Who won the 2015 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award?

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) recognized five poultry farm winners and four finalists who received the annual Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award at the 2015 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. The award is given in acknowledgment of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.


The five Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award winners:


1. North Central Region winner – Endless View Farm, Broadway, Virginia
   • Stephen and Jackie Lohr, nominated by Pilgrim’s
2. Northeast Region winner – Wen-Crest Farms LLC, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
   • Steve and Bonnie Wenger, nominated by Tyson Foods
3. Mid Central Region winner – G& J Anderson Ranch, Seligman, Missouri
   • Lindell and Shelly Mitchell, nominated by Cargill Turkey Production, LLC
4. Southeast Region winner – Still Water Farm, Danielsville, Georgia
   • Terry and Deborah Chandler, nominated by Pilgrim’s
5. Southwest Region winner – Schoeneman Broiler Farm, Franklin, Texas
   • Chris and Abby Schoeneman, nominated by Texas Poultry Federation


The four Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award finalists:


1. North Central Region finalist – Round Hill Poultry, Broadway, Virginia
   • Mike and Paula Thompson, nominated by Cargill Turkey Production, LLC
2. Mid Central Region finalist – Bronzwood Farm, Stover, Missouri
   • Kent and Gina Engelbrecht, nominated by Cargill Turkey and Cooked Meats
3. Southeast Region finalist – Upland Farm, Ellaville, Georgia
   • Randy and Deborah Yelverton, nominated by Tyson Foods
4. Southwest Region finalist – Three A’s Farm, Jay, Oklahoma
   • Aaron and Tammie Holcombe, nominated by Simmons Foods
Applicants were rated in several categories, including dry litter or liquid manure management, nutrient management planning, community involvement, wildlife enhancement techniques, innovative nutrient management techniques and participation in education or outreach programs. In selecting the national winners and finalists, applications were reviewed and farm visits conducted by a team of environmental professionals from universities, regulatory agencies and state trade associations.
“The U.S. poultry industry has been recognized as a leader in environmental management for many years, and we depend on the efforts of family farmers to sustainably produce poultry and egg products. These five winners and four finalists exemplify the finest of these producers,” said newly elected USPOULTRY chairman Sherman Miller, Cal-Maine Foods, Jackson, Mississippi. 

Landmark Services Cooperative holding annual farm management workshops

Landmark Services Cooperative will be hosting its annual farm management workshops February 4 in Deforest, Wis., and February 5 in Janesville, Wis.
“The 2013 farm management workshops will provide useful planning and production tools for agriculture producers of all scopes and sizes,” said Kristi Lange, communications and events coordinator for Landmark Services Cooperative. “As this year’s theme suggests — “Every farm has a history: Managing your farm for the future” — discussions will help producers combine lessons learned with new industry tools to plan for a successful year.”
The 2013 Landmark farm management workshops will include presentations on market outlooks, cutting-edge technology, agronomy, animal nutrition, grain and energy topics to help producers best plan for 2013.
The February 4 workshop will be held at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Deforest, Wis., and the February 5 workshop will be held at the Pontiac Convention Center in Janesville, Wis. Both sessions will run from 10:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The 2013 keynote speaker will be Mike Pearson, host of the nationally syndicated show Market to Market. During his presentation, titled “What’s Driving Agriculture in the Year Ahead?” Pearson will provide a forecast for U.S. farm markets and global trends and discuss his experiences as a full-time lender and part-time farmer in south-central Iowa.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to choose two breakout sessions from four farm planning workshop options:

• "Great expectations in fueling your farm: What to expect in 2013 fuel markets and how to eliminate the unexpected." Presented by Phyllis Nystrom of CHS Hedging and Landmark Energy.
• "Turning up the heat for bigger yields: Hot topics for spring planting." Presented by Landmark Agronomy.
• "It’s like money in the bank: Looking at your profit potential and managing inputs based on market outlooks to reap the rewards." Presented by Landmark Grain and Landmark Agronomy.
• "Bridging the generation gap: Succession planning from boomer to millennial." Presented by Liz Henry, associate director of Renk Agribusiness Institute and Landmark Animal Nutrition.

Oregon small poultry farmers seek 1,000-bird exemption

Three separate Oregon bills — the Farm Direct Bill, the Family Farm Act and HB 2872 — supporting a 1,000-bird exemption rule for poultry processing are being backed by supporters of small family farms and locally grown food.
The state currently has a 20,000-bird exemption, which allows a poultry processor to process up to 20,000 birds per year in a state-inspected, brick-and-mortar facility owned by the processor. Supporters of the bills said this rule isn't friendly to small, family-owned poultry farms. "That facility could cost up to $100,000, (according to) some producers that we've talked to in the state that have actually gone ahead and done this," said Kendra Kimbirauskas, president of Friends of Family Farmers. "Or you can process your birds in a USDA facility," she said, but there is only one USDA facility in Oregon and it just came online in the last few months.
The new exemption would allow growers to process and sell up to 1,000 birds on their farms. "These bills are nearly identical and provide for small grower/producers to raise no more than 1,000 poultry — chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and guineas — for slaughter and intrastate sale without being licensed or inspected," said Jim Postlewait of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Division. "The poultry grower must slaughter and store poultry while protecting from adulteration (such as) dust, insects, etc."
Lack of formal inspection under the exemption, according to supporters, does not mean giving small farms free reign. "They still have to follow the USDA basic rules, as written in the bill," said Lauren Gwin, co-coordinator of the Niche Meat Processor Assistant Network. "And the USDA can pop in at any time, for example, if there is a complaint to make sure that the farmer isn't breaking those rules, e.g., doing 2,000 birds per year, not keeping sales records or creating an unsanitary cesspool of blood & feathers."

