®

D P I I N AC T I O N

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®VOL. 60, NO. 1 FEBRUARY 2020

Published by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. ■ Georgetown, Delaware

INSIDE THIS ISSUE■ Who’s At the Helm for 2020 / 1 - 2

■ Infectious Coryza: What Happened,What’s Being Done / 3

■ Charge Up Your Career Path Witha Scholarship / 5

■ On-Farm Field Day is March 4th / 6

■ Where the States Stand onChicken Issues / 8 - 9

■ Maryland Department of AgricultureReleases PMT Plans / 11 - 12

■ An Air Study Pointed toChicken Farms.We Pointed Out its Flaws / 14

■ Our Ambient Air Monitoring EffortNears Start / 15

■ DPI Gets Results ForOur Members / 17 - 18

■ Strategic Planning So Far / 19

■ Mountaire to Pioneer 'One HealthCertified' Label / 20

■ Groundbreaking for New SailsburyAnimal Health Laboratory / 20

■ Perdue, BioEnergy DevCo MakeAnerobic Digestion Pact / 22

■ Maryland Readying 2019AIR Forms / 23

In December, our Board of Directors chose those who will helplead DPI in 2020, including our Executive Committee membersand our president, vice president, second vice president, treasurerand board members at large.

DPI’s president this year is Dale Cook, theMillsboro Complex Human Resources Manager forMountaire Farms. Dale served as vice-president in2019. He previously worked in the lawenforcement field before joining Tyson Foods,where he also held a human resources position. In2016, he received the Chancellors Award from the

Eastern Shore Community College for Occupation SpecificInstruction and Services. Cook graduated from the University ofArkansas; he and his wife, Natalie, have two daughters, Allisonand Madelyn.

Cook says he wants to focus DPI’s attention on the following goalsfor 2020: advocating for the industry on legislative and regulatoryissues; executing the strategic plan, including rebranding; ensuringgrowers, companies, and allied businesses are all well-represented and have a voice in DPI; collaborating with ourpartner groups to complete the ambient air monitoring project; andensuring we are good fiduciaries of DPI’s resources.

DPI’s vice president is Jennifer Feindt, a graduateof the University of Delaware, where she majoredin soil science. She also has an MBA fromWilmington University and is a member of Class Vof LEADelaware. She has been a loan officer inthe Dover office of MidAtlantic Farm Credit sinceOctober 2016. Prior to joining MAFC, she was a

farm loan specialist with USDA Farm Service Agency, and beforethat a branch manager for County Bank. Feindt lives in Milford,Delaware.

Continued on page 2

Who’s At the Helm for 2020?

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The second vicepresident for 2020 –serving in a newposition created inresponse to ourstrategic plan – isFar Nasir, a grower

in Maryland who began raising chickens in2012. Before moving to Worcester County,Maryland, he worked for corporate andindependent supermarkets in Connecticut. He isa graduate of Seneca College in Ontario,Canada who now enjoys farming with his wifeand three children near Pocomoke City.

Andrew McLean is DPI’streasurer – another newposition on our board. A poultrygrower for 13 years, Andrewwas a banker who servedfarmers for 28 years beforethat. He served as DPI’s

president in 2012 and is a member of the boardof directors of the Harry R. Hughes Center forAgroEcology, Inc. He’s also a leader of theDelmarva Land & Litter Collaborative. Andrewreceived DPI’s J. Frank Gordy, Sr. DelmarvaDistinguished Citizen Award in 2018.

Also serving on DPI’s executive committee arepast DPI presidents Jennifer Timmons, agrower and UMES professor, and Bill Massey,with Mountaire Farms.

Continued from page 1

Who’s At the Helmfor 2020?

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In January, chickens on two broiler farms onDelmarva tested positive for Infectious Coryza,a bacterial disease. This disease is a newchallenge for Delmarva’s broiler farms, but it isnot new to the region. Infectious Coryza hadpreviously been found in backyard flocks onDelmarva. It also cropped up in a fewcommercial layer farms on Delmarva last year.And as you may have heard, there were morethan 50 cases of it in backyard, layer, andbroiler flocks in Pennsylvania in 2019.

