Lambertson Family Farms of Pocomoke, Maryland, was one of six farms across the United States to receive U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2020 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) sponsors the annual awards in recognition of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.
Applicants were rated in several categories, including manure management, nutrient management planning, community involvement, wildlife enhancement techniques, innovative nutrient management techniques, and participation in education and outreach programs. Applications were reviewed and farm visits conducted by a team of environmental professionals from universities, regulatory agencies and state poultry associations.
Lambertson Family Farms has been located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for generations. The family raises broiler chickens for Tyson Foods.
In such an environmentally sensitive area, the issue of resource management and responsible farming is crucial, and the Lambertson family has made sustainability a key facet of their operation. In a testament to this dedication, the Lambertsons have been voluntarily implementing a nutrition management program at their farm since 1995, long before it was mandated by the state of Maryland. Throughout the years, their conservation efforts have expanded to include the creation of vegetative buffers and wildlife habitats, as well as a consistent system of crop rotation and no-till farming to preserve the soil’s nutrients. Any manure from their poultry operation is carefully transferred from poultry house to field, strictly adhering to the standards of the Maryland Manure Transport Program.
The Lambertsons have made a point of making sure their farms are a part of the innovative future of agriculture. By partnering with and providing land to a local company, the Lambertson Family Farms have become a testing ground for innovative new technologies in anaerobic digestion in manure management, a process which mitigates the levels of phosphorus in the final product and creates green energy for use on the farm. They have also implemented solar panels throughout the farm, which has provided their operation with a cheaper and more sustainable source of energy. These tech-savvy and sustainable systems have made Lambertson Family Farms a source of interest in their community, which they have encouraged by opening their farm to educational tours and visits from those interested in the agricultural industry.
The Lambertsons are dedicated to protecting the environment in which they and their families work and live. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, upon which they and their communities depend on, is such a sensitive yet vital resource. The Lambertsons view it as their responsibility to make sure that they are good stewards of the environment that has provided for their families.
Mike Levengood, vice president, Chief Animal Care Officer and Farmer Relationship Advocate for Perdue Foodsand vice chairman of the USPOULTRY board of directors, presented the award to Wayne, Mary, Jason and Logan Lambertson.
