Poultry of the Middle in the U.S.: ‘Implications for Sustainable Producers & Scaling Up’ pdf

Poultry of the Middle in the U.S.: ‘Implications for Sustainable Producers & Scaling Up’ Laurie S Z Greenberg Cultural Landscapes, LLC for The Agriculture-of-the Middle Initiative July 2007 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Table of Contents INTRODUCTION PURPOSE METHODS BACKGROUND Growth of the chicken industry Agriculture of the Middle Poultry production & processing in the U.S.: Two extremes POULTRY OF THE MIDDLE Who's in the middle? Specialization by production system 11 Specialization by processing technology 14 Some examples of mid-sized companies 16 ISSUES IN POULTRY OF THE MIDDLE 21 Issues to consider 21 Conclusion 26 REFERENCES CITED APPENDIX A: SMALL-SCALE POULTRY PROCESSING IN WISCONSIN 27 29 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Introduction Purpose of the study Poultry meat production in the United States is dominated by a small group of companies that produce meat at very large scale In addition to their industrial scale of production, these companies have two dominant characteristics They are 1) Vertically-integrated; and 2) Consolidated and continuing to undergo further consolidation In 2006, the top 10 largest corporations controlled 76.6% of the chicken raised for meat in this country and the top three companies controlled 53.1% of the industry (Thornton 2007) At the other end of the size continuum, chicken producers tend to be small and mid-sized farmers or farmer cooperatives that raise a specialty product -often free-range or organic Their own the birds and slaughter either on-farm or in small, locally-owned processing facilities These birds are sold directly by the farmers to consumers, retail stores, restaurants and other outlets that are scales appropriately But somewhere between these few corporate giants and the thousands of small-scale, limited distribution, directly-marketed birds of local farmers lies a very diverse group of businesses that we refer to in this report as ‘Poultry of the Middle’ The purpose of this study is to offer a first attempt at a description and analysis of the businesses of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ in the U.S We believe that the group of businesses that comprises this sub-sector of the poultry industry has potential to teach us something about what is needed to support small-scale poultry producers as they scale up in volume of production to mid-size Typically, as small and medium-sized poultry producers grow, there are two tasks that are essential to their set-up, operations and survival These companies must seek out a product/niche that will distinguish their company They must also create for themselves the infrastructure needed to get their product from farm to consumer The infrastructure A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ needed includes all of the resources that integrated companies own: access to genetics, hatcheries, feed, processing facilities, distribution, marketing, sales staff and more These smaller producers will also eventually need further development of industry infrastructure to include research and development, education and training, publications, etc In order to aid producers who are approaching or targeting production at that mid-sized scale with poultry, we have taken on this study This study examines the characteristics that distinguish this group of poultry producers and processors It seeks to better understand their business structures, the infrastructure they use and create, the technologies employed in production and processing, the role of the farmer/growers in the business structure and the niche marketing characteristics of products from poultry businesses of the Middle The study seeks to better understand these aspects of this sector of the industry in order to better assist farmers of Wisconsin and beyond as they seek to provide alternative poultry products to the marketplace Methods Research for this study involved basic research using the Internet and interviewing key informants Multiple key informants were identified through contacts in the industry and on the Internet Informants were interviewed by telephone Background Growth of the chicken industry Today the U.S produces more poultry than any other country in the world, valued at more than $20 billion in on-farm revenues (Economic Research Service 2007) with broiler, egg, turkey and other poultry production combined How did this industry evolve into one that is so huge? Up into the early 20th Century, most poultry production was concentrated on small farms Farm families managed small flocks of birds that were used for two purposes: a source of both eggs and meat By the 1930s, both egg and chicken meat production had become commercialized to provide for the growing urban population of the nation A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ In the 1940s, most business along the value chain from farm to consumer remained independent Hatcheries, farms, feed mills and processing facilities were located primarily in the east, south and Midwestern regions of the country where water, corn and soybeans and land made poultry production possible and profitable Feed mills extended credit to farmers for feed which was typically paid back once the bird was processed and sold After World War II, like many agricultural sectors in the U.S., poultry production and processing took a new direction First was that the scale of production has increased to industrialization of production and processing A second important