Infectious Coryza is more common in olderbirds than in broilers (which is why it is morecommonly found on layer farms and inbackyard flocks, whose birds live longer thanthe typical broiler growout period.) InfectiousCoryza mostly causes airsacullitis in broilers,while traditional Coryza causes swelling of thehead.

The disease poses no human health risks -- itcannot be transmitted to people. While it canincrease mortality in chicken flocks, it is not asdangerous to the birds as avian influenza.Nevertheless, preventing additional cases ofInfectious Coryza in broiler flocks is a highpriority. That’s why, in an abundance ofcaution, organizers called off the poultrysessions of Delaware Ag Week last month.

The signs of Infectious Coryza in broilersinclude respiratory difficulty, head swelling,nasal discharge, less feed and water

consumption, and eye inflammation. Thebacteria can travel from farm to farm in litter ormanure, farming materials or equipment,vehicles, and people who have picked up thebacteria on their clothing, shoes, or hands.Mortality above 3/1,000, or a marked decreasein food and water consumption, should becues to inform your flock advisor you suspectdisease in your houses.

To reduce the risk of a flock being exposed toInfectious Coryza, growers and others whowork on farms should take the following steps:

• Restrict farm traffic to essential visits.Avoid unnecessary visits to other poultryfarms. Both inanimate objects, like shoes,or living vectors – people, animals – cancarry bacteria from farm to farm.

• Do not allow layer manure to be spreadnear your chicken houses.

• Make sure all farm visitors follow yourcompany's biosecurity rules. Weardedicated on-farm clothing and boots; ifyou must visit another poultry farm,change clothes before leaving your farm.

• Don't share equipment that contacts litterwith other growers. If you must do so,clean the equipment before it arrives onyour farm.

• Unless absolutely necessary, employeesof shared service companies (fuel, feed,and other deliveries) should not enterchicken houses. If they must enter houses,they must wear clean, disposablecoveralls, boots, and gloves.

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Infectious Coryza: What Happened, What’s Being Done

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DPI has opened the application period for its2020 College Scholarship Program.Applications are being accepted forundergraduate and graduate scholarshipsavailable in the amount of $1,500 or more.Since the first DPI scholarship was awarded in1985, it has helped many students along theway toward careers in the chicken community.One such recipient is Jenelle Eck, who wasone of nine to earn a scholarship in 2018.She’s now the programs and public relationsdirector for Maryland Grain Producers.“Working in the agriculture industry is likeworking with a big supportive family; everyoneis here to help and everything is connected,”Eck told us. “The DPI scholarship helped mecontinue my path of study at the University ofDelaware. Find out what you love to do andstick with it!”Undergraduate applicants must be a Delmarvaresident and a student in good standing at anyaccredited, degree-granting institution in theUnited States, or in the case of graduatinghigh school seniors, accepted to anaccredited, degree-granting institution withinthe United States. Individuals must have anacademic major in a subject area relevant toDelmarva's chicken industry, from animalscience to business to agronomy or marketingand everything in between, and be planning acareer in a segment of this industry. An officialtranscript must accompany each application.Graduate student applicants must meet theabove criteria, with the exception of Delmarvaresidency. In addition, the individual must beengaged in research that could positivelybenefit Delmarva's chicken industry. DPImembership on the part of the applicant orhis/her family is not required and has no effect

on the selection process."Since 1985, we've awarded more than$144,000 to deserving, driven studentsthrough our scholarship program," said HollyPorter, DPI's executive director. "Many of themwent on to careers in Delmarva's chickencommunity and are contributing to our $3.5billion chicken economy. We're excited to offeropportunities to a new set of young peoplewith this year's scholarships."Applications must be completed and receivedat the following address on or before 4:30 p.m.on April 3, 2020:DPI College Scholarship Program16686 County Seat HighwayGeorgetown, DE 19947-4881Application forms and additional scholarshipinformation are available atdpichicken.org/scholarship or by emailingdpi@dpichicken.com.

