Toxin?|date=April 14, 2010|author=Goldwert, Lindsay|access-date=December 19, 2016}}

In 2005, Turtle Island Foods began to purchase all of its electricity from the Blue Sky renewable energy project.[http://www.tofurky.com/ourstory/ingred_sustainability.html Sustainability ] All paperboard packaging is recycled. In addition, a certain percentage of each year's Tofurky sales is donated to an environmental charity.

Turtle Island Foods currently produces the following, many in a number of varieties:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• Tofurky Roast
• Tofurky Deli Slices
• Tofurky Sausages
• Tofurky Hot Dogs and Jumbo Dogs
• Tofurky Jurky
• Tofurky "Giblet" Gravy
• Superburgers
• Tempeh

}}

In November 2014, Seattle mayor Ed Murray pardoned a Tofurky at Seattle City Hall.{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Reid |title=Seattle mayor pardons Tofurky, because it's Seattle |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 22, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/11/22/seattle-mayor-pardons-tofurky-because-its-seattle/ |access-date=October 9, 2017 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630085802/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/11/22/seattle-mayor-pardons-tofurky-because-its-seattle/ |archive-date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=live}}

{{Portal|Food}}

• List of meat substitutes
• List of vegetarian and vegan companies
• List of companies based in Oregon

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last1=Shurtleff|first1=William|author-link=William Shurtleff |last2=Aoyagi|first2=Akiko|title=History of Meat Alternatives (965 CE to 2014): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook|publisher=Soy Info Center|year=2014|isbn= 978-1-928-91471-6 }}

• Company {{official website|http://www.tofurky.com/}}

Category:Privately held companies based in Oregon

Category:Meat substitutes

Category:Companies established in 1980

Category:Companies based in Hood River, Oregon

Category:1980 establishments in Oregon

Category:Vegetarian companies and establishments of the United States

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1980