Alabama Poultry, July/August 2011

AP&EA P.O. 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested

JULY / AUGUST 2011 – Vol. 7 No. 4

Board of Directors Officers Spence Jarnagin, President, Huntsville* Johnny Adcock, Vice President, Woodland* Randall Ennis, Treasurer, Huntsville* Dale Gambrill, Secretary, Snead* John Pittard, Immediate Past President, Guntersville* Directors Ronnie Adrian, Collinsville George Attwood, Anniston Fred Cespedes, Hanceville Cory Early, Decatur Tim Esslinger, Eufaula* Billy Gilley, Cullman Harold Hunt, Gadsden* Heath Loyd, Boaz David Massey, Montgomery Dennis Maze, Horton Todd McMahen, Dothan Dr. Shannon Morgan, Birmingham John Pastrana, Russellville Mitchell Pate, Auburn Mike Pigg, Cullman John Roberts, Cullman Kenneth Sanders, Brundidge Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Gadsden Jack Sherwood, Troy Jason Spann, Guntersville Ken Taylor, Anniston Ben Thompson, Huntsville David Thompson, Ashland Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Snead Craig Williams, Enterprise Advisors Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery Perry Oakes, Auburn

MES S AG E

PRESIDENT’S

It is truly an honor to be elected as the 2011 – 2012 president of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. I want to congratulate my predecessor, John Pittard, on an outstanding term as president and hope to continue many of the policies and programs that he developed.

I hope to continue to work on better communications throughout the industry through our Communications Task Force. Our communications must continue to improve so that we can keep our growers and industry personnel informed on advances in the industry and issues that might impact their farms or workplaces.

Our association will continue to lead the agriculture efforts to protect farmers and processors from proposed frivolous and punitive animal rights regulations and laws.

We will continue to assist poultry farmers that face personal devastation from the recent tornados. We will accept the challenge of educating our membership on the new illegal immigration law and will lobby the Legislature to amend it to make it more reasonable and practical. We will work with state research institutions and agencies to make our industry more efficient and profitable.

To be successful, I will need the support and counsel of each of you. I look forward to facing these challenges and together we will be successful.

*Executive Committee Members

AP&EA STAFF Johnny Adams – Executive Director Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn - Membership Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director Alabama Poultry Magazine is published by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association 465 South Bainbridge Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-265-2732 Fax: 334-265-0008 Send editorial and advertising correspondence to: Alabama Poultry Editor P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Advertising rates and closing dates available upon request.

Editorial matter from sources outside AP&EA is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may or may not coincide with official AP&EA policy. Publication does not necessarily imply endorsement by AP&EA.

www.alabamapoultry.org

Featuring This Issue Governmental Affairs Allied Golf Registration Form Association News Rebuilding Alabama AP&EA Annual Meeting Recipes Auburn Happenings Dr. Bill Batchelor, It Has Been a Big Year Scholarships Practical Applications Calendar of Events

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ALEIR Holds Immigration Law Seminars Throughout Alabama Alabama Employers For Immigration Reform (ALEIR) presented a series of statewide seminars, from late July through August, dedicated to explaining the ramifications of Alabama’s new immigration reform law to business owners and human resource personnel.

Lawyers from several Alabama law firms made presentations giving detailed perspectives on this new tough and lengthy (77 pages) immigration legislation and its impact, intended and unintended, on Alabama businesses, including small family farming operations.

These are highlights from the Aug. 3 seminar in Birmingham.

Prohibition on Employing Unauthorized Aliens The Act prohibits any employer from hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized aliens. It also prohibits any unauthorized alien from seeking work as an employee or as an independent contractor. This will also include any temporary laborers that a farmer might hire for “casual” work, although “casual domestic labor performed in a household” is exempted from the law.

Federal I-9 forms are required for all employees hired after Nov. 6, 1986, and, according to Wendy Padilla-Madden with Balch & Bingham’s labor and employment group, even day laborers are required to have I-9s. These must be retained for three years after hiring or one year after termination, whichever is longer. There are no agricultural exemptions.

While the I-9 cannot be used to screen potential employees (it must be filled out only after a job offer has been made and accepted), it does give an employer who has “complied in good faith” with the I-9 requirements an affirmative defense that he did not knowingly hire or employ an unauthorized alien.

Good faith compliance with the I-9 regulations is the employers’ first line of

defense to both federal and state immigration enforcement actions, however good record keeping is essential. It is also beneficial to have I-9 audits performed by outside firms.

E-Verify Mandate The bill also requires that all Alabama employers register and use E-Verify, a no cost internet based system that electronically verifies the employment eligibility of employees, no later than April 1, 2012. For any employers doing business with the state of Alabama or getting any state funds, Jan. 1, 2012, is the effective date. Small businesses with 25 or fewer employees will be able to register to use E-Verify through the Alabama Department of Homeland Security (ADHS). Padilla-Madden states that the law requires that E-Verify must be carried out within three days of an individuals hiring.

According to the Balch & Bingham, LLP law firm publication Labor and Employment Bulletin, “It remains unclear, however, what the process will be for utilizing the ADHS E-Verify program or if it will require that small employers provide ADHS with copies of their I-9 forms in order to query employees through the system.”

Enrollment and proper use of EVerify should give employers a safe harbor under the new Alabama immigration law against any charges of knowingly hiring or employing an unauthorized alien.

Discrimination and Wrongful Termination Claims The act also makes it “a discriminatory practice” for an employer to refuse to hire or to discharge a U.S. citizen or authorized alien while retaining or hiring a known unauthorized alien. The U.S. citizen or authorized alien who has been aggrieved by this “discriminatory practice” can collect compensatory damages, including attorney’s fees and

court costs.

Penalties for Violation of the Act Penalties for knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens can be severe. State penalties can range from temporary suspension of business licenses and permits for the first violation to permanent revocation of the business licenses statewide for multiple violations. Employers who have violated the law will be subject to additional reporting requirements once their license is restored for up to three years after the initial violation is found. The enforcement provisions in the act involve a multitude of state agencies including the attorney general, local district attorneys, the ADHS and, ultimately, the state courts.

Since few poultry growers have business licenses, these penalties could mean little, with two major exceptions: 1. Growers function as independent contractors to the poultry companies.