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The University of Maryland Extension,University of Delaware Cooperative Extension,the University of Maryland Eastern Shore,along with Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.,invites you to attend an on-farm field day forDelmarva commercial poultry farmers to beheld Wednesday, March 4. The event will takeplace from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at YahyaFarm located at 38067 Robin Hood Road inDelmar, Del.

Practical workshops will be offered to helpgrowers improve production practices andmaintenance of their farm and equipment.More than 50 vendors and sponsors will alsobe there exhibiting, demonstrating equipmentand supplies, and discussing goods and

services. Government agencies will also bepresent to assist growers. This event is freeand nutrient management credits are available.Lunch will be provided.

Register by Friday, February 28 at https://on-farm-field-day.eventbrite.com.

Remember to practice good biosecurity --leave your farm clothes at the farm.

On-Farm Field Day is March 4Here’s the link:on-farm-field-day.eventbrite.com

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Now that it’s nearly spring,lawmakers and their staffsare back at work in statecapitals – and we’re rightthere with them. DPIcontinues to advocate for allour chicken community

members in Annapolis, Dover and Richmondand to help educate legislators on topics thatmay impact our business.

DelawareDelaware is in the second year of its two-yearsession. Currently, there have been few billsthat have a direct impact on our our industry.

Senate Bill 136 – DPI Supports – This billwould strengthen Delaware’s “right to farm,”protecting growers from nuisance lawsuits. DPItestified last June in support of this bill duringthe committee hearing. It was voted out ofcommittee but has not been introduced to theSenate chamber yet.

Senate Bill 105 – DPI Opposes – This bill willincrease the minimum wage to $11 in the firstyear and by $1 each additional year until itreaches $15 by 2024. DPI sent a letter ofopposition to the committee members. This billwas voted out of the Labor Committee butreassigned to the Finance Committee.

House Substitute for House Bill 200 – DPI isMonitoring – This bill would develop aframework for assessing needs andimplementing projects to improve Delaware’swater supply and waterways. A trust would becreated using funds proposed in theGovernor’s budget to execute those projects,based on a recommendations from a WaterInfrastructure Advisory Council. DPI is workingwith other agricultural stakeholders to ensure

that funds and processes already establishedfor agricultural best management practices arenot cut.

MarylandAt the time this article was written, there wasonly 1,000 bills that had been introduced inMaryland, with thousands more sure to come.If you’re interested in meeting lawmakers totalk about our issues at Chicken Day inAnnapolis on March 17, contact me at302-856-9037 or porter@dpichicken.com.

Senate Bill 188 – DPI Supports – This billstates that if a label identifies a product asmeat, it cannot be from a product that containsanimal tissue cultured from animal cellsoutside the animal or is made from plants orinsects. DPI would prefer labeling to beconsistent across the United States andaddressed at the federal level. If that is nothappening, then we support this bill.

House Bill 229/Senate Bill 300 – DPI Opposes– These bills, which have been introducedseveral times, would prohibit the use ofinsecticides containing chlorpyrifos. Since thisis a pesticide in our growers’ toolboxes forcombatting darkling beetles, and is only usedby certified pesticide applicators, DPI opposesthese bills.

Senate Bill 540 – DPI Supports – This billwould allow a member owner electriccooperative to have regulatory flexibility tooffer broadband Internet service. ChoptankElectric is endorsing the bill, calling it astepping stone toward providing broadbandservice to underserved areas of the EasternShore.

Where the States Stand on Chicken IssuesBy Holly Porter

Executive Director

Continued on page 9

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Senate Bill 841/House Bill 1312 – DPIOpposes – These bills would impose seriousrestrictions on the construction of new chickenfarms or the expansion of existing chickenfarms. They define chicken farms growingmore than 300,000 birds per year as an“industrial poultry operation” and banexpansion of existing or new farms that goesover that threshold.

