During the “Recent Grad Holiday Turkey Challenge,” if at least 300 recent NC State graduates made a gift to the university between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15, the Prestage family would donate 200 turkeys to the Food Bank. An alumni task force led the campaign, using email, social media and phone calls to secure the donations. The turkey challenge was a success, with participation by 328 donors (the total amount of money raised is not yet available).

As part of a fundraising campaign through the North Carolina State University Annual Giving Program, the Prestage family – who recently made a $10 million gift to endow the Department of Poultry Science – donated 200 turkeys to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

During the “Recent Grad Holiday Turkey Challenge,” if at least 300 recent NC State graduates made a gift to the university between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15, the Prestage family would donate 200 turkeys to the Food Bank. An alumni task force led the campaign, using email, social media and phone calls to secure the donations. The turkey challenge was a success, with participation by 328 donors (the total amount of money raised is not yet available).

Courtesy of S. Stanard (NCSU)

The Department of Poultry Science will be renamed the Prestage Family Department of Poultry Science in honor of Bill and Marsha Prestage and their family, longtime supporters of NC State and owners of Prestage Farms, a poultry and pork production company headquartered in Clinton, N.C. Home to one of only six poultry science departments in the nation, NC State produces job-ready graduates in an important domestic industry.

“The impact of this gift will ensure the pre-eminence of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science for generations to come and provide a powerful stimulus for economic development in North Carolina and beyond,” Woodson says. “The partnerships we have with supporters like the Prestage family are essential in helping us fulfill our mission as the largest public institution of higher education in North Carolina. Together we will continue to strengthen NC State’s position as an incubator for research, educational innovation, collaboration and economic development.”

The gift will be divided into two endowments that will provide income in perpetuity to support a strategic combination of teaching, research and extension programs. The Prestage Department of Poultry Science Endowment for Excellence will allow the department to respond to emerging needs and opportunities by providing faculty and student support, curriculum enrichments, increased opportunity for interdisciplinary research and enhanced ability to respond to an agricultural crisis.

The second gift endowment will be used to fund the Prestage Family Distinguished Professorship in Turkey Physiology, Nutrition and Immunology. The distinguished professorship will allow NC State to recruit a renowned faculty member who will contribute to the department’s overall teaching, research and outreach mission.

”This endowment is an investment in the future. With only six poultry science departments left in the country, we felt it was important to endow the NC State poultry science department in order to ensure that the department would always have the funding necessary to continue its service to the industry,” says Bill Prestage. “While we could have built a building, buildings will eventually need to be replaced. An endowment is forever.”

Poultry production is big business in North Carolina. The state ranks second in the nation, producing nearly 10 percent of all U.S. poultry. Annually, North Carolina poultry companies produce approximately 800 million broilers, or chickens raised for meat, 32 million turkeys and more than 3 billion eggs. North Carolina currently ranks No. 2 nationally in turkey production; No. 3 in total poultry; No. 5 in broiler production; and No. 10 in egg production.

“For many years, both the department and the college have been known as go-to places for scientific information, technical expertise and a strong base of students. This transformational gift will help us better address the most challenging agricultural concerns,” said Dr. Richard Linton, the college’s dean. “Through its partnership with the Prestage family, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will build upon its existing strengths and develop new opportunities for leadership. We will continue to grow in our role as an engaged, responsive and innovative college.”

Recent N.C. Department of Agriculture statistics show that poultry represents nearly 38 percent of all cash receipts from agriculture. Conservative estimates place the “farm gate” value of North Carolina poultry products at $3.6 billion.

“In North Carolina, poultry production accounts for tens of thousands of jobs and millions in economic activity,” said Dr. Mike Williams, professor and interim head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science. “The department, one of only six poultry science departments in the United States, provides expertise to the poultry industry and citizens throughout North Carolina. The impacts of this department’s programs are significant and profound, and will only increase thanks to this generous gift from the Prestage family.”

Prestage Farms works with more than 400 family farms across the country to produce about 1.25 billion pounds of turkey and pork each year.

The Prestage Department of Poultry Science will be the second named academic department in the history of the university; the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering was named in 2005.