These poultry companies must be in compliance with the law, and currently all Alabama poultry companies are E-Verify compliant. However, for them to be compliant with this new law, if they sell directly to the State of Alabama, they must have sworn affidavits from each sub contractor or independent contractor attesting compliance with the law. Growers filing false affidavits could be subject to cancellation of contracts and other unspecified penalties.

2. Employers may not take deductions for wages, salaries or any compensation paid to unauthorized aliens.

Claiming a deduction for those wages could subject the employer to a penalty of up to 10 times the claimed deduction.

E-Verify requirements will not become effective until April 1, 2012, however, the disallowance of tax deductions and discriminatory practices portions of the act will become effective on Sep. 1, 2011.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Cullman County Association Holds Annual Meeting After enjoying a delightful barbecue chicken supper, Association President Chad Federer called the meeting to order.

The first order of business was the Receiving checks were (front row – left to right) Beverly Wilkerson, distribution of Pilot Light Home; Camile Hendrix, Project Lifesaver; Donna Jacobs, Victims’ Services; (back row) Ed Huddleston, Autism Society; Javon checks to local Daniel, Cullman Caring for Kids; Mary Leone, Daystar House; Jerry benevolent instituJacob, Good Samaritan Health Clinic and Gregg Hodges, Hospice tions. of Cullman County Kent Stanford, CULLMAN, July 22 – Cullman extension specialist with the AlaCivic Center was the scene of the bama Cooperative Extension System Cullman County Poultry & Egg As- was the featured speaker. He spoke sociation Annual Meeting, and, as in on nutrient management and litter years past, giving back to the com- management, pointing out the munity was one of the main themes worldwide need for nutrients. He of the evening. said that currently two thirds of all

litter is used on hay fields and pasture land, while one third is used on row crops. He said that this usage should be reversed because most hay fields already have enough phosphorus.

Association Vice President Julie Barck announced the 2011 Cullman Country Poultry & Egg Association Hall of Fame winner as Jerry Eddleman. He is from the Gold Ridge community and has been an active poultry grower since 1973.

Julie Barck with Jerry and Shelba Eddleman

Alabama Poultry & Egg Association 2011 GROWER EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS

What We Learned From The April 27 Tornados And The Aftermath TOPICS AND SPEAKERS: What is the NPTC? Jim Donald National Poultry Technology Center

Structural & Insurance Considerations Dennis Brothers National Poultry Technology Center

Generator & Electrical Maintenance Issues Jess Campbell National Poultry Technology Center

Winter Fuel & Electricity Saving Technologies Gene Simpson National Poultry Technology Center

Poultry Regulatory Update and Emergency Response Dr. Tony Frazier and Dr. Terry Slaten Alabama Dept. of Agriculture & Industries Two Hours of Continuing Education Credit will be awarded Lunch or Dinner served at all meetings Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:30 a.m.

Cullman Civic Center Cullman 6:oo p.m.

Snead State Cafeteria Boaz

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Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:30 a.m.

Tom Harbin Ag Center Luverne 6:oo p.m. New Brockton Farm Center New Brockton

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AP&EA Presents Checks for Ari Hallmark UNION GROVE, Aug. 4 – AP&EA Immediate Past President John Pittard and Executive Director Johnny Adams, amid a crowd of smiling Wayne Farms service personnel, presented checks to Ari Hallmark’s maternal grandmother, Susan Garmany, as a part of the Alabama Poultry Growers 2011 Tornado Relief Fund.

Ari’s parents, Shane Hallmark and Jennifer Garmany Hallmark, along with Shane’s parents and niece were killed in a tornado that destroyed the elder Hallmarks’ home in the Ruth community on April 27. Ari, 6, survived, but was badly injured. (See her story in the May/June 2011 issue.)

Shane and his brother-in-law, Josh Garmany, were in partnership, growing for Wayne Farms Decatur.

Two checks were presented, one for Ari’s immediate and short-term care, and the other for Ari’s scholarship fund which will be available when she turns 18. Contributions to the Ari Hallmark Scholarship Fund can be made at any Merchants Bank.

AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams (left) and Immediate Past President John Pittard (far right) along with Doug Hester, live operations manager at Wayne Farms North Alabama, present two checks to Susan Garmany for her granddaughter, Ari Hallmark.

Marshall County Presents Scholarships

Front row, left to right: Lindsey Baker, Mary Katherine Burks, Jessica Bynum, Cortney Culbert, Melia Millican. Back row: Austin Harvey, Ethan Baker, Andrew Kinney and Bronson Edmonds.

Not present, Savannah Hilley.

GUNTERSVILLE, Aug. 5 – The Marshall County Poultry & Egg Association held its annual meeting on the scenic shores of Lake Guntersville at Civitan Park.

There were a number of equipment vendors plus several financial services groups represented.

By the time that MCP&EA President Mike Carnes came to the podium to greet everyone, most were finishing their supper of delicious barbecued chicken. After the

blessing of the food, he introduced a number of dignitaries in the audience and the Association board of directors and committees. Treasurer Danny Ballew gave the financial report.

After AP&EA Membership Director Ray Hilburn announced the dates of the 2011 Grower Seminars, it was time to announce the annual scholarship winners.

Scholarships of $500 were presented to 10 children of poultry

Alabama Poultry Magazine

growers. They are: Ethan and Lindsey Baker (Boaz); Mary Katherine Burks (Douglas); Jessica Bynum (Douglas); Cortney Culbert (Guntersville); Bronson Edmonds (Brindlee Mountain); Austin Harvey (Boaz); Savannah Hilley (Boaz); Andrew Kinney (Douglas) and Melia Millican (Albertville).

The scholarship money was raised from ticket sales for a drawing for a John Deere Gator, sponsored in part by Coker Tractor Co. of Arab.

In the drawing, the Gator was won by Allen Childress of Asbury.

He grows for Wayne Farms.

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Aug. 5 – The sound of hammers can be heard from acrosss the road, as workers are busy rebuilding four of Pilgrim’s Pride grower, Phillip Roberson’s six poultry houses destroyed on April 27, 2011. Phillip’s father, O.L. Roberson supervises from his golf cart in the shade of a hundred-year-old pecan tree that was damaged in the storm. He gestures to a grove of pecan trees about a hundred yards away and tells me that they were damaged as well. His house sits on a knoll under the mountain that gives the community its name, Mount Hope. His son and granddaughter, Anna, live acrosss the road. The tornado passed to the west of his home, crossed the road destroying Phillip’s six 54’ x 500’ houses and damaging his home.

