Legislators Flock to our Farms!
This is my first attempt at blogging, and with any luck you will find something to read and comment on each week. While I’ve served as president of the California Poultry Federation for 20 years now, my professional life began as a journalist, community volunteer and county supervisor. I’ve grown to love the poultry industry as I’ve watched it change, grow and prosper in the Golden State. We consume more poultry in California than any other state, and while we are not the largest producers of birds, we certainly know that chickens and turkeys and other birds are an important part of our state and local economy; and in some communities the largest business.
As 2011 begins, California’s poultry families have already started meeting with new members of both the State Assembly and the State Senate. Every new member we’ve met so far is eager to learn and understand more about the chickens, turkeys, duck, squab and game birds we raise in the Golden State. We are already setting up tours of our family-owned farms and ranches for new officials and some of their staff. One of our biggest supporters and an admired leader in California is Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma of San Francisco. She and her chief of staff Nick Hardeman spent a few hours in one of Foster Farms’ grow-out barns and processing facilities.
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| Assemblywoman Ma (third from left) and Hardeman (right) visited with Foster Farms’ Tim Hoover and Kirk Lippinkott in a ranch near Modesto and Turlock. |
From the inside of a spacious barn, air cooled and heated by special tunnel ventilation air conditioning, Ma watched as the birds received all the feed and water they wanted. She also asked about the husbandry of the birds, and was happy to learn about our high level of poultry care that is so important to family companies in California. Ma and Hardeman also spent almost two hours inside Foster Farms’ processing facility. They watched each step of the tender processing from the time the birds arrived until they left packaged and wrapped within hours and aboard company trucks on their way to local supermarkets and grocery stores.
California Poultry Federation members enjoy spending time with elected leaders and consumers talking about our industry and the important relationships they enjoy in the communities where they live and where their birds are grown and processed.
California Presents the National Turkeys in 2010!
Thanksgiving Week was a remarkable time for the California turkey industry! The Chairman of the National Turkey Federation, Yubert Envia, presented the presidential turkey to President Barack Obama. Envia, vice president of the turkey division at Foster Farms, met with President Obama and his family in the Oval Office before the president pardoned “Apple,” this year’s national bird. Foster Farms leader of turkey production, Ira Brister, was on hand as well to handle “Apple” and his brother “Cider,” the alternate bird. Envia, wife Holly, and their children spent about 20 minutes in the Oval Office before the ceremony. The President asked about their business and life around the birds. President Obama enjoys turkey every year during Thanksgiving, and while he pardoned one California turkey this year, he understands the importance of promoting turkey production and consumption in the U.S. Here is a video of the actual ceremony:
The last time a president pardoned a California bird was in the mid 90s when Zacky Farms’ presented the national bird to President Bill Clinton. Please let me know what you would like to read about, some questions and concerns you may have about our dynamic industry, and visit our website at www.cpif.org.
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