U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognizes exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production. Those eligible for the award include any family-owned poultry grower or egg producer supplying product to a USPOULTRY member or an independent producer who is a USPOULTRY member. Nominations are due Oct. 27.
In January 2023, the award was presented to four outstanding family farmers in various regions of the country: Mid-Atlantic, South Central, Southeast and Southwest. In addition, an award was also presented to a State Poultry Association nominee. The winners were David and Melanie Parham, Parham’s Pullets, Dresden, Tenn., nominated by the Tennessee Poultry Association; Craig and Mindy Fruechte, Fruechte Turkey Farms, Decatur, Ind., nominated by Cooper Farms; Glenn and Tracey Backes, Backes Turkey Farm, Eldon, Mo., nominated by Cargill; Tim Morrison, Morrison Poultry, LLC, Wingo, Ky., nominated by Tyson Foods; and Kevin and Kim Doyle, KD Farm, Stillwell, Okla., nominated by Cargill.
Five additional farms were presented with an award for being selected as a finalist. They were Mark and Alana Yoder and Sarah Yoder, Brush Creek Henhouse LLC, Leon, Iowa, nominated by the North Central Poultry Association; Kevin and Lora Foltz, Foltz Farm K LLC, Mathis, W.V., nominated by Cargill; Norbet and Susan Gabel, Gabel Farm, Galena, Mo., nominated by Cargill; Dustin and Jason Hagan, Hagan Brothers Farm, Whitesville, Ky., nominated by Perdue Foods; and Mike Thompson, C&M Poultry, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, nominated by Pilgrim’s.
Nominations for the 2024 competition may be made by a USPOULTRY member, an affiliated state poultry association, or by a poultry or egg producer that grows poultry or produces eggs for a USPOULTRY member. Each integrator or egg processor may nominate two growers or producers for each processing facility in each state that they operate. Previous winners must wait three years before resubmitting an application.
“Poultry growers regularly utilize best management practices to heighten environmental stewardship on their farms. The dedication and ingenuity that our award winners and finalists exhibit each year through their environmental management practices is admirable,” said Jarod Morrison, Farbest Foods, and USPOULTRY chairman.
Finalists for the Family Farm Environmental Excellence awards will receive a trip that covers travel expenses and hotel accommodations for two nights to attend the 2024 International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), in Atlanta, Georgia. Winners and finalists will receive a Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award sign to display near the entrance of their farm.
The winner for each region will be named at a special award ceremony that will take place at the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, held in conjunction with IPPE, on Jan. 30, 2024. Each regional winner will also receive a $1,000 cash award. In addition, the farm for each regional winner will be spotlighted on USPOULTRY’s website, and the Association will assist in publicizing the farm’s award in local, regional and national media.
The application and competition details are available on the USPOULTRY website at https://www.uspoultry.org/programs/environment/ffee-award/.
For more information on the 2024 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award competition, contact Addie Hention at ahention@uspoultry.org or by telephone at 678.514.1977.