They are grateful to be alive and unhurt.

It’s a good day to be passing out the last of the Alabama Poultry Growers 2011 Tornado Relief Fund checks. The day is clear and bright with the only visible reminders of the carnage of April being uncleared piles of rubble and downed trees.

But those who lived through that awful day need no reminders, they will carry them inside for a lifetime.

AP&EA Immediate Past President John Pittard, Executive Director Johnny Adams and Membership Director Ray Hilburn were joined by Melissa Durbin, president of Marshall Durbin Companies, in visiting the Marshall Durbin growers receiving checks.

The first stop was at the site where Jerry and Ruby Cotham’s house stood in Phil Campbell. It was destroyed, as were their poultry houses. Even more devastating, their 35-year old son, Jeffrey, living nearby, was killed when his mobile home was destroyed. Currently, they are living in a FEMA trailer on their property.

Not far away, we are met by Jeff Saarinen. He remembers seeing the tornado from his poultry house just a stone’s throw from his home. He called his wife, LaDonna, on his cell phone and told her to get down into the basement quickly, then headed for the house’s control room. He was about to lie down on the concrete floor when the storm hit. He was flung through the wall into the feed bins on the outside. He lay under the rubble for an hour and a half before help arrived. When he asked about his wife, he was told only that she was alive.

Today, nothing remains of his home but a slab and the walls of the ruined basement that his wife huddled in as their home came crashing down. She was also in-

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jured, though not as severely as her husband, who suffered internal injuries and may require hip replacement.

We visited with father and son Pilgrim’s growers, Douglas and Johnny Wilkins of Mount Hope, as they were in the process of clearing debris from the site where their poultry houses were destroyed. Douglas lost two poultry houses and several smaller buildings, but his son lost his home and four poultry houses. He and his family are now living in a FEMA trailer. The relief checks will help them with the cleanup efforts and provide living expenses.

Another Pilgrim’s grower, Phillip Dale Garrison and his wife, Marilyn, of Russellvile were in church when the storm hit. Just prior to entering the sanctuary, he had called his younger cousin, Donald Heaps, who worked with him on his poultry farm, to tell him to leave the farm and find a safe place to ride out the storms.

Heaps, who had been working in the poultry houses, told his cousin that he was going to pull his truck, which was new, into one of the empty houses and wait out the storm.

After the service, Garrison saw a number of trees down and realized that a tornado had come through in the direction of his farm. He rushed back to the farm with growing apprehension, only to find the road to his poultry houses blocked by downed trees. Fearful of what he would find, the 57-year-old proceeded on foot. When he reached the site where his poultry houses had been, he realized his worst fears.

He found his cousin, badly injured but conscious, in the wreckage of his new truck. The truck had been cartwheeled by the tornado acrosss the ground, scattering a debris trail of tools that had been in the truck bed.

His cell phone was not working and with no way to summon help, Garrison was faced with a dilemma. Should he stay and offer whatever aid and comfort to his cousin or try to get help that could possible save his life? Making his decision, he told his cousin, “I love you, Donald,” the added, “I’m sorry.”

Donald replied, “I love you, too. It’s not your fault,” he reassured his cousin.

Garrison ran back through the growing darkness, dodging downed trees and losing his shoes in the mud. By the time he was able to get help and get back, his cousin had died.

Continued on pg. 30

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Although the weather the previous day had been stormy, Sunday dawned bright and clear for the arrival of Alabama’s poultry professionals for the annual meeting at the Sandestin Hilton. Everyone was all smiles as the first thing they saw coming down the hall for the Sunday evening “Welcome to the Beach” reception was our big chicken.

The food was great and the fellowship was even better, as our sponsors and their families met old friends and made new friends. It was somewhat bittersweet realizing that this might be Roger Chappell’s last annual meeting with AP&EA. He is being promoted to CEO of First South Farm Credit and moving to Jackson, Miss.

He does have a standing invitation to come back, however.

Monday morning’s business meeting kicked off with Association President John Pittard recognizing Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner John McMillan and Assistant Commissioner Wayne Walker. Also recognized was Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame member, Herman McElrath, who was attending his first annual meeting in a number of years.

President Pittard also thanked the AP&EA staff for working so closely with him during his term. He thanked Association Executive Director Johnny Adams for his outstanding work with the Legislature. He then turned the microphone over to Commissioner McMillan.

McMillan half jokingly said that in his first seven months in office he was getting experience in crisis management, referring to the budget cutbacks and projected future budget cutbacks. He assured the audience that, despite a number of layoffs, his department still has many great people and that he is working to keep the Hanceville diagnostic lab open.

McMillan was followed on the program by Dr. Bill Batchelor, dean of Auburn University College of Agriculture. Dean Batchelor was celebrating the first anniversary of his coming to Auburn and his second AP&EA annual meeting. He reported spending his first year in reviewing resources and meeting with commodity groups.

Currently, he is involved in strategic planning and staffing needs for the eight departments that make up the college. He also discussed budget issues, citing a 30 percent cut from the 2010 budget, with an overall budget of $25 million. He reported that, of the approximately 1,000 students enrolled in the College of Agriculture, 50 percent were in animal sciences, while the majority of job placements were in poultry.

Roger Chappell, chairman of the Tornado Relief Fund Committee, brought everyone up to date on the Alabama Poultry Growers 2011 Tornado Relief Fund.

He reported that the fund had raised $76,000. After his report, there was a brief cri-

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tique of the 2011 “Evening of Fun,” and Wanda Linker reported that tickets sales had been up from the previous year.

Richard Lusk, chairman of the Allied Committee, reported that the 2010 Allied Golf Tournament, with 86 golfers, had raised $11,000 for scholarships. He also announced the date for the 2011 tournament, Oct. 20, at Chesley Oaks Golf Club in Cullman. James Sanford reported that the annual Big Bass Tournament had raised $2,700, and Casey Jones apprised the meeting that the “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament, with 118 players, had raised more than $10,500. The proceeds from the Bass Tournament and the EOF Golf Tournament went toward the Alabama Poultry Growers 2011 Tornado Relief Fund.

Johnny Adcock, chairman of the Grower Committee, reported that high corn prices are adversely effecting everything. He also reported that, partially due to the recent tornados, insurance prices were moving higher and that ALFA was cutting back on the number of poultry houses that it would insure. He wondered aloud how many poultry growers who had lost houses would rebuild. Association Membership Director Ray Hilburn responded that 60 to 70 percent of growers were planning to rebuild.