change in the poultry industry in the past 50 years has been the specialization in genetics that divided the industry into meat and egg sectors Standardization of poultry meat was achieved by breeding birds specifically for meat production Poultry businesses found that they achieved better control of all stages of production and processing by buying up businesses that formed the infrastructure in the value chain (hatcheries, farms, feed mills, processing plants and trucking operations) Thus began the vertical integration of the broiler industry The National Broiler Council was formed in 1954 (National Chicken Council 2007b) Based in Washington, D.C., its role was to represent the growing industry businesses to the federal government and to increase the demand for chicken in the marketplace and among consumers Print and television advertising were used to stimulate demand for chicken By the 1970s, most chicken was sold under brand names, either of a corporate producer or of the grocery chain where sold Changes in dietary preferences have had a major influence in creating increased demand for poultry in the U.S in the past 40 years In 1960, poultry was 16% of people’s overall meat, poultry and fish consumption, but by 2003, poultry was 35% of meat and fish consumption in the U.S (National Chicken Council 2007a) In recent years, broiler production has increased dramatically to meet market demand For example, the value of broiler production increased 34% from 2003 to 2004 (U.S Poultry and Egg Association 2006) A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Per capita poultry consumption in US, 1960-2000, in pounds 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year Data sources: National Chicken Council 2007 These numbers imply tremendous growth in the importance of chicken in the diet and also growth in the poultry industry to supply, process, package, market and transport that volume of chicken Agriculture of the Middle This study’s emphasis on mid-sized poultry processors emerged from a larger, national study examining the plight of similar sized agricultural operations in the U.S., past, present and future Since 2003, a task force of academics, agricultural extension workers and others has focused on studying a sector of agriculture in the U.S referred to as ‘Agriculture of the Middle’ This sector comprises a group of businesses owned by farmers, ranchers, processors and other entrepreneurs These businesses produce agricultural products of many types on a scale that is neither industrial or small farm in scale and can be referred to as ‘Agriculture of the Middle’ (Kirschenmann et al 2004) While difficult to define with exact production numbers, this sector is characterized by a set of businesses that are between the large-scale, vertically-integrated industrial sector and the small-scale direct market producers The businesses that fit this criterion have been disappearing over time (Fred Kirschenmann et al 2004) and have been the subject of considerable research attention A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Why is there concern about the disappearance of Agriculture of the Middle? For the purposes of this report, the most important reason for concern about mid-sized poultry production operations and mid-sized processing facilities has to with the lack of and increasing loss of infrastructure that impedes the growth of small scale producers who wish to scale up in production and processing Another reason has to with the role that these companies have played in the marketplace Many innovations and much entrepreneurial activity originates from this sector of producers In order to be a smaller company and be profitable, businesses must produce and market specialty goods or services (ie non-commodity products) that can be differentiated from generic products by distinction in production, processing, packaging or other characteristics Specialty goods can earn adequate margin that offers a smaller-scale producer (non-industrial-sized) the potential to be profitable Chicken production & processing in the U.S.: Two extremes Typical of many agricultural sectors in the U.S today, the poultry industry is characterized by two types of systems that result in poultry for consumption: large-scale industrial, conventional production and small-scale, alternative production Large-scale, conventional, industrial poultry production At the high-volume end of the continuum is the conventional, industrial poultry industry Today, the conventional, verticallyintegrated poultry industry controls and manages the production and processing of 96% of the chickens raised for meat in the U.S (Pretanik 2007) There are 10 companies that produce more than ¾ of the chicken produced for market in the U.S (Thornton 2007) All are characterized by extreme vertical integration and efficiency: individual corporations own multiple businesses or profit centers that control and manage every aspect of the production, processing, distribution and sale of chickens Breeder operations enable these companies to maintain genetic stock of birds that enables them to select and breed for characteristics that are desirable for industrial production Some of these same companies A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ control large volumes of corn and soybeans for chicken feed that are managed and mixed into individualized bird diets in corporate-owned feed mills Hatcheries are also a part of the corporate structure and serve to provide the day-old chicks to the growers who raise the birds Birds may be raised on corporate-owned