More information is available at the NC State announcement page at: http://news.ncsu.edu/announcements/prestage-family-gift/

Related Links:

CALS News center: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/news-center/

Raleigh News & Observer (Front Page Print Edition): http://www.newsobserver.com/content/print/front_pdf/1-A-Wed-October-10-12.pdf
Raleigh News & Observer (Online Edition):  http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/09/2401491/ncsus-poultry-science-department.html

Collins Bullard Wins 2012  NC Poultry Federation Grower Environmental Excellence Award

The North Carolina Poultry Federation (NCPF) held their Annual Meeting August 9-10 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC.  The NC Poultry Federation, founded in 1968, is a non-profit trade organization representing over 5000 family poultry farms and the interests of the entire poultry food industry in NC.  The Federation recognized several industry professionals at the Awards Banquet and elected the Board of Directors for the coming year.  Over 150 members and guests attended this year’s banquet hosted by NCPF’s Executive Director Bob Ford and outgoing NCPF President Paul Nordin.

Collins Bullard of Bullard Farms in Stedman, NC, was winner of the 2012 Grower Environmental Excellence Award for excellence in farming and environmental stewardship.  Collins is a grower for Prestage Farms.

 Learn more about Collins and his family ]]> http://www.prestagefarms.com/awards/prestage-grower-wins-environmental-excellence-award/feed/ 0 http://www.prestagefarms.com/awards/2012-prestage-round-up-4h-livestock-show/ http://www.prestagefarms.com/awards/2012-prestage-round-up-4h-livestock-show/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:47:46 +0000 slanier http://www.prestagefarms.com/?p=3043

16th Annual Prestage Farms Youth Livestock Round-Up

The 16th Annual Prestage Farms Youth Livestock Round-Up was held the weekend of August 24th – 25th. The goat show was on Friday the 24th followed by the lamb & heifer show on Saturday the 25th. The event, held at the Sampson County Livestock Facility, included youth from at least twelve counties across NC competing with their animals. Exhibitors were  judged on how well they presented their animal as well as an additional market class that placed entries that best fit the traits needed for today’s livestock industry on top. This was a free event and a good time was had by all!

This fall’s market hog show was held on Thursday, October 4th at 6pm at the Sampson County Livestock Facility.  It was the first market Hog Show held in Sampson County in several years, and it was a great success.  Over 50 hogs turned out for this unique event.

Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champions

Prestage’s Own Wins NCPC’s 2012 Environmental Stewardship Award

Alan Parker, Nursery Production Manager and contract grower, won the NC Pork Council’s 2012 year’s Environmental Stewardship Award for his dedication and continued excellence on his contract nursery operation.  Parker truly leads by example, running his nursery operation with exemplary management and environmental stewardship.

This award is presented by the North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) at its annual NC Pork Conference to a North Carolina pork producer who practices exceptional on-farm environmental stewardship.

To read the full story in the NCPC’s NC Pork Report:

Alan Parker Environmental Stewardship Award

The system was dedicated on Tuesday, April 3, 2012.  There were many people were in attendance including dignitaries from the national, state, and local levels.  Attendees heard comments from dignitaries including the USDA Under Secretary of Rural Development, Dallas Tonsager.  After the press conference, attendees were taken out into the solar farm for tours and a question/answer session with members of the FLS staff.

System Facts:

• The 7-acre system consists of 2100, 4′ x 10′ ground-mounted AET flat-plate solar collection panels and ten, 25,000 gallon solar storage tanks.
• With no capital investment from Prestage Foods, FLS Energy financed the project and will sell Prestage the energy it needs to heat water used in daily plant operations.
• The system will cut Prestage’s utility costs for heating hot water by more than 35%.
• During construction, from October 2011 through January 2012, an average of 60 construction employees were working on site, 7 days a week.

Read more from the Saint Pauls Review:

Nation’s Largest Solar Thermal Farm Dedicated

Solar Farm Unveiling to bring state, national dignitaries to SP

St. Pauls, NC – November 16, 2011 – FLS Energy has started construction on a solar thermal farm for Prestage Foods, a 260,000 square foot turkey processing plant based in St. Pauls, NC. The system will provide the poultry processor an estimated 100,000 gallons of hot water per day for use in operations. The Prestage Foods solar thermal farm will be one of the most significant solar projects developed in the nation for use of on-site solar thermal energy.

The solar farm will be constructed in three phases. Each phase will include 700 ground-mounted flat plate solar panels. Phases one and two will be completed this year and the third phase is estimated to be complete in March 2012.  The solar thermal system will also include a custom designed pump-house and solar storage system. FLS Energy developed the technology specifically for this project in order to provide hot water to the facility 24 hours a day.