Tim Esslinger, in giving the Processor Committee report, echoed much of what Johnny Adcock had said about corn prices and how high grain prices were forcing cutbacks. He also announced the combined industry workshop for Nov. 8 and 9 in Auburn.

State veterinarian, Dr. Tony Frazier, led off the advisor reports by telling the group, because of budget cuts, diagnostic lab fees would be increasing. He also discussed difficulties with FEMA in reimbursements for poultry farm cleanup and disposal of mortality. Jim Donald of biosystems engineering reported on the scheduled housing short course for October in Auburn.

Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn poultry science department reported on studying a new “2+2” program with Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and several other schools. This program would allow students to enroll in a poultry science curriculum in a junior college and, after receiving their associate degree, transfer in to Auburn for their remaining two years. He also announced that poultry science would be awarding $120,000 in scholarships.

Dr. Joe Hess of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System reported on the Success of Animal Care 101, a seminar for law enforcement. Perry Oakes of NRCS announced that more rainwater harvesting installations would be placed in Alabama.

AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams provided an update on goings on in the Alabama Legislature, including the latest on the immigration reform law. He also reported that CAFO money has been cut – from $350,000 to $150,000, indicating that farmers may have to start paying for CAFO registrations.

That afternoon, in the annual meeting, there was an election of new officers for the coming year (see pg. 17). At the end of that meeting, everyone headed off to get ready for the awards banquet and auction.

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Awards Banquet The dust had hardly settled over the silent auction and the rattle of dessert plates could still be heard, when Association President John Pittard opened the awards portion of the banquet by welcoming all assembled. His first order of business was to recognize all of the dignitaries present and then introduce the Association Executive Committee. He took the audience by surprise when he announced the awarding of two Presidential Awards that were totally unscripted. Those awards went to Mike Linker, AP&EA Administrative Director Wanda Linker’s husband, and to Mike Linker and Kim Adams Kim Adams, Executive Director Johnny Adams’ wife. These awards were presented for their received Presidential Awards years of support to the Association and to their spouses. for always being supportive of Roger Chappell, who has received Presidential Awards and Distinguished Service Awards the Association. in the past, was presented a special award of appreciation as recognition for his unprecedented leadership in the areas of finance, investments, allied membership and other areas. Roger will be moving to Jackson, Miss., as CEO of First South Farm Credit.

Also recognized for a Distinguished Service Award, Fred Cespedes of American Proteins, was not at this years’ annual meeting. Fred remained in Hanceville supervising repair efforts on the plant damaged in the April 27, tornados. Fred was given his award later (see pg. 19).

“Evening of Fun” Ticket Sales Awards The “Evening of Fun” ticket sales campaign is a gigantic endeavor that takes more than 300 salesmen contacting hundreds of prospects and selling thousands of tickets. This project generRoger Chappell was presented ates nearly 60 percent of the Association’s operating funds. This year’s campaign sold a total of a special award of appreciation for his many years of 3,302 tickets.

Executive Director Johnny Adams called out the names, while Spence Jarnagin, chairman service to the Association. of this year’s ticket sales campaign, presented the awards.

The Top Serviceman for Grower Sales to Breeder or Pullet Hen Growers for the 12th year in a row was Harold Robinson. Harold also received the Alabama Poultry Fraternity watch for 15 years of membership.

The Top Rookie Award went to John Smith with Koch Foods of Ashland.

The Top Salesman to New Ticket Purchasers went to Jackie Lay with Pilgrim’s in Enterprise.

Tyson Foods in Snead won team awards for selling the most tickets. They also won the award for top team based on a percentage of quota with 170 percent and also won an award for achieving its quota.

Dale Gambril accepted the award.

The Allied Team Award was accepted by Richard Lusk.

Ronnie Adrian accepted the team award for Cagle’s Inc., Collinsville

Equity Group, Eufaula Div., was represented by Christie Stockberger.

Team Captain David Thompson accepted the award for Koch Foods of Ashland.

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Unfortunately, the first two award winners couldn’t be with us. Job commitments kept them home. First award winner was Fred Cespedes, he earned the Top Sales for $150 Tickets Award for the fifth year in a row, selling 140 tickets.

The Top Salesman to Broiler Grower Award, also known as the Rhonell Word Award went to Barry Smith with Tyson Foods, Inc., Snead. Barry stayed home to attend a City Council meeting.

With the completion of the awards, Association President John Pittard stepped to the podium and thanked everyone for helping him during his term. “One thing that impressed me during the aftermath of the tornados in April,” he said, “was the spirit of the people in the poultry industry – their commitment, their compassion and caring for their fellow man and our industry. It makes me proud to be a part of this group.” He then, passing the gavel, introduced the new AP&EA president, Spence Jarnagin.

Before leaving the stage, John was presented the bronze rooster, emblematic of a year of successful leadership in his year as Association president. He was also presented a scrapbook of memorable events during the year, as well as testimonial letters from many of Alabama’s elected officials and congratulatory letters from his poultry peers. Denise, his lovely wife, was presented with a Visa gift card.

New Association President Spence Jarnagin spoke briefly, congratulating

John Pittard, on an outstanding term as president and pledging to continue efforts to open communication lines between growers and industry. (The full text of his remarks can be read on pg. 3) Then it was time for the fun to begin, starting with the wine and cigar raffle. Afterwards, the results of the silent auction, which had been held earlier, were announced. In the live auction, conducted by auctioneer Jack Granger, there was the usual collection of guns and hunting trips and two unusual chainsaw carvings. Denise Pittard, once again, contributed a quilt to the cause. Eric Killen of the Vincit Company provided a monster stainless steel cooker and there was an autographed Cam Newton jersey. The bidding was spirited and friendly, raising approximately $30,000 for the Association.

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BAYTOWNE GOLF COURSE – On the par 3 third hole everyone in the foursome of Adrian, Donald, Wilson and Donald had found their opening drives. Everyone, that is, except Nolan Donald, Jim Donald’s son and Methodist minister from Fulshear, Texas. Ronny Adrian suggested that he might look in the hole.

Yeah, like that’s really gonna happen.

Now being a man of faith in God does not necessarily translate into faith in one’s golf game, but, at last resort, he had to look ... and for Nolan Donald there on the green was an epiphany. The ball was nestled like a snow white dove next to the flag in the hole.

