Turtle Island Foods was founded in 1980 by Seth Tibbott in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Seth had been making Tempeh for family and friends for 3 years out of an incubator made from an old refrigerator heated by a string of Christmas tree lights! He felt that there was a future in America for this product and decided to quit his career as a teacher-naturalist and began working nights at the Hope Coop in Forest Grove.

Seth made 100 pound batches of Tempeh in 3 flavors: Soy, Five Grain and Tempehroni (a spiced log which we no longer make).

In 1982, the company expanded with the help of loans from Bob and Betty Tibbott, Seth's brother and mother and moved to an abandoned schoolhouse with a beautiful commercial kitchen in Husum, Washington, 75 miles east of Portland, Oregon.

Working days now, the company expanded and became the 3^rd largest Tempeh manufacturer in the United States which began to stress among other things the water supply of the tiny (population 50) town of Husum.

In 1992, Turtle Island moved across the Columbia River to Hood River, Oregon where it renovated an old cannery building where it is housed today.

The 8,000 square feet of manufacturing space overlooks the Columbia which is home in the summer to growing leagues of windsurfers. In 1995, the company introduced the Tofurky® Vegetarian Feast to a very skeptical natural foods industry. The response was overwhelming!

Right away it was apparent from the letters and phone calls from customers that this was an undiscovered niche with a lot of feeling behind it.

Today, Turtle Island is the second largest Tempeh manufacturer in the country and the # 1 Tofurky Products producer in the universe! As our line grows we try and be ever attentive to our humble, environmental roots and produce products that support to residents and the life systems of Turtle Island, our home.

Parent Company?

No but our parent, Ruth Elizabeth Tibbott, pictured here, with Seth and Bob Tibbott, did own stock in Turtle Island Foods until her death in August
2002. Bob Tibbott is still a stockholder in Turtle Island Foods and is the company vice president.

Sue Tibbott, Seth's wife, is our CFO and money manager par excellence and her son Jaime Athos, PhD is our Quality Assurance Manager. We have also been very fortunate to have Graciela Pulido as our production manager (11 years with the company!), Greg Place, maintenence supervisor, Paul Berty, office manager and many other key, longtime employees who have made this company a fun, efficient place to work.

Seth is pictured here, circa 1980, with his first Tempeh incubator in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Seth is pictured here, mid 1980's, when Turtle Island was located in Husum, WA.

Tempeh preparation in Indonesia

Turtle Island Foods, Board of Directors