Senate Bill 928 – DPI opposes – This billwould order CAFO permits to not be issued incounties with high recorded phosphorouslevels in soils unless the farm develops amanure transport plan requiring the chickenlitter to be moved out of the higherphosphorous counties. This is duplicative ofthe nutrient management law that is already inplace and seems to assume that farmers, bothchicken and grain farmers, are not followingtheir nutrient management plans.

VirginiaVirginia is in the middle of their long sessionthis year, which includes setting a two-yearbudget. In November, Virginia also saw a shiftin their legislature, with the Democratic partyhaving the majority in both the Senate andHouse. A number of bills have beenintroduced, but very few directly affecting thechicken industry.

House Bill 1192 – DPI Opposes – This billdirects the State Water Control Board toregulate aboveground storage tanks thatmeasure more than 1,320 gallons in capacityand may contain hazardous substances otherthan oil. This goes above and beyondregulations, reporting and fees that are alreadyin place at the federal level and is duplicative

of regulations by the Department ofEnvironmental Quality.

DPI will continue to be your voice, butsometimes the legislators need to hear thevoice of their constituents as well. We urgeyou to help in advocacy by contacting yourlegislator, attending committee hearings orsending in your letters of support or opposition.

To monitor bills, watch hearings (only inMaryland) or check on who your legislator is,check out the following sites:Delaware – legis.delaware.govMaryland – mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsiteVirginia – virginiageneralassembly.gov

Where the States Stand on Chicken IssuesBy Holly Porter

Executive DirectorContinued from page 8

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In order to learn more about this product and associated services, please contact Delmarva Custom Applicators, LLC at (410) 858-4626.

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Maryland Department of Agriculture Releases PMT PlansThe Maryland Department of Agricultureannounced new funding and initiatives forfarmers as it moves forward with theimplementation of the PhosphorusManagement Tool (PMT). A proposed one-yeardelay in implementation was voted down bythe PMT Advisory Committee with supportfrom representatives of the agriculture industry,including DPI, and environmental groups.

The department announced a new set ofinitiatives, laid out in a fact sheet, that it saidwill help Maryland farmers meet the PMT'srequirements. They included:

• Improvements to the Manure TransportProgram, including shorter, more flexibleapplications and claim forms. The programhas set up a new manure hotline(410-841-5864) for farmers interested inmoving or receiving manure. GovernorHogan’s budget also includes anadditional $1 million for the program fromthe Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal BaysTrust Fund.

• Partnering with integrators to moreaccurately track the supply and demandfor manure and connect farmers who needto move manure with farmers looking toapply manure. “This will greatly improvethe efficiency of the Manure TransportProgram by identifying farms who need tomove litter off their farm and matching withfarmers who are able to land apply litter,”the department said.

• Working with the Maryland EnvironmentalServices to identify facilities that can beused as temporary storage areas formanure until it is ready to be moved to afarm or alternative use facility.

• A potential partnership with the Marylandand Delaware Railroad Company to haulmanure out of Maryland to farmers andgrowers who have expressed interest inusing manure as fertilizer. “In addition toreaching farmers and growers incentral/western Maryland, this couldprovide service to Midwest corn growerswho have expressed interest in usingpoultry litter as fertilizer,” the department’sfact sheet said.

• An outreach campaign to encourageeligible farmers to use chicken litter as acrop fertilizer. Advertisements in trade

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This ad encouraging farmers to make use ofMaryland’s Manure Transport Program is partof the state’s effort to help implement the PMT. Continued on page 12

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Maryland Department of Agriculture Releases PMT Plans

publications, social media ads, andbanners at grain elevators are part of thecampaign.

• A $1 million field science study, workingwith the University of Maryland on a five-year study on the field science of PMT.The study will be funded in part by a$350,000 United States Department ofAgriculture grant, with the remaindercoming from the Chesapeake and AtlanticCoastal Bays Trust Fund.

• Continuing to identify new alternative usesfor litter through MDA’s Animal WasteTechnology Grant program and industrypartnerships.