Yes, friends – Miracles still happen! Can I get an amen?

The foursome promptly followed up the triumph by getting lost on the course and coming in an hour and a half after everyone else. Miracles, it seems, don’t always come with navigational aids.

Anyway, it seems that everyone had a great time on the beautiful Baytowne Golf Course. The comradery was memorable, though there were a few golf shots that some might like to forget, and most everyone made it back to the clubhouse to post their scores on time.

Sadly, missing from the course were the aromatic clouds of pungent cigar smoke – the telltale sign of a Fred Cespedes foursome. Fred had to stay in Hanceville to nurse his broken water treatment facillity. We hope to have him back next year.

The winning foursome of Mundy, Massey, Jarnagin and Martin shaded the second place team of wandering boys Adrian, Donald, Wilson and Donald by two strokes. The team of Adams, Nye, Pate and Ennis were four strokes off the pace to finish in third place.

Closest to the hole awards went to Randy Wilson on hole 7 and to Scott Black on hole 11. Voted most popular was the young lady driving the refreshment cart.

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AP&EA Elects New Officers for 2011-2012

(Left to right) Immediate Past President John Pittard, AlaTrade Foods, Guntersville; Executive Committee member Harold Hunt, Koch Foods, Gadsden; Secretary Randall Ennis, Aviagen, Huntsville; Treasurer Dale Gambrill, Tyson Foods, Snead; President Spence Jarnagin, Keystone Foods, Huntsville; Executive Committee member Tim Esslinger, Equity/Keystone Foods, Eufaula and Vice President Johnny Adcock, Homestead Farms, Woodland.

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Cespedes and Durbin Presented Awards Aug. 4 – They told Fred Cespedes that it would take six months to repair the ruptured 1.6 million gallon waste water treatment facility at American Proteins’ Hanceville plant. The tank experienced a catastrophic rupture just days after it was weakened by a tornado on April 27, flooding all of the electrical rooms and destroying the water treatment equipment.

Fred, American Proteins vice president and man-in-charge at Hanceville, did not accept that estimate. He got his people working on the cleanup, negotiated with suppliers and, in just over two months, had the plant back in full operation.

For Fred Cespedes, it’s nothing extraordinary. It’s Fred being Fred. Over the years, he has give that kind of support to the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. That is why, at Cullman’s All Steak restaurant, he was presented the Distinguished Service Award by John Pittard.

That same day, John Pittard and Johnny Adams met Melissa Durbin at the Marshall Durbin office in Delmar to present her with the award for the Marshall Durbin team meeting its ticket sales quota for this year’s “Evening of Fun.”

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RECIPES

Ready to Please – New Fall Favorites Warm Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches Serves 4

1 pound pre-cooked chicken, sliced 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced 2 tsp fresh basil, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 loaf crusty baguette, split lengthwise and soft insides removed 2 tbls olive oil 1/3 pound sliced Provolone cheese 8 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into strips Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Combine rosemary, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside. Brush inside of baguette halves with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with herb mixture.

Place sliced chicken, Provolone and sundried tomato strips evenly on one baguette half. Put other half of baguette on top, press down slightly and tie the baguette, at 2-inch intervals, with kitchen string, if desired.

Put baguette on a baking sheet and into the hot oven. Bake until warmed through and cheese is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove strings and cut into quarter before serving.

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Warm Chicken-Lentil Salad Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (8-12 tenders) 1 cup French green lentils 3 cups water 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbls olive oil, divided 1 small onion, diced 1 stalk celery, chopped 1/4 cup purchased red wine vinaigrette salad dressing 1/4 cup minced Italian parsley In a medium sized saute pan with a tight fitting lid, combine lentils, water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring water and lentils to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

While lentils cook, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a sautĂŠ pan. Add garlic, onions and celery and sautĂŠ until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables to a medium sized bowl.

In same pan used to cook vegetables, heat remaining oil over medium high heat. Season chicken tenders with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in heated pan. Saute on both sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.

When lentils are tender, drain any liquid, and add lentils to vegetables. Stir in dressing and parsley, mix well.

Spoon lentils onto a serving platter and top with chicken tenders.

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AUBURN HAPPENINGS

Bill Batchelor and his wife, Dawn, have been married for 21 years. They met on a blind date in 1988, to a Georgia football game. They have four sons aged 13 to 18. The oldest just entered Auburn.

In January, both being good sports, the Batchelors rode on the AP&EA float in Gov. Bentley’s inaugural parade.

Auburn Ag Boss Celebrates First Year For Dr. Bill Batchelor, Dean of Auburn University College of Agriculture, it’s been a big year.

Bill Batchelor didn’t come to Auburn University to maintain the status quo. He came because he saw that Auburn was in a great position to become the preeminent agricultural college in the Southeast. As a dedicated mover and shaker, it was just the kind of challenge that he enjoys. One year later, having weathered some budget storms, there are a number of building projects under way, including the poultry science feed mill, scheduled to open in December, and all paid for by private donations and federal funds. They are also doing strategic planning to determine where they want to be as a college and experiment station five years from now, balancing local stakeholder expectations with some fundamental research in how to double world food output in the next 40 years.

Batchelor expresses that strategic planning, not so

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much in years, as in “cropping seasons.” Thirty-nine cropping seasons are all that separate us from 2050, when global population is projected to increase by 50 percent to more than 9 billion souls. He sees each of those seasons as an opportunity to conduct one varietal field experiment aimed at increasing food production in a sustainable way to feed that growing population. With only 39 experiments, according to him, we can’t afford to blow even one season.

As global population increases, so will the need for new technologies. However, it takes 10 to 12 years for the new technologies to make it from the lab to the farm.

These new technologies will not only increase crop yields, but make farmers better decision makers and, in turn, more profitable. The goal is to make every square inch of crop land as productive as possible.

With the increasing need to feed a growing population, he believes, colleges of agriculture will have a challenge ahead in terms of figuring ways to develop technologies to meet the food needs. His vision is to position the Auburn University College of Agriculture as a primary developing ground for those technologies and strategies.

“Global economic policies,” he says, “ encouraging free trade are leading to increased wealth in many of the countries projected to have large increases in population.” This increased wealth will create an increased demand for protein. Populations will move away from a

Alabama Poultry Magazine

rice and grain based diet toward the more affordable protein sources of poultry and fish. This, he believes, will dramatically increase our export potential.

