Levi W. Eberly grew-up in the same rolling hills of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, farmland that is still home to the poultry business operated by his sons George and Bob. In many ways little has changed since earlier generations of Eberlys' settled in this area. Horse drawn buggies filled with farmers still criss cross the community. Small-diversified Amish and Mennonite farms remain the major industry. And Eberlys' is still a small family-owned business that takes pride in the poultry it produces.

What has changed since the early 1940's is how business is conducted. Grandfather Harvey Eberly raised and slaughtered live poultry on his farm and sold the birds at a farmers market stand in the Lancaster Farmers Market located in the Olney section of Philadelphia. At that time the dressed chickens were shipped packed in barrels of ice, and were not eviscerated. In 1945 his oldest son Levi purchased a used truck and began to haul live poultry to processing plants in the Philadelphia area. In 1947 he bought the retail poultry stand from his father. In 1952 Levi Eberly acquired a portion of land from the family farm and built a small processing plant. During 1950's and 1960's the Eberlys' opened more farmers market stands. They processed poultry and eggs in the beginning of the week and sold the products at their market stands on Wednesday through Saturday. As more merchants who held market stands stopped slaughtering their own poultry, the Eberlys' processing business of fresh dressed turkeys, capons, muscovy ducks, geese and rabbits increased.

During the mid 1970's they started to process various game birds – pheasants, partridge, quail and mallard ducks. They also operated five market stands in the Philadelphia, West Chester, Downingtown, and Lancaster areas. As demand for their products increased they applied for USDA inspection in 1983, and began to ship poultry to New York City and Washington D.C. In 1984 they started to grow all naturally raised chickens. This idea was unheard of at the time and drew many negative reactions from the commercial poultry industry. The first flocks of natural chicken were only 350 birds a week.

1987 was a significant year. After meeting with Ariane Daguin, and George Faison in 1986, Eberly Poultry began providing private labeled natural chickens for D'Artagnan in March of 1987. Also, we began to provide Bell & Evans with specialty poultry products. This was the first year that organic birds were processed. Roman Stoltzfoos of Springwood Farm was raising organic turkeys, and Eberly Poultry custom processed the turkeys for him. As time progressed and demands increased, Roman would concentrate on raising the turkeys and Eberly would market the birds. Walnut Acres became a customer in 1987 as they started to purchase organic chicken & turkeys for their line of prepared soups.

The late 1980's saw the demand for more “naturally grown” poultry increase dramatically. By 1990 most of our poultry was produced without antibiotics, growth stimulants or by-products in the feed. In 1991 we began to free range all the natural chickens and turkeys. In 1991 Eberly Poultry became certified as an organic poultry processor by the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York. As the demand for free-range organic poultry grew Eberly moved more growers from natural production into certified organic. Consumer demand for organic poultry at the retail level resulted in Eberlys' supplying not only gourmet retail stores but also such natural food stores ad Bread & Circus, Fresh Fields, Food Emporium, Genuardi's Wellspring Grocery, and Zagara's. In 1994 a major expansion of the processing plant was completed with new cutting, packing, and shipping areas. A new wastewater treatment plant became operational in 1995.

In the mid 1990's Eberlys' strict growing methods and high quality-processing procedures became evident. During October of 1994, Washingtonian magazine conducted a blind tasting of six chickens. Eberlys' placed first! On November 22, 1996, the New York Times conducted a blind taste test of eight turkeys, Eberlys' free-range organic turkey placed first and Eberlys' all natural turkey was judged second best. Eberly Poultry again received extensive coverage in a September 22, 1999 New York Times article on specialty chickens.

In 1997 Pennsylvania began its own organic certification program. Eberly poultry became certified by Pennsylvania Certified Organic in 1998, and is currently dual certified by NOFA – NY & PCO. Eberly Poultry is also a member of the American Association of Meat Processors, the National Poultry and Food Distributors Association, and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.

Eberly Poultry currently ships its specialty poultry products throughout the US and exports to Bermuda and the Caribbean. The company now employees seventy people, but still hand processes each bird to insure that its high quality standards are maintained. Eberlys' now works with over eighty small family farmers who produce the specialty poultry. Some have been producing birds for the Eberlys' for over thirty years.

The free range certified organic chicken and turkeys can be ordered through D'Artagnan for overnight delivery. Eberlys' now private labels natural rock cornish game hens and large roasting chickens for Bell & Evans and is a major supplier of free-ranged certified organic and other specialty poultry.