farms or may be raised by contract farmers on their own farms Farmer involvement in the conventional industry is by contract for production only Farmers typically have a contract with large, corporate poultry companies The company typically provides the chicks, the feed, any necessary medication needed for the birds and oversight of the production operation Farmers supply housing, electricity, water, labor and invest the capital to provide these services Birds raised for meat (broilers) are raised indoors, in confinement It is not uncommon for operations to have up to 20,000 birds (Fanatico 2002) in one facility When the birds have grown to the desired size, they are picked up by corporate trucks, delivered to the processing plant (a government-inspected plant), are slaughtered, packaged and distributed This industry aims to produce a meat product that is both standardized and inexpensive A standardized product is essential in the mainstream marketplace The corporation assures this standardization of product by providing chicks with the same genetics, feed with the same nutrition, by requiring standardized production techniques and processing procedures Control of operations along the value chain in chicken production assures not only standardization of product but allows for corporate control of expenses, labor and equipment The system assures a costefficient operation at all levels of the value chain Small-scale, alternative poultry production Small-scale poultry production tends to be managed by farmers that raise the birds on their own small-to-medium-sized farms These birds are typically raised to be direct marketed by the farmer to consumers, restaurants or small retail stores In this model, the farmer typically buys chicks from a hatchery or feed mill and provides all the feed, lighting, housing, expertise and other requirements for raising the birds Farmers maintain control over the bird and its production For processing, farmers can either conduct their own slaughter or work with a facility that is willing to provide processing (Fanatico et al 2006.) Several regions of the U.S have developed directories of the processing facilities that are willing to custom slaughter.) States vary in the A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ type of facilities they permit and oversee There are also restrictions on inter-state sales unless animals are slaughtered at a USDA facility Small-scale producers seek to meet the financial needs of their households and businesses while simultaneously addressing the demands from the marketplace Many small-scale poultry producers have been successful at direct marketing Many have sought to grow their businesses to fill a larger market niche by offering their chickens to restaurants or retail stores Most find that they are excluded from mainstream poultry processing facilities, distributors and marketing operations because they tend to be controlled by large-scale, industrial corporations The highly integrated nature of the poultry industry in the U.S means that growth for small, independent producers is very challenging In part, this small-scale sub-sector of poultry production has grown in response to a market demand for poultry that is raised using production systems outside of the conventional, confinement, industrial model Free-range poultry, heritage poultry varieties, organic certification and other characteristics are used by farmers to distinguish their products and to help earn a margin that enables them to be profitable despite their small volume of production In this small-scale, alternative model, farmers typically raise poultry in an effort to diversify and complement other income sources This model is termed ‘alternative’ because these producers not fit into any vertically integrated scheme and therefore must seek out and often create the infrastructure they need -along the value chain -in order to raise their birds, and get them processed and to market ‘Poultry of the Middle’: A diverse group of businesses Who’s in the middle? Between these two extreme -large, industrial poultry processing and the small scale farmer-owned and managed production and processing -exists another sub-sector that is comprised of companies that are highly variable in size, products and functioning, but relative to the two extremes, are intermediary in scale For the most part, this mid-sized poultry production and processing industry has remained difficult to define or identify and is poorly described This study aims to start filling that void A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ In an attempt to define the businesses that comprise ‘Poultry of the Middle’, we’ll look at a table showing the names and average weekly production of select companies ranked in the top 38 businesses in volume of chicken meat production in the U.S (Watt Poultry USA 2007) Table Selection of top 38 chicken meat producing companies in the U.S Source: Watt Poultry USA, http://www.wattpoultry.com/PoultryUSA/Article.aspx?id=10096 From the Watt Poultry list (above), those ranked 1-10 (in volume of production) produce 76.6% of the chicken meat produced in the U.S Even within this group of the top 10, there is wide variation in the volume produced by each company—with Pilgrim’s Pride producing more than 180 million pounds of chicken from 38 different plants and Tyson producing over 150 million pounds per week at 39 plants At the 10 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ A University of Nebraska study comparing water- and air-chilled chicken concluded that air-chilled chicken