• Finding new ways to reduce phosphoruslevels, including a research project withUniversity of Maryland Center forEnvironmental Science analyzing the useof aragonite on fields. “Aragonite isbelieved to absorb phosphorus, changingit into a plant-ready form of the nutrient,which thereby reduces phosphorus levelsin the soil,” the fact sheet said.

“To adapt to the PMT, farmers will need help inthis growing season, as well as assurancesthat long-term solutions for phosphorusmanagement are being explored,” said HollyPorter, DPI's executive director, in a newsrelease. “We’re pleased that the MarylandDepartment of Agriculture has developed thismulti-step plan for assisting livestockproducers, including chicken growers, andgrain farmers as we make the changes PMTimplementation requires of us. It’s especiallyimportant that Maryland legislators preservethe additional $1 million being proposed formanure transport in the 2021 budget. Along

with manure transportation funding contributedby chicken companies, those funds representa cost-effective way to apply the organic, slow-release plant food that is chicken litter to grainfields while improving water quality in theChesapeake Bay.”

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Maryland’s family farmers raising chickenshave played a key role in achieving the state’swell-documented progress in reducingnutrients in the Chesapeake Bay andimproving water quality. Maryland has met itswater-quality goals for reduced phosphorusseven years ahead of the 2025 deadline, inpart because of reduced phosphorus loadsfrom agriculture and despite rising phosphorusloads from cities and suburbs. Farmers in thewatershed have reduced their nitrogencontribution to the Bay by 24 percent since the1980s, even while nitrogen runoff fromdeveloped areas has risen.

Late last year, research funded by theChesapeake Bay Foundation and performedby North Carolina State University modeledammonia emissions from a hypotheticalchicken industry that bears little resemblanceto Maryland’s actual community of chickenfarmers. The researchers, in a paper,estimated chicken farms on Delmarva causedabout 11 million kilograms a year ofammonia/nitrogen deposition in theChesapeake Bay watershed. But as we readthrough the study, we noticed major ways inwhich the chicken industry they built a modelfor doesn’t look like reality.

The research assumes farmers use no litteramendments — particles spread on chickenhouse litter that soak up ammonia from the air.In reality, as our members know, the use oflitter amendments is widespread on U.S.chicken farms because they reduce ammonia,producing a better environment for chickensand farmers. The research also assumes thatevery Maryland chicken house contains birds365 days a year, without pause. In reality, allchicken farmers have “layout” periods betweenflocks several times a year, when the houses

are empty so farmers can prepare for the nextflock or perform maintenance. The model alsodoesn’t account for any forested land onDelmarva, assuming all of Maryland’s EasternShore is farmland. In reality, forests absorbammonia, as do vegetative buffers on chickenfarms.

“In major ways, the study built amodel of the chicken industry thatdoesn’t look like reality.”

As the researchers acknowledged, theseassumptions were “not a realistic approach”and caused their model to overestimateammonia levels. The researchers did notapproach DPI or our members to get dataabout the use of litter amendments or thefrequency of layouts before publishingconclusions based on their incomplete model.We are seeking ways to work with theChesapeake Bay Foundation to correct thoseflawed assumptions in the model.

Even with these flawed assumptions in place,the model’s predicted ammonia levels onDelmarva fell far short of concentrationsnoticeable by people, or concentrations withany effect on human health. When theresearchers performed limited air monitoringon Delmarva, they recorded the highest levelsof ammonia in a city and at a waterfront pointclose to southern Maryland – not in rural,farmed areas. That’s no surprise to Delmarvafamily farmers raising chicken who live andwork on their farms, right alongside their flocks– after all, you care deeply about air quality,since you breathe the same air your neighborsdo.

An Air Study Pointed to Chicken Farms. We Pointed Out its Flaws

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DPI is pleased to share that two sites havebeen secured on the lower Eastern Shore ofMaryland for the new ambient air monitoringstations. You may recall that DPI and the KeithCampbell Foundation for the Environment arepartnering with the Maryland Department ofthe Environment to monitor ambient air quality,including levels of ammonia and particulatematter – both in areas near chicken farms aswell as in areas without them. This data willgive some baseline information on air quality.