Prestage Foods has made no capital investment in the development of the solar thermal farm. FLS Energy will own the system and sell Prestage the energy it needs to heat water at a lower rate than propane, the company’s current energy source for heating water.

“We are pleased to partner with Prestage Foods as they reduce their dependence on propane and reap the rewards of lower energy costs,” said Brownie Newman, Vice President and Director of Project Finance at FLS Energy. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

ABOUT FLS ENERGY: FLS Energy is one of the nation’s leading solar thermal developers. Projects range from some of the largest solar hot water systems in the country to solar photovoltaic farms for generating electricity. In 2011, the company was ranked the 46th fastest growing company in the nation by Inc. Magazine, and was named a top 25 “Companies to Watch” in North Carolina by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.  Visit flsenergy.com.

For updates on this project: Read more about it in the local news

Fayetteville Observer: Tuesday, November 22, 2011
“St. Pauls company installs system to harness solar energy”

Fayetteville Observer: Monday, November 28, 2011
“Editorial: Sunup – Profits speak louder than naysays”

News & Observer, Charlotte Observer: Friday, March 23, 2012
“N.C. company building gigantic solar water heating system at turkey plant“

Clinton, North Carolina (January 31, 2012) – Prestage Farms has a long-standing history of meeting high-quality animal care standards. This is why Prestage Farms takes any claims of animal neglect or abuse very seriously in order to seek the facts and take appropriate actions.

In response to an undercover video released today by the animal rights group Humane Society of the United States, Prestage Farms’  Ron Prestage, DVM said, “We recognize our moral and ethical obligation to provide for the responsible treatment of our animals.  Any willful mistreatment or neglect of animals is unacceptable. Prestage Farms takes animal well-being very seriously and has a history of implementing programs that help to train our employees on proper animal care, handling, and transporting procedures.”

“The video’s focus is primarily on the use of gestation stalls and depicts this production practice as being cruel to the animal.  Prestage Farms has production systems for both group housing and individual housing.  We respect the right of farmers to use different housing systems because we know that good animal care is the result of the individual commitment of those who care for the animals as well as sound production practices. Whether raised in groups or individual housing, we are committed to sound animal care.”

“We have already initiated an internal investigation to assure that company policies and procedures are being followed.  If a determination is made that any employee of the company engaged in activities contrary to the policies they agreed to follow, We will take disciplinary action as appropriate, including termination of employment, as is provided in our animal welfare policy. This has been done before when a violation of our policies has been identified.”

Prestage Farms is a family owned pork production company founded in 1983 and employs over 1800 employees operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma.

SCC president Dr. Bill Aiken, and community college partners Butterball Inc, Smithfield Foods, Prestage Farms, the Golden LEAF Foundation and the Community College System were touted for their commitment to needed training programs that helped both employers and employees during the awards banquet held Thursday night.

“You are a critical component of our success as we continually strive to strengthen North Carolina’s worker training system,” Gov. Bev Perdue wrote in a congratulation letter to SCC and the five other Governor’s Award winners, honored through the Excellence in Workforce Development program.

“Tonight’s award recipients have set a high bar for all of us to follow,” the governor noted.

In Sampson’s partnership, that bar was raised and raised again, as a desire to bring an ammonia refrigeration program to SCC became an oft-discussed desire, starting with officials from Butterball seeking to provide such training closer to home.

With only three other programs across the nation and more and more local companies needing workers trained, the desire turned into an all-out push, with Aiken leading the charge to forge partnerships that would bring the program, a facility, equipment and funding.

Aiken said what seemed impossible turned out to be easy thanks to a commitment from industry leaders, the state and the Golden LEAF Foundation, all who believed in the program so much that they brought financing to the table that was the key to making the dream a reality.

“The fact that this program is now operating and has trained 120 people shows what can happen when you bring a great group of individuals and industry together to address a need,” said Beverly Hinson, with Butterball. “We appreciate Sampson Community College for supporting our industry in this project and many others.”

Butterball’s Mike Lewis, in accepting his company’s award, also praised Aiken for leading the charge. “He was visionary in his approach. His efforts and his determination to get this done made this program happen.”