had 80% lower bacteria counts than water-cooled birds; the air-chilled meat had a firmer texture, with less shrinkage (Sanchez et al 2002) A second advantage to air chilling that is cited in the literature and among processors that use it is that there is no water uptake by the meat or leaching of natural meat juices Water weight gained in the immersion bath is retained and so a portion of what consumers are paying for poultry is the water absorbed during immersion cooling Additionally, users of air chilling claim that retention of natural juices offers both flavor and textural advantages Among other reasons plants opt for air chilling, concerns about excessive use of water have emerged in the poultry processing industry When HACCP was introduced in the late 1990s, the assumption was that water is a limitless resource to eliminate fecal contamination in processing facilities By 2004, a serious search for ways to conserve water was underway among most broiler and turkey processors (Northcutt and Jones 2004) Who does air chilling of poultry in the U.S.? MBA Poultry (Smart Chicken brand) pioneered the use of air chilling in the U.S and for many years was the only U.S company using an air chill system for poultry Their website claims that they are the only company in the U.S to use air chilling though they mention that about half the poultry processors in Canada and all but export poultry in Europe is air chilled (http://www.smartchicken.com/wisc.html) Today Bell & Evans also air chills some of their birds Other poultry companies are also looking at and beginning to incorporate air chilling into their operations as they build new plants Retrofitting of air chill systems into plants that use immersion is difficult because the space needs of air chilling are far greater than with water immersion Some examples of mid-sized companies In order to illustrate the character of some of the businesses that make up Poultry of the Middle, information on eight different companies is summarized in two tables below Table summarizes basic characteristics of each of the eight companies that form part of Poultry of the Middle Page one of the first table describes the basic characteristics of specialty poultry companies that are on the list of top 38 chicken meat producers in the U.S The second page of Table summarizes characteristics of farmer-owned companies of the Middle 16 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Table provides additional information on the eight case study companies by summarizing how they carry out each task in the chain from acquiring genetics for production to marketing their product Table 2a General characteristics of eight companies comprising Poultry of the Middle Specialty companies ranking in the top 38 chicken meat producers in the U.S 17 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Table 2b General characteristics of eight companies comprising Poultry of the Middle Farmer-owned and operated businesses 18 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Table 3a Infrastructure (value chain) of eight companies comprising Poultry of the Middle Specialty companies ranking in the top 38 chicken meat producers in the U.S 19 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Table 3b Infrastructure (value chain) of eight companies comprising Poultry of the Middle Farmer-owned and operated businesses 20 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Issues in Poultry of the Middle Issues to consider This report was intended to provide a baseline description and analysis of Poultry of the Middle This is a group of businesses that we have attempted to define as a distinct sub-sector of the poultry meat industry that fall in scale of production between the largest, industrial manufacturers and those businesses that market product directly to consumers and other buyers We believe that the group of businesses that comprises this sub-sector of the poultry industry has potential to teach us something about what is needed to support small-scale poultry producers as they scale up in volume of production to mid-size The following are a series of conclusions drawn from data and information collected for this report: Poultry of the Middle is hard to define For the purposes of this study, we have combined a very diverse group of businesses in poultry of the Middle There is a huge range in size among those of the Middle Among the largest in the Middle are the smaller companies from the national list of the top 38 poultry producing companies in the U.S At the other end of the continuum are farmers and groups of farmers who are cooperatively marketing meat There is wide variation in specialties: conventional, organic, free-range and others There is diversity in production, processing, distribution and marketing practices among those companies within the Middle’ A question that has arisen in the process of this study is whether or not there is justification for further dividing ‘Poultry of the Middle’ into sub-categories For the purposes of this study, the Middle has been divided into ‘specialty companies’ and farmer-owned specialty companies Other means of categorizing the companies of the Middle could be by: type of specialty product(s); production systems, processing technology used, geographical distribution or other characteristics Poultry industry characterized by consolidation and integration The poultry industry appears to be constantly in the process of consolidation The list of top 38 companies from Watt Poultry USA changes frequently as companies buy out a competing company, increase their