The first site is located on Route 13 inPocomoke and has five chicken farms locatedwithin a one-mile radius, and six farms within atwo-mile radius. The other site is located inPrincess Anne and has only two farms in atwo-mile radius. In addition, stations located at

Horn Point in Dorchester County and OldtownFire Station in Baltimore City will also bemonitoring for the same ammonia andparticulate matter.

MDE is working with the landowners to installthe equipment, set up the electricity and trainstudents from the University of MarylandEastern Shore (UMES) to collect the data. Bythe time you read this, the monitoring stationsshould be nearly up and running. Wheneverthey begin, they’ll collect data for one year.

While DPI does not believe this will answer allthe questions people have about Delmarva’sair quality, this is a good first step in justgathering data about ambient air – the air weall breathe – on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Our Ambient Air Monitoring Effort Nears Start

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We sincerely thank you for your membershipin Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. and for yoursupport over the last year. Because of yourhelp and the support of 1,700 other memberswho, like you, understand the importance ofthe poultry industry to Delmarva, we were ableto achieve many successes that would nothave been possible without you.

Below are some things we accomplished in2019 with your support:

• Our largest-ever electric buying group ofover 200 members will save membersmore than $600,000 over its three-yearduration. The rate we negotiated is 11%lower than the previous contract rate,allowing individual members to save anaverage of $1,000 a year.

• By securing a three-year grant from theDelaware Natural Resources ConservationServices office for our VegetativeEnvironmental Buffer Program, we wereable to offset $90,000 in expenses fortechnical assistance, marketing materials,mailings and translating services.

DPI Gets ResultsFor Our Members

One of our many Lunch & Learn sessions,available only to DPI members, held in 2019.

Continued on page 18

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• We convinced Maryland legislators toreject the Community Healthy Air Act aftermuch work, while also engaging newmembers to testify and become involved.We also began proactively working onstate legislative issues for 2019.

As we move into a new year, we look forwardto developing more ways to serve you,including hosting new meetings andeducational events, while continuing to workaggressively and proactively on governmentrelations, environmental issues, and advocacy.You will also continue to receive the followingbenefits as a DPI member:

• Our quarterly newsletters DPI in Action –and for growers, Timely Topics – and aweekly email newsletter, Chicken Chatter

• A ticket to the Booster Banquet for every$150 in dues paid

• The opportunity to attend Lunch & Learnworkshops, on-farm field day and energyfair

• Invitations to and notifications aboutchicken-related educational meetings andother events

• Timely updates and calls to action onimportant legislative and regulatory policyissues

• The benefit of our communicationstrategies and public relations campaignsto educate, advocate, grow and improvethe poultry industry on Delmarva

We encourage you to renew your membershipin DPI today at: www.dpichicken.org/membership. If you havequestions about membership or suggestionsfor how we could make belonging to DPI meanmore, get in touch with Maureen Duffy:302-856-9037, duffy@dpichicken.com.

DPI Gets Results For Our MembersContinued from page 17

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Want to Get MoreInvolved with DPI?

If you want to get more involved withDPI, get to know other growers, and learn

things that might helpyou earn more money, then become a

member of DPI’s Grower Committee. It costs nothing and will pay back

in many ways.

Call us at 302-856-9037 to get involved.

Page | 19

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The DPI Board of Directorsand staff continue to applyour Strategic Plan, adoptedin 2018, to the real world ofour day-to-day work here.Below are just a fewhighlights.

Driving Strategy 1 – Improve the image of ourorganization and industry through rebrandingand the use of various communicationmethods.

• DPI developed an annual communicationsplan to focus our efforts.

• The DPI Board of Directors, working withan outside consultant, has been workingon market research, focus groups, nameideas and logo options to better definewho we are, where we came from andwhere we want to go in the future. Staytuned for future announcements.

Driving Strategy 2 – Be a strong advocate forboth the chicken industry and our organization.