Batchelor is enthusiastic about Auburn University’s department of poultry science. Being in one of the country’s most poultry intensive areas adds an additional emphasis to developing a strong poultry science department. As one of only six departments in the nation, he sees it as positioned to be the go to source for all questions related to poultry production. It must be able to meet current needs and any needs that might develop through the expansion of our export markets, including food safety, production practices and environmental impact and sustainability.

Sustainability is, of course, one of the most important concepts of the twenty-first century and the College of Agriculture is in full support through a number of departments working in that area. From agronomy (soils) to biosystems engineering to fisheries and allied aquaculture departments, they are always looking into ways to adopt new technologies into farming practice and intensify farming, but always with an eye to how those practices will impact environmental sustainability.

This environmental sustainability, Batchelor believes, will be critical in the southeastern United States in terms of keeping soil in place in the landscape and keeping nutrients in place in the landscape. In the next 40 to 50 years, water also will become a major issue.

Having just come through battles with Georgia and Florida over water rights, it is evident that water will become an ever increasing issue that agriculture will have to deal with.

It is an issue that Auburn is beginning to address.

Alabama agriculture as a whole has not adopted irrigation, however, each year five to six feet of rainfall flows across farm fields and into streams and rivers and little is done to capture that water for agricultural usage. That water, if properly used, would increase production and decrease the risk of drought for farmers.

The tab for irrigation equipment is not cheap, and Batchelor believes that the current financing available, seven to eight years, is not long enough to make the equipment pay for itself. If the repayment could be stretched to 15 years, it would be more attractive to farmers.

He is enthusiastic about the National Poultry Technology Center’s efforts to capture and reuse rainwater, and hopes to see that project bear fruit. He see the NPTC as a great example of making the Auburn knowledge base accessible to the farmer.

It’s been a long road coming to Auburn. He grew up

One of the things that Dean Batchelor most enjoys about his job is being around the kids. Here he congratulates the AP&EA Scholarship winners with Association Vice President Johnny Adcock.

on a suburban farm in Marietta, Ga., got his undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia, and his doctorate in ag engineering at the University of Florida.

After a short stint at Virginia Tech, he accepted a position at Iowa State University. He was there for almost 10 years before accepting a position at Mississippi State University in 2005.

He and Dawn have grown to love Auburn. He says that it reminds him of Marietta when he was a kid.

Happy anniversary, Dean Batchelor; we’re real glad that you like it here and hope you’ll stay for a long time.

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e Future of Alabama Poultry is in eir Capable Hands AUBURN, Aug. 6 – In ceremonies at Ham Wilson Arena, the Auburn University College of Agriculture awarded scholarships for the 20112012 academic year. Of those scholarships, the department of poultry science awarded 38, for a total of approximately $120,000. Eight of those scholarships were provided by AP&EA. Congratulations – now get to work!

Dr. Don Conner with the 2011 AP&EA Scholarship winners

The Adcock family has two scholarship winners and two very good reasons to smile

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July / August 2011

Alabama Poultry Magazine

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

By Jess Campbell, Dennis Brothers, Jim Donald and Gene Simpson National Poultry Technology Center, Auburn University

Hot and humid conditions in most of Alabama for the last 30 days have resulted in many phone calls about how to manage tunnel ventilation to get maximum cooling for birds under these extreme conditions. This newsletter outlines the six key points, based on both research and field experience, that are the most important things a grower can do to help birds stay cool in extremely hot and humid conditions. Most of these are very basic; and we have to say also very often neglected.

We’ll list the points first just briefly, then get into some details.

Tip 1. Keep fan shutters, blades and fan guards clean.

Tip 2. Replace fan belts and pulleys before wear has an effect on rpm.

Tip 3. Make sure there are no restrictions on tunnel airflow.

Tip 4. Eliminate all air leaks.

Tip 5. Keep cooling pads clean and fully wetted.

Tip 6. Monitor and maintain wind-speed and full tunnel static pressure.

First, as an overview, it’s helpful to understand how birds handle heat and what kind of help they need to cope with high temperatures and humidity. Our biggest challenge is with fully-feathered birds at or near maturity. A mature broiler in still air needs to shed approximately 12 BTU/hour/pound to keep its internal body heat from rising to the point of heat stress. At around 68-

70°F and 50 percent relative humidity, the bird can pretty much take care of itself, shedding about 5 BTU/hour/pound off the skin surface and 7 BTU/hour/pound from respiration. If the temperature goes up we can usually keep the bird comfortable by adding wind-speed. If temperature continues to rise we add evaporative cooling to reduce actual air temperature.

However, when both temperature and humidity are high, it is much more difficult to remove the heat from the bird. The bird’s respiratory system is not as efficient in humid air, and neither are our cooling pads. So when it is hot and humid, it is critical to maintain maximum house airflow and maximum cooling pad efficiency.

Now, more details: Tip 1. Keep fan shutters, blades and fan guards clean Research shows that if shutters and blades are allowed to become caked with dust, fan performance can be cut by as much as 30 percent. This means that fans delivering 600 fpm when clean may deliver only 420 fpm when they are dirty. This results in cutting the windchill cooling effect almost in half, from around 15 degrees F to only about 8 degrees of cooling. These are realistic numbers. Without proper fan maintenance, conditions will be nowhere near optimum and bird growth

7.22 - 6.92 = 0.3 lbs more weight per bird at 600 fpm. In a 20,000-bird house, 0.3 lbs x 20,000 x $0.05 = $300.

How important is air velocity? This data from carefully controlled research shows that at week 7 in hot weather, tunnel airflow at 600 fpm produces enough more broiler weight gain to pay out at least $300 per house more than airflow at 400 fpm.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

When pulleys or belts are worn, belts ride low in the motor pulley, as shown at left. Result: blade rpm are greatly reduced, thus robbing cfms, air speed and wind-chill cooling. Belts should be tight and ride high in the motor pulley, as shown at right, to achieve maximum fan rpm and best wind-chill and evaporative cooling.

rate and feed conversion will be greatly hurt.

To do: Clean fan shutters on a weekly basis. A simple dusting off with a softer bristle push broom will often do the trick. Clean fans at least once per flock.

