Delmarva Chicken Association announced the recipients of its Outstanding Grower awards, honoring 12 farm families in Delmarva’s chicken community with recognition as exemplary farmers raising broiler chickens. Each grower operates an independent, family-owned farm raising chickens in a contract with one of Delmarva’s five chicken companies. There are 1,206 chicken grower families on Delmarva, each one an important part of the $4.8 billion chicken community.
The following growers were honored:
Jerry Dukes and Earl Jones
Jerry Dukes Farm
Laurel, Del. | Mountaire Delmarva
Tracey Hill
Hillville Farms
Laurel, Del. | Amick Farms
Blaine Hitchens
Game Farm | T&A Farm
Laurel, Del. | Allen Harim Foodse
Gary Eskridge
Ben’s Biddies | Wheat-Ridge Farm
Rhodesdale, Md. | Perdue North
Chad Mitchell
Chad Mitchell Farm
Frankford, Del. | Mountaire Delaware
Matt Nechay
Nechay Farms
Felton, Del. | Perdue North
Ryan Rhodes
Shore Pleasure Farm
Centreville, Md. | Coleman
Mohammad Sheikh
Kun Farm
Princess Anne, Md. | Mountaire Delmarva
Matt & Sherri Smith
Windy Acres
Bridgeville, Del. | Mountaire Delaware
Ed & Valerie Warnick
Ed & Valerie Warnick Farm
Greenwood, Del. | Amick Farms
Joel Wharton
Cowhouse Branch | Joel Wharton Farm
Millsboro, Del. | Perdue South
Terry White II
Vision Quest
Parksley, Va. | Tyson
The Outstanding Grower awards were presented during the fifth annual Booster BBQ, an event for DCA members and invited guests at the Delaware State Fairgrounds. More than 750 DCA members and others in the chicken community attended the event, which featured barbecued chicken donated by Perdue Farms and Crescent Foods prepared and served by Greenwood Volunteer Fire Company and Harrington Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, desserts from Schlabach’s Ice Cream, door prizes, more than 50 vendors, lawn games and kid’s activities.
The growers received silver Revere bowls and were recognized on stage at the Booster BBQ. They also received lane signs that can be displayed at the entrances to their farms acknowledging them as outstanding poultry producers.
Source: Delmarva Chicken Association