• A subcommittee of members have createdsome action plans for proactive legislativeengagement strategies that will be fullydeveloped later this year.

• An advocacy plan, tools and training willbe shared with the Board of Directors andimplemented in 2020.

Driving Strategy 3 – Create the most effectiveorganizational and governance structure thatwill prepare us for the future.

• In September 2019, the Board of Directorsapproved recommendations that includeddeveloping two new officer positions – 2ndVice President and Treasurer; developingtwo new standing committees – Financeand Governance; set term limits andnumber of terms for Board of Directors;modified the Executive Committee to onlyinclude officers and one Director-at-Large;and has charged all committees todevelop a charter of roles andresponsibilities during 2020.

• The DPI Board of Directors held their firstBoard training in January, facilitated by theDelaware Alliance for NonprofitAdvancement (DANA).

Driving Strategy 4 – Diversify revenue streamsfor our longevity as an effective organization.

• DPI has seen increased revenue withadditional sponsorship opportunities atevents such as the National Meeting onPoultry Health, Processing and LiveProduction, Lunch & Learns and the DPIScholarship Golf Tournament.

• With the development of the FinanceCommittee, DPI will continue to discussshort-term and long-term budget needs.

All this was just in the first year! We willcontinue implementation of the five-year planand will keep you updated as we do it.

Strategic Planning So FarBy Holly Porter

Executive Director

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(NIAMRRE) will soongive producers a way todemonstrate toconsumers that theyfollow responsibleanimal care principles.One Health Certified, acomprehensive animal

care program, establishes verified animalproduction practices in five core areas:disease prevention, veterinary care,responsible antibiotic use, animal welfare, andenvironmental impacts.

Participating in this USDA Process VerifiedProgram provides an objective, third-party

verification that producers fully comply with theguidelines of the program. Millsboro-basedMountaire Farms, the nation’s sixth largestchicken producer, is the first company to adoptthe standards for chicken. “It was important tous that we participate in a holistic and ethicalprogram that strives for optimal healthoutcomes for animals, consumers, and theplanet,” said Dr. Don Ritter, director oftechnical marketing at Mountaire Farms.Mountaire successfully completed USDAaudits in November 2019 at all its productionfacilities including hatcheries, feed mills, growout and harvest plants, verifying that thecompany was complying with the strict newguidelines. ®

Mountaire to Pioneer 'One Health Certified' Label®

Page | 20

The MarylandDepartment ofAgriculture brokeground this monthon a new AnimalHealth DiagnosticLaboratory inSalisbury. Thefacility will replacethe department’soriginal lab, whichwas built in 1953,and is in need ofmajorrenovations. At19,178 squarefeet, the new labprovides larger

work areas; public meetings and trainingfacilities; two necropsy suites; a newincinerator; and a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3)laboratory for advanced diagnostic work.

The department works closely with state andfederal counterparts, as well as private andcommercial veterinarians, to protect

Maryland’s agriculture industry againstinfectious diseases like avian influenza andequine infectious anemia. Specializing inpoultry disease, the new Salisbury lab will playa critical role in regional efforts to safeguardthe health of millions of birds on the Delmarvapeninsula.

“Delmarva’s $3.5 billion chicken communityrelies on the Salisbury Animal Health Lab,along with Lasher Lab in Delaware, to help usconstantly monitor the health of farmers’ flocksfor any sign of disease,” said Holly Porter,executive director of Delmarva PoultryIndustry, Inc. “It’s dedicated teamwork thatbrings farmers, chicken companies, and theselabs together to keep our food safe.”

A brief speaking program featured remarksfrom Maryland Secretary of Agriculture JoeBartenfelder; Maryland Secretary of GeneralServices Ellington E. Churchill, Jr.; DelawareSecretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse;Maryland State Veterinarian Dr. Michael Odian;and Porter.

Groundbreaking for New Salisbury Animal Health Laboratory

Holly Porter and MarylandSpeaker Pro TemporeSheree Sample-Hugheslift shovels during thegroundbreaking ceremony.

