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9-13-2006 |
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HALTERMAN FARM WINS POULTRY ASSOCIATION ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD The West Virginia Poultry Association (WVPA) has named the Arthur Halterman Farm in Baker as the 2006 Environmental Stewardship Award Winner. Now in its second year, the award program recognizes poultry producers who exemplify outstanding environmental practices. Owners Arthur and Jo Ellen Halterman operate two broiler/breeder houses for Pilgrim’s Pride. They also produce cattle and forage. “As an educator, Arthur strives to show students the benefits of environmental conservation,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “His farm is a good example of a second-generation farmer working to ensure the farm will be there for future generations.” Arthur is the agriculture education teacher at East Hardy High School. He was selected as the 1999-2000 Conservation Teacher of the Year by West Virginia Conservation Districts. He is the former president and a founding member of the Baker’s Run Watershed Conservation Society. “Although the competition was very strong this year, the Halterman Farm stood out because of its solid nutrient management plan, rotational grazing and established best management practices,” said Dale Walker, President of the West Virginia Poultry Association. “The Haltermans practice good stewardship on their entire farm, not just their poultry operation. They have installed fences around ponds, water troughs, a composter and a litter shed.” The Haltermans have applied for the Conservation Reserve and Enhancement Program (CREP) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA), Walker added. That program pays rent for farmers to remove land from production along stream banks to minimize erosion. Other finalists in this contest included: Branson Farm in Mathias, Jack and Elizabeth Foltz, also of Mathias, and Livengood Farm in Keyser.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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