Poultry and Eggs Provide a Multibillion-Dollar Direct Impact on Virginia’s Economy

In partnership with: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Poultry and eggs are essential to Virginia’s economy – they represent the largest agricultural sector in the state, providing an impressive $5.8 billion in direct impact. Nationwide, Virginia ranks ninth for the production of broiler chickens, sixth in turkey production and 26th in egg production.

According to a survey conducted by the Virginia Poultry Federation, there are about 1,100 commercial poultry farms throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia’s poultry and egg industry employs as many as 17,245 people across the state and generates an additional 36,702 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries.

“The poultry industry is a tremendous success story for employing science and technology to feed a growing population in a sustainable manner,” says Hobey Bauhan, president of the Virginia Poultry Federation. “Per capita, U.S. poultry meat consumption has risen from 34 pounds annually in 1960 to about 110 pounds today. Egg consumption is also on the rise per capita, increasing from 239.7 eggs annually in 1999 to 289.5 eggs in 2019.”

In the early 20th century, it took more than 5 pounds of feed to produce 1 pound of chicken. Today, it takes less than 2 pounds of feed to produce 1 pound of chicken.

“This efficiency and improved environmental footprint are the results of scientific advances in breeding and nutrition,” Bauhan says. “It is also the result of farmers taking good care of their birds in modern poultry houses, which use the latest technology to deliver feed and fresh water, maintain the right temperature and protect birds from predators and avian diseases. These things maximize the health of the birds and help them grow well.”

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Keenbell Farm

In Hanover County, CJ Isbell and his father, Eddie, produce grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, free-range poultry and eggs on their third-generation family farm. CJ’s wife, Jessica, and their two teenage children, Faith and Landon, are also involved in the operation.

“Both of our kids manage the egg laying. They gather, wash, grade and package our eggs,” CJ says.

In addition to selling meat and eggs at their farm store, Keenbell Farm supplies protein to local grocery stores and offers a farm to home delivery service.

“Consumers are looking for honesty, transparency and a relationship with their food producers. We’re closing that gap,” CJ says. “We’ve seen a big turn in that direction – particularly post- COVID, we’ve had a huge increase in the number of consumers. ‘Foodies’ used to be the ones looking for local foods, but now it’s the average consumer.”

CJ was named Virginia Farmer of the Year for 2020-2021, and Keenbell Farm was chosen as the 2021 Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award winner for the family’s environmental stewardship and conservation practices on their farm.

“We utilize regenerative agriculture practices. All of our livestock and grain production is centered around the soil,” CJ explains. “Instead of thinking of ourselves as poultry producers, we manage our land as soil farmers. We use the animals, forages and crops as tools to manage and improve the soil because healthy soil feeds the plants and grains, which feeds the animals, which feeds us. We take a holistic approach.”

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Wolfepack Farm

In 2022, Wolfepack Farm of Harrisonburg was one of five farms across the United States to receive the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of their exemplary environmental stewardship.

“Our family has been in the poultry industry since 1993 when we built our first turkey house and became a contract grower for Rocco,” says Kathleen Wolfe, who owns Wolfepack Farm with her husband, Tim. “Since then, our operation has grown to four houses, contracted with Cargill, producing roughly 261,000 light hens a year for meat. We also raise beef cattle and crops.”

They’ve also been awarded the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce 2022 Farm Family Stewardship Award and the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District 2022 Clean Water Farm Award.

Tim and Kathleen manage the farm along with their son, Logan, and son-in-law, Sam. The family takes great pride in preserving and maintaining their land and waterways for future generations.

“We enjoy this lifestyle and are grateful to be part of the poultry industry in Virginia,” Kathleen says. “Raising poultry has allowed us to have a sustainable farming operation and given us the opportunity to be at home to raise our children, who now have started their own families. There is no better place to raise a family than on a farm.”

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