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Evans Poultry of Dorcas, W.Va., was one of five farms across the United States to receive the Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2010 International Poultry Expo held recently in Atlanta. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, based in Tucker, Ga., sponsors the annual awards in recognition of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.
Evans Poultry is owned and operated by Allen and Beverly Evans. They started in 1972 with five acres and built their first chicken house in 1977. They eventually built five more houses, raising broiler chickens, and now own 800 acres with forage, row crops and cattle.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass congratulated the Evans family on the honor.
“Allen and Beverly are well known among poultry farmers for their excellent operation and their efforts to preserve the environment,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Through his work in the West Virginia Legislature, Allen has been an ambassador for agriculture in the Mountain State. This award will help draw even more positive attention to the great farmers living and working in West Virginia.”
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.
The Evans use a nutrient management plan for applying litter to their land, along with a composter for chicken mortality. Also, rainwater running off the roofs of the chicken houses and other buildings goes through grass buffers or sediment traps before reaching surrounding streams. To help enhance wildlife, several areas of the Evans’ land are designated as permanent woodlands with trees and ponds.
Evans Poultry grows chickens for Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation.
Steve Willardsen, 2010 chairman of the board of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, and president of Cargill Value Added Meats, Wichita, Kansas, presented the award to Evans Poultry.
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. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
“The Basis of All Wealth is Agriculture.”
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