The Beginning
The Glaum Egg Ranch heritage started back in the early 1920’s by John H. Glaum, in the small town of Alexandria, Nebraska. It was almost unheard of to support a family of six with only egg producing chickens. The gamble and risk was so great. The first chicken house John built housed 400 white leghorns. Soon his “Model Poultry Farm” as newspapers were calling it, won recognition for his innovative techniques and expertise in the poultry business. As business grew, John added Glaum’s Hatchery and Feed Mill, hatching baby chicks, along with grinding, mixing and manufacturing his own brand of feed to be used for his own ranch and selling to others.
The Move to California
After many years of success as a chicken farmer, in 1946 John and his wife Pearl, along with his youngest son Marvin, moved to California to be near the rest of his children who had moved out earlier. This is where the next generation of the Glaum Egg Ranch continued in 1953 in a small town of Live Oak (Santa Cruz County), California. When John H Glaum died in 1952, his son Marvin, serving in the Korean War, returned home to continue the family business.
Settling in Aptos
In 1953 Marvin Glaum met his future wife, Dorothy, while shopping for chicken feed at the local Famer’s Co-op, where Dorothy worked as a bookkeeper. Marvin and Dorothy married six months later, which began the second generation of the Glaum Egg Ranch. Starting out with 1500 hens and rapidly feeling the need for expansion they added three more ranches leased nearby. As Santa Cruz County grew with new homes and businesses, the local chicken and egg industry was fading fast. In 1957, Marvin and Dorothy were determined to keep their business local and competitive, so in order to compete with big ranches in the San Joaquin area, they bought land in Aptos to consolidate their operation. Marvin designed, constructed, updated and modernized their facility. Marvin’s inventive ideas and natural mechanical abilities gained him wide recognition from the nation’s egg industry. As their ranch grew, so did their own “flock”. This is where the third generation of the Glaum Egg Ranch begins…
A Tradition of Innovation
Marvin and Dorothy’s four children; Steve, Sherrie, Debbie and Doug, began helping out at the ranch at a very young age, whether it was hand gathering eggs or delivering fresh eggs door to door in a little red wagon to neighbors. From early on, Marvin and Dorothy taught their children the importance of commitment and dedication to their ranch, church and involvement in their community. Marvin maintained and created many of his own inventions on the farm, many of which have been used on modern day egg ranches. One of his most talked about inventions is the Egg Vending Machine. Customers can come up to the ranch, insert money and receive a flat of eggs. As the years progressed, so did the vending machine – today, when you insert the money you get to enjoy an animated chicken show as well. The costumes on the chicken show are created and changed seasonally. Every season/holiday is a different scene- the customers love to come and see what’s new each time.
In 2004, Marvin Glaum passed away which left a huge void in the family, but a great legacy.
The Future
of Our Farm
Marvin’s youngest son Doug, innovative in his own right, decided it was time to expand yet again. He and his wife, Ericka, discovered the perfect property in Watsonville which now houses all their Cage Free and Organic hens. Expanding the land to meet the needs of the community, keep up with fresh ways to remain sustainable, while continuing to be competitive have always been Doug’s strengths. From composting the manure, reusing wastewater to recently adding solar panels, Doug will always be committed to taking care of his birds and the environment equally. Doug and Ericka are thrilled that their children share the same passion for the business that their family has for decades and that they will continue the family name as the 4th generation.
“Our customers can rest assured that we will be around for a very long time!”
The Fourth Generation
Marli, Mikayla, Gunnar, and Gavin are the 4th generation Glaums involved in the business. The four of them uphold quality control and compliance, while running the daily operations on the chicken farm, in the egg processing room, in the office, and in the barn store. They have an eagerness to continue the legacy of the business, while making it their own.