The award recognises 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 by 12 September 2014.

The award is presented to superior family farmers in six regions of the country. One award may be presented for each of the regions: Northeast, Southeast, South Central, North Central, Southwest and the remainder of the United States. Nominations must be made by a USPOULTRY member or an affiliated state poultry association by completing the application provided by USPOULTRY. Each integrator or egg processor may nominate one grower for each complex in each state supporting their operations.

Six families received the Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award in 2014. The winners were Tom Lefevre, Lefevre Farms, Fort Recovery, Ohio, nominated by Ohio Poultry Association; Dale Walker, Walker Poultry Farm, Fort Seybert, West Virginia, nominated by Pilgrim’s Pride and the West Virginia Poultry Association; Chris Holliday, Holliday Farm, Prairie Home, Missouri, nominated by Cargill Turkey Production, LLC; Hilton Davis, Hilton Davis Farms LLC, Waynesboro, Mississippi, nominated by Marshall Durbin; Darrell Glaser, Bar G Ranch Poultry, Rogers, Texas, nominated by Texas Poultry Federation and Cargill Turkey Production, LLC; Brad Arvance, Arvance Ranch, Inc., Kerman, California, nominated by Foster Farms; and Galen Kropf, Berryville, Arkansas, nominated by Cargill Turkey Production, LLC.

"Poultry growers and producers employ best management practices that enhance environmental stewardship on their family owned and operated farms. The skill, ingenuity and commitment our award winners display each year through their environmental management practices is outstanding," said Elton Maddox, Wayne Farms, Oakwood, Georgia, and chairman of US Poultry & Egg Association.

Awards will be presented during a special ceremony at the 2015 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta , Georgia. Each award winner will receive a Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award sign to display near the entrance of the farm, $1,000 cash and an expense-paid trip to the Expo. In addition, the farm for each winner will be spotlighted on USPOULTRY’s web site, and the Association will provide assistance in publicising the farm’s award in local, regional and national media.

For more information on the 2015 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award competition, contact: Marjorie Maul at the US Poultry & Egg Association.

Competition details are also available on the USPOULTRY web site, www.uspoultry.org/environment.