Tip 2. Replace fan belts and pulleys before wear has an effect on rpm The fan belt and pulley together make up in effect a gear ratio that determines fan rpm. As shown above, as a fan belt wears, it becomes thinner and rides deeper in the pulley than when new. This essentially changes the gear ratio, resulting in less air movement. The effect is exactly the same as installing a smaller motor pulley: the fan rpm speed is reduced. The same thing happens with a worn pulley, of course. Field studies have found a surprising number of farms where growers kept fan belts tight but the fan rpm were reduced by 10 percent or more because the pulleys and the belts were worn.

How serious a problem is a 10 percent loss in air velocity? For example, at 600 fpm, the estimated wind chill cooling will be 15 degrees F. A 10 percent drop to 540 fpm wind speed produces only about 12 degrees of wind chill cooling, a significant 3-degree loss. Tightening a worn belt does not cure the problem. To maintain maximum wind-chill cooling, replace fan belts and pulleys before wear reduces the rpm.

Tip 3. Make sure there are no restrictions on tunnel airflow Poultry houses and ventilation systems are designed for a certain cfm airflow and fpm airspeed capability based not only on fan capacity but on specified air inlet sizes and on a given house cross-sectional area (which defines the “tunnel” through which air flows from the inlets to the fan end of the house). If, as we have seen too often in the field, tunnel inlet curtains or doors fail to open fully, or brooding curtains or curtain baffles are allowed to hang down too low, the ventilation system cannot achieve the cooling capability it was designed to

deliver (and the grower paid for). It’s easy to overlook such details as tunnel inlet openings or how low brood curtains are hanging; but on the other hand it is easy to get these details right, and doing so will pay off in better bird cooling.

Tip 4. Eliminate all air leaks Tunnel ventilation means having all ventilation air come in through designed inlets at one end of the house and going out through fans at the other end. If any significant amount of outside air comes in anywhere except those designed inlets, tunnel air velocity drops and wind-chill cooling is reduced. What might seem to be insignificant cracks or gaps, say along an uncaulked sidewall sill plate, can quickly add up. A one-eighth inch crack that runs 100 feet is the same as a one square foot hole in the wall. Further, if we really need maximum cooling and have evaporative cooling turned on, any air leakage lets uncooled outside air come in, so that much of the evaporative cooling we paid for is lost.

We have recently seen quite a few leaky dog-house pad rooms allowing hot air to bypass the cooing pads. It really pays off to do a smoke test to spot and stop any air leaks through wall cracks, around doors, perimeter inlets not fully closing, sidewall curtain gaps, etc. A house tightness test between flocks, closing the house and running one tunnel fan (to be precise, 1 cfm per square foot), should produce a static pressure reading of at least 0.13 to 0.15 inches.

Tip 5. Keep cooling pads clean and fully wetted Like fans, evaporative cooling systems are expensive items that pay off by helping keep birds in optimum growth conditions. But you can’t get the benefits you paid for unless you do what’s needed to keep your cooling pads operating at top efficiency. Any dry area on a pad is the same as an air leak in the house, allowing hot air to come in without being cooled. To maintain maximum cooling, inspect and clean pad systems once a week.

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Inspection includes checking filters, pump screens, and distribution header holes in recirculating systems, to make sure water is flowing properly. Pads must also be kept clean so that flute holes don’t clog up. One of the best ways to unclog channels in a cooling pad is just to spray a lot of water on them. Use normal water pressure only. High pressure systems can cut or damage pads. Several products are available that help loosen dirt on pads. These are normally sprayed onto the pads with a garden type sprayer or a hydrofoam applicator, or poured directly into the cooling sump and recirculated over the pads and allowed to soak. Follow directions on bottle. Then loose material can be flushed out with just plain water. Be certain that whatever material you use to clean your pads does not contain chlorine and is approved for use on the pads without voiding the pad warranty.

In addition to collecting dirt and dust, pads can also become clogged with algae. If you see green growth, use a manufacturer approved algaecide agent only. Contact the manufacturer of your pad for assistance in selecting a cleaning agent. Pad manufacturers recommend either dumping the water from the sump tank at least once a week or maintaining some type of water bleedoff when the pump is on to maintain clean water. Another step needed to prevent algae growth is to flush or clean water filters weekly. Dirty filters greatly reduce the amount of water flowing to the pad and reduce cooling. Also, remember cooling pads need to be dried out at least once each day. Normally, turn pads off between, say 10 p.m. and 9 a.m., so that they are allowed to dry out during the night. If pads become too difficult to clean, it’s probably time to consider replacing them. We have witnessed growers getting an increase of close to 100 fpm of wind-speed in houses by replacing old worn out pads that were restricting airflow. If pad replacement is in order, consider that 6-inch recirculating pads are about 75 percent efficient vs 55 percent for 2-inch spray pads, and provide about 4-5 degrees more cooling.

Tip 6. Monitor and maintain wind-speed and full tunnel static pressure This is the master tip, or we might call it the “all of the above” tip, in that the word maintain takes us back to tips 1-5, which are the more detailed how-to tips. So the key word here is monitor. You won’t know whether you are getting top performance from your ventilation system unless you are regularly monitoring and actually measuring its performance. Air velocity (at bird level)

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is critical, and there are relatively inexpensive windspeed gauges you can use to check it. Full tunnel static pressure, measured about 20 feet forward of the first tunnel fan, is a good indicator of how much work the fans are having to perform. To measure fan end static pressure, a portable magnahelic gauge is needed, and most service techs have access to and are trained in the use of that gauge. This reading will typically be 0.01 to 0.03 higher than the reading taken at the middle (control room) of a house with dropped ceiling, but is variable, especially with higher wind-speeds and/or high ceiling houses with air deflectors.

There is no one full tunnel static pressure that is right for every house. You want to know what the full tunnel static pressure was when your house and equipment were new and performing as designed, or at least what the pressure reading is when you have done all you can to get the house and equipment in top shape. And you don’t want to see that static pressure rising. Abnormally high fan static pressure signals loss of airflow and loss of cooling capability. As design wind-speeds for tunnel houses have increased over the years from 400 fpm to 500 fpm and even to 600 or 700 fpm the total operating pressure on the fans has increased, because the resulting work required for the fans to pull the air into and then exhaust the air out of the house on the fan end has increased. Ten years ago in a 400 fpm tunnel house it would have been common to measure fan static pressure in the 0.08 inches of water column range while in a modern 600 fpm house the total fan pressure might be around 0.15 inches.