North Dakota hog, pig numbers at lowest levels since late 1800s

The number of hogs and pigs in North Dakota is at its lowest levels since the late 1800s, due in large part to the shift from many small, diversified farms towards fewer, larger facilities and the rise in feed prices which has led many operations to ship pigs out of state for finishing.
According to the state's Department of Agriculture, North Dakota's hog and pig inventory is at 143,000 animals, down 12,000 from last year. The North Dakota Pork Council has estimated the number of swine producers in the state at 275, down roughly 150 from four years ago. "Whenever we had a lot more small, diversified farms in North Dakota, we had a lot more hogs in North Dakota," said David Newman, the swine specialist for the North Dakota State University Extension Service."In the times of small family farms, everybody owned a pig. Granted, there weren't a million people in North Dakota back then, either, but there were just a lot more producers who had hogs around."
The increased cost of corn, a staple in swine diets, has also caused many producers to shift gears to farrowing operations that send their pigs out of state for fattening to slaughter weight. "A great deal of pigs that are born in North Dakota end up being counted in the production in other states," said Newman.
In spite of recent declines, Newman said he sees a possible upswing on the horizon for the North Dakota hog and pig industry due to an increase in research for feed alternatives to corn and a focus on educating the next generation of potential farmers. "I think we will see pork production increase in the next decade in North Dakota," he said. "In terms of size and scale, I think there is going to be a place in that same time period for small, diversified farmers to get into the business."

Texas may be heading for next serious drought

Data from the U.S. Drought Monitor point to a warm, dry winter for Texas, with possible severe drought conditions for farmers throughout the state.
The Texas Panhandle and Big Bend regions are already developing drought conditions, according to the data, and a drought has been present for some time in East Texas along the Louisiana border. "The winter forecast is based primarily upon current and expected conditions in the tropical Pacific," said Professor John Nielsen-Gammon with Texas A&M University. "A La Niña event has been developing since the spring, and it seems that a moderate to strong La Niña is shaping up for this winter."
Indicators of potential drought began in September, said Nielsen-Gammon. "Texas as a whole has been unusually dry since late September, causing drought conditions to expand," he said. "With the prospects of a warm and dry winter on the horizon, it is possible that this month marks the beginning of Texas's next serious drought."

Illinois farmers make plans for image campaign

Illinois farmers have formed a coalition to educate consumers about the people behind the food they eat.
"Illinois Farmers," a group comprised of members of the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Beef Association and Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), was created after recent research showed that the average consumer does not trust farming practices and believes that "corporate farms" control the majority of the agriculture industry. In reality, according to United States Department of Agriculture data, family farms represent 94% of all Illinois farms.
"The American family farm should be the most trusted food-producing enterprise in the world," said Ron Moore, ISA chairman. "But our customers think the family farm is passing from the scene. Nothing could be further from the truth." When given the actual statistics, 71% of consumers polled said they felt more positive about farming.
Illinois Farmers plans to use the research to come up with ways to redefine the image of "farmer." "We who farm need to change the way we relate to consumers," said IFB President Philip Nelson. "We must listen to their concerns even more than in the past and open the gates and doors of our farms to rebuild trust in the way we really farm today."

Is 'locally grown' really healthier?

"Locally grown" has become connected with "healthy" and "environmentally friendly," but is that always the case?
According to a HealthDay News report, even dietitians aren't in complete agreement on the subject, but it does seem that the message is a step in the right direction. "Most of what the locally grown movement is about is not eating processed foods from larger companies, but rather eating more natural, unprocessed, wholesome foods," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "A local apple may or may not be any better than an apple grown farther away, but it is most definitely better than an apple-flavored product you get from a package."
In general, dietitians believe that local produce is better than something that comes from farther away because the longer it takes to get in your hand the more nutrients are lost. Nuts and legumes, however, retain the same amount of nutrients and flavor no matter where they come from. Meat also retains freshness longer than produce, so locally raised becomes more about the animals themselves.
"It all depends on the farmer's methods," said Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian. "A local farmer may use the same methods as a big industrial farm. There's no guarantees that just because livestock is grown locally it's going to be better for you." People focused on healthy meat should ask how the animals have been fed, what their living conditions are like and whether they've been given antibiotics or hormones.
Basically, when it comes to what you eat, "the most important thing is that you choose healthy foods," said Blatner. "And, once you're done with that, wouldn't it be nice to have your food come from a local source?"

Are family farms really better?

Last week, I mentioned that U.S. consumers have some misconceptions about the chicken they eat, believing it to be full of additives of one form or another. Among those people who have raised those questions to me, there also seems to be the impression that family farms are good and “factory farms” are bad.
I really dislike the term “factory farm” – I believe it to be completely misleading, and I don’t like using it. It’s a term that the animal rights movement has succeeded in getting into the mainstream media, unfortunately.
The image of the family farm is one where a farmer has a small number of animals, all if which he knows by name, and he treats them like they are members of the family. Therefore, those animals must be healthier and much more humanely treated than they are on large commercial farms.
The popular image of the “factory farm,” on the other hand, is one where animals are just shoved through the system as quickly as possible, pumped full of chemicals, having no humane living conditions or treatment at all.
After all, wasn’t it a commercial pig farm in Mexico that started the H1N1 flu pandemic last year? Actually no, that farm had nothing to do with the outbreak. But we all watched U.S. reporters stand outside the gates of that operation and tell us how evil a place it was and how it had caused the flu pandemic.
The popular images of family and commercial farms have it wrong. ...Read the full blog on www.animalagnet.com.