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Page | 21

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Bioenergy DevCo announced it has entered a20-year partnership with Perdue Farms for thesupply of organic material from Perdueprocessing facilities as well as the purchaseand management of the Perdue AgriRecycleorganic soil composting facility near Seaford,Del.

Under the terms of the agreement with PerdueFarms, BDC will purchase the existingcomposting facility and operate it whileworking within the Delaware Department ofNatural Resources and Environmental Controland Sussex County permit process to

construct an anaerobic digester. The proposedfacility will be capable of processing a range oforganic material from local poultry farmers andprocessors including dissolved air flotation(DAF) residuals, hatchery byproducts andpoultry litter. In addition to the production ofnatural gas, the process creates a virtuallyodor-free digestate, a natural soil amendment.

"Our mission is to make sure anaerobicdigestion becomes the de facto solution formanaging organic material in the UnitedStates, and the Perdue AgriRecycle facility,which is already composting at a large scale,is the perfect venue to showcase the potentialfor this technology," said Shawn Kreloff,founder and CEO of BDC. "The use ofanaerobic digestion, combined with enhancedcomposting of organic material, reinforcesPerdue's ongoing commitment to drivingeconomic development in the region andadopting innovative solutions that are good forthe environment and the bottom line."

Perdue, BioEnergy DevCo Make Anerobic Digestion Pact

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The Maryland Department of Agriculturemailed 2019 Annual Implementation ReportingForms and instructions in early January toapproximately 5,500 Maryland farmers whoare regulated under the department’s NutrientManagement Program. These farmers arerequired to follow nutrient management planswhen fertilizing crops and managing animalmanure.

Reporting forms are due to the department byMarch 1 and are also available for downloadon the department’s website. The forms outlinenutrient applications made in calendar year2019. Failure to submit an Annual ReportingForm may result in fines and loss of eligibilityto receive cost-share funds.

As a result of recent legislation passed by theMaryland General Assembly, this year’sreporting form will ask additional questions onmanure and other organic products, includingpoultry residuals, sewage sludge, and compost

that have been imported, exported, or land-applied in Maryland. The goal of the newreporting requirement is to ensure bettercompliance with Maryland’s PhosphorusManagement Tool regulations.

Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)operating under a permit from the MarylandDepartment of the Environment should submitone combined reporting form along with amanure analysis to the Maryland Departmentof Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program. • Use the pre-filled reporting form thatarrives in the mail.

• Do not leave spaces blank. If nutrientswere not applied, place a zero in the box.

• If the information requested does notapply, write N/A in the box.

• Use the pre-printed envelope to mail thereport.

• Affix appropriate postage and mail byMarch 1. ®

Maryland Readying 2019 AIR Forms

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Page | 24

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DELMARVA POULTRY INDUSTRY, INC.16686 County Seat HighwayGeorgetown, DE 19947-4881

Address Services Requested

(302) 856-9037dpi@dpichicken.comwww.dpichicken.org

DPI’s MISSIONTo be the Delmarva

chicken industry’s voiceas the premier membershipassociation focusing onadvocacy, education and

member relations.

DPI’s VISIONTo be the most-respectedchicken organizationin the United States.

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.

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Now that it’s 2020, make sure to renew yourDPI membership. Doing so ensures you won’tmiss out on:

• Receiving this newsletter, and for growers,the Timely Topics newsletter too

• Chicken Chatter, our weekly emailnewsletter

• A ticket to the April 21 Booster Banquet inSalisbury, Md. for every $150 in duespayments

• Notices about our member-only Lunch &Learns – see the schedule of upcomingsessions at dpichicken.org

• Member-only sponsorship opportunities atthe Booster Banquet, the June 3 CollegeScholarship Golf Tournament, and theSept. 28-30 National Meeting on PoultryHealth, Processing, and Live Production

To renew your membership, visitdpichicken.org/membership or contact memberrelations manager Maureen Duffy at302-856-9037 or duffy@dpichicken.org.

Don’t Miss Out – Renew Your Membership

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