That sentiment was shared by Smithfield’s Dennis Pittman. Community College System president Scott Ralls and Golden LEAF’s Mark Sorrells, who all touted Aiken for his visionary approach to bringing the program to SCC and to industry officials who desperately needed it.

“We really appreciate Dr. Aiken for the leap of faith he took. Without his leadership, this program might not have happened,” Pittman said.

Sorrells, senior vice president of Golden LEAF, praised Aiken and the partners for laying the groundwork that made his group’s funding possible.

“They had a well-thought out plan that connected with industry and trained workers. It was a good partnership, which enticed us to get into the game,” Sorrells attested.

Sorrells pointed to three significant projects Golden LEAF had been involved in with SCC, including bio-tech, the ammonia refrigeration program and the truck driving, all projects geared to move the agricultural industry forward.

“And that fit well within our mission,” Sorrells said, noting that he had been very pleased with the partnership with SCC that, he said, had brought good results.

That the governor recognized SCC and the forged partnership between so many agencies and industries was just icing on the cake, Sorrells pointed out. “It’s the local effort, the local work and the commitment by so many that makes this program stand above others.”

SCC and its partners were one of nine nominated for the first-ever state award. They were touted for bringing the program to an area where such training was needed.

The training program, the award booklet noted, has become the primary ammonia training institution for all of Smithfield Foods, Prestage Farms and Butterball, and is providing a much needed service to many industries that use this technology. It also brings money into the county, with an estimated $600 per week or more being spent by trainees on food and lodging.

The program came to fruition, Aiken noted, because of the commitment of its partners. Those partners provided financial contributions to the program: Butterball, $100,000; Prestage, $50,000; Smithfield, $100,000; the Community College System, $900,000; and Golden LEAF, $300,000.

Aiken said the program’s success is due to the partners’ commitment to the facility and the fact that they each have identified the program as their primary choice for training employees.

“Without these partners, this program would have never been possible. Their commitment is much appreciated,” Aiken said.

Read more: The Sampson Independent – SCC partners touted for ammonia program

Pictured from top left: Luther Newkirk, Hatchery Sanitation & Transfer Crew Manager, Mark Pate, Maintenance Manager, Bill Carr, Feed Lab Manager, Randall Miller, Clinton Feed Mill Manager, Craig Carr, Finishing Service, Thomas Fennell, Ingold Turkey Breeder Brooder Farm Manager, Ricky Powell, Sow Service, Jesse Sumner, Production Coordinator, Sheri Peterson, Accounting Payables & Inventory, Terrie Anders, Corporate Controller

Pictured from left:  Ray Saunders, Hog Truck Driver; Dean McLamb, Feed Truck Driver; Jesse Melvin, Custodian and Mail Distributor; Donald James, Turkey Production Manager; Ronald Ellis, Hog Nursery Service Person; and Mike Hudson, Maintenance Department Electrician

 
Celebrating twenty-five years of service in 2010 were:  Peggy Deans, Farrowing Department Records Manager, and Perry Daniel, Hatchery Employee.
 
Show from left to right:  Joy & Scott Prestage, Dewayne & Peggy Deans, Marsha Prestage, Perry Daniel, John Prestage, Janice Allen, Janet Prestage, and Bill Prestage.
 
 
 
 

Celebrating twenty-five years of service in 2009 were:  Donnie Smith, Feed Truck Driver, Mark Daughtry, Co-Farrowing Department Manager, Zack McCullen, III, Vice President – Swine Division, Von Johnson, Director of Purchasing, and Clark Peterson, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
 
Shown from left:  John & Scott Prestage, Donnie Smith, Feed Truck Driver, Mark Daughtry, Co-Farrowing Department Manager, Zack McCullen, III, Vice President – Swine Division, Marsha Prestage, Bill Prestage, Von Johnson, Director of Purchasing, and Clark Peterson, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
 
 

Celebrating twenty-five years of service in 2008 were:  Charles Powell, Land Development Employee, John Thomas Johnson, Turkey Service Person, Gordon Campbell, Hatchery and Turkey Breeder Department Manager, and Gordon Howard, Feed Truck Driver.

Shown from left:  Bill & Marsha Prestage, John Prestage, Charles Powell, Land Development Employee, John Thomas Johnson, Turkey Service Person, Scott Prestage, Gordon Campbell, Hatchery and Turkey Breeder Department Manager, and Gordon Howard, Feed Truck Driver.