The key point is that if you see full tunnel static pressure going up, figure out why it has changed and do something about it. Higher than normal static pressure at the fan end reduces the airflow available for cooling.

The Bottom Line We have documented instances during field visits where growers thought they were getting maximum airflow and were surprised when checking showed abnormally high static pressure at the fan end of the house.

Some of these growers were able to increase full tunnel wind-speeds by 100 fpm or more by taking these tips seriously: tightening up the house, removing air restrictions, cleaning cooling pads, cleaning fan shutters, blades and guards, and/or replacing worn fan belts or pulleys with new ones. Time spent executing these six steps could be money in your pocket.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Just How Important is Airflow?

The graph at right shows approximate wind chill cooling for birds above 5 lbs weight in 85°F air.

Note that the curve is not a straight line. At higher wind speeds a slight loss in fan performance causes drastic changes in bird cooling. A 10 percent drop in air velocity, from 600 fpm to 540 fpm, will reduce wind-chill cooling effect from 15 to 12 degrees.

Research shown in Figure 1, done at Mississippi State University by Dr. Berry Lott, also shows the critical importance of air velocity. Starting from the same point, male broiler birds were reared from 3 weeks to 7 weeks in still air, 400 fpm air, and 600 fpm air. Each batch of birds was kept in a controlled 24-hour cyclic temperature of 77-86-77°F, simulating summer weather conditions. Notice that these birds were not being reared in optimum thermometer temperatures. The research setup was designed only to test how important wind-chill cooling is, with temperatures controlled at 77°F during the night and 86°F during the day, and no evaporative cooling was used. In other words, at these temperatures, wind-chill effect alone was adequate to get good performance if air velocity was high enough. When temperatures go above the mid-80s, you definitely need the additional real temperature drop from evaporative cooling to keep birds growing.

600 fpm - 15 degrees

540 fpm - 12 degrees

grower pay that is a $420 per house price for not keeping cool pads in top shape. There would also be a loss due to a drastic reduction in feed conversion, which we are ignoring here for the sake of this simplified example.

Just How Important is Evaporative Cooling?

What happens in hot weather if good air velocity is maintained but the evaporative cooling system is neglected and doesn’t perform as designed? Other research done by Dr. Lott indicated that if birds were grown at the same wind speed, but with one group at a constant 81°F and the other at a constant 86°F, the birds grown at the higher temperature would be about 20 percent lighter in weight. These are not real world summertime conditions, but they do provide a basis for a reasonable expectation that a cooling system allowing temperature to run +5 degrees F warmer than normal during the heat of the day would be likely to cost us about 6 percent of the birds’ body weight. How much would that cost the grower? In a house growing 20,000 birds to 7 lbs, a 6 percent loss in weight would be 8,400 lbs. At $0.05/lb

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Alabama Rebuilds ... continued from pg. 11

To Garrison, the loss of his six poultry houses and his own home are minor in comparison with the loss of his cousin. Still, the loss is keenly felt. An avid family historian, he lost the family mementos that he had been saving for many years. Several days after the storm, thankfully, his laptop computer was found and the hard-drive was salvaged. It contained many of the family records and photographs.

A man of ushakable faith, Garrison is thankful to have met so many new friends through the ordeal. As terrible as it has been, he sees it as having brought his community closer together. He illustrates by telling me about the rows of trees that had grown up along his property lines, obscuring the view of his neighbors’ homes. Those trees are no longer there and, once again, he can see those homes.

These are just a few of the stories that we heard from poultry growers. One of the Pilgrim’s service reps that acALEIR ... Continued from pg. 4

Federal penalties for not meeting I-9 requirements can be severe, with fines of up to $1,100 per incident, even if the hired individual is a citizen. If a pattern or practice of knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens is established, higher fines and prison time is possible.

This bill is potentially troubling for small Alabama farmers, especially those without internet access or even without computers. Many of these farmers have traditionally hired neighborhood young people for summer or weekend help. To do so now, legally, they will be forced to keep up with I-9s and E-Verify kids whom they have known for many years, or face losing contracts and potential IRS or Alabama

With the ever increasing demand for poultry farms and land (with or without a house), we are extremely short of farms to cover the demand.

Here are a few of our phone calls and e-mails: Buyer from Tampa, Fla., is looking for a 4 to 6 house broiler farm with a home and acreage Buyer from Nashville, Tenn., is looking for a breeder farm Buyer from Tifton, Ga., is looking for large tracts of pasture and timberland Buyer from Dothan, Ala., is looking for a large poultry farm If you are interested in selling your farm give us a call

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companied us was a volunteer firefighter and first responder.

He told us that many of those first responders were now undergoing counseling for what they had seen and experienced.

Several growers commented on young people just showing up to help with cleanup and how grateful they were.

As catastrophic as this experience has been for so many, it is a moving example of how the Alabama poultry community opens its heart. With the trees down, we have seen our neighbor’s needs and come to lend him aid. That, after all, is the essence of community. Hopefully, it is a lesson we will long remember.

In all, the Alabama Poultry Growers 2011 Tornado Relief Fund raised $77,000 dollars with contributions from growers, industry and friends. The Alabama Poultry & Egg Association contributed another $50,000 for a total of $127,000.

Checks for various amounts were distributed to 20 individuals, depending on their losses.

Department of Revenue audits if they deduct their wages from the farm’s tax liability.

The added financial and technical burdens imposed by this law may force many small Alabama businesses and farms to consider whether it is worth the effort to stay in operation. This will be especially true for enterprises run by older and less technically savvy individuals.

This law has much in it that needs clarification, and at AP&EA we will do our best to keep you informed about any modifications or clarifications.

At this writing, United States District Judge Sharron Lovelace Blackburn has put the law on hold for one month while she considers the law’s constitutionality.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Allied Fund-Raising Golf Tournament October 20, 2011– Chesley Oaks 2011 Grower Educational Seminars Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:30 a.m. Cullman Civic Center Cullman 6:oo p.m. Snead State Cafeteria Boaz Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:30 a.m. Tom Harbin Ag Center Luverne 6:oo p.m. New Brockton Farm Center New Brockton

United Country King Realty 334-566-8053 Troy, Alabama www.troy-al-real-estate.com

Alabama Poultry Industry Workshop Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center November 8 – 9

July / August 2011

Alabama Poultry Magazine

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United Country King Realty

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pg.