Family farmers from Sanderson Farms earn honors for sustainability

Private label chicken supplier Sanderson Farms has announced three of its family farmers have received honors for sustainability. 

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has awarded farmers in Texas, Mississippi and North Carolina with Environmental Excellence Awards. The annual awards are given to recognize “exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.”

“It is a privilege to recognize these family farms for the excellent job they do in being good stewards of their land,” said Greg Hinton, outgoing chairman for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and vice president of sales for Rose Acre Farms. “Our industry could not continue to function and thrive without taking proper care of our natural resources, and these family farms should be commended for those efforts.”

Sanderson Farms was founded in 1947, and employs over 17,000 people in five operations spanning five states. Last year, the company approved a merger with Wayne Farms.

Of the five Environmental Excellence Award winners, Sanderson Farms family farmers, Donald and Danielle Urbanovsky, were selected as the winner of the Southwest region. Sanderson Farms family farmers Tyler and Janna Bass, who own and operate Crane Creek Farms in Clinton, North Carolina, earned the finalist recognition for the Mid-Atlantic region. Seth Simmons, Sanderson Farms family farmer and owner and operator of A.B. Simmons Poultry in Purvis, Miss. earned a finalist honor for the Southeast region.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work these family farmers have dedicated to perfecting their craft, growing healthy birds and protecting the environment around them,” said Mike Tamimi, director of production for Sanderson Farms. “Achieving excellence in poultry farming is no easy feat, and these family farmers have achieved excellence on a national scale alongside only a few peers from other poultry producers and associations."