production and thus rise higher on the list Buy-outs also occur in order for one company to acquire another piece of infrastructure—a hatchery or breeding operation or access to a certain geographical market and thus many continue toward further integration 21 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ over time also Consolidation and integration offer higher efficiency for businesses, lowering their costs of production Specialization is essential in Poultry of the Middle When large companies dominate the market with a standardized, conventional product, as is the case with poultry, those producing meat on smaller scale (the Middle in this case) typically need to move into niche markets Without the higher margin earned from these niche or specialty products, smaller scale producers cannot survive; they must make up in margin what they cannot earn in scale of production Exceptions to this specialty product focus may occur in the case of a small number of regionally-isolated, small-scale conventional producers In these cases, the companies have served a particular market for a long time and the limited geographical area is their niche Customer loyalty probably contributes to their survival Lack of penetration by larger-scale, industrial meat manufacturers could also explain the survival of these small-scale regional conventional (non-specialized) producers Seek ways to assure integrity in Poultry of the Middle claims Specialization or producing a niche product can only be successful if buyers and consumers recognize the distinctions of the specialty product and value those distinctions adequately to be willing to pay a premium (a higher price compared to conventional product) for them Specialty labels can offer producers an opportunity to make certain claims about characteristics of their products Product labels usually convey claims regarding the product, its production, processing or packaging These claims can explain the distinctions in products that justify a higher, niche price But several issues emerge with labels and claims Establishing credibility for those who make a claim can be a concern The most common way that producers manage the issue of credibility is to work with a certifying agent Typically producers work with third party certifiers who offer some level of authority and verification that can convince consumers (or other buyers) that the claims are justified For example, organic producers (such as Petaluma Poultry) use certifying agents The job of a certifying agent is to set standards or adhere to existing standards and to oversee production practices to ensure that producers meet organic certification standards The same is true for other types of labeling and certification agencies—including those that certify humane treatment of animals (Smart Chicken’s certification) or fair labor or whatever the distinction is that can be verified by a third party agent Relying on a third party to verify specialty distinctions can be effective since 22 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ many consumers look for some sort of authority to assure them of authenticity of product characteristics in their purchases A related problem is that product labels can be so laden with information that consumers can actually undergo information overload There are many terms used in claims, on product labels and in point of sale information Consumers can become so overwhelmed with details, characteristics and claims that they are confused and uncertain in making a purchasing decision This practice of over-labeling a product or providing consumers with too much information is a common one Again—a certifying agent or seal from a third party can go a long way in conveying a large amount of information in a simple manner Another method to convey information about distinctions in products is campaigns The very largest corporations can afford to devote resources to launch a campaign to educate the public about the distinctions of their products Tyson put out $70 million to launch a campaign to educate the public about their new, antibiotic-free line of chicken meat This is an effort aimed at education so that the public can recognize why these specialty products demand a higher price Realistically, very few companies have adequate resources to launch a campaign to educate the public about their specialty product so that consumers and buyers understand how their product is differentiated from the rest In these cases, simple messages and outside (third party) certification or seals are more realistic strategies Keep innovating in Poultry of the Middle As mentioned above, the companies in the Middle tend to be those that innovate The nature of their place in the Middle demands that they seek out innovative products, methods and channels to produce, process, manufacture and deliver their products to consumers In any production or business sector, this process is the same These innovators identify niches For a while they are able to rely on higher margins for their innovative products or services However with time, in most cases, their success draws other businesses into that niche Eventually someone else moves into the marketplace with a similar product at a lower price That’s when innovators move on Good innovators are good entrepreneurs, so they will have been anticipating the challenge of competitors, and already have a new plan up their sleeves (or in implementation) to overcome this challenge This can be a new product or diversification into a new market Or they may be open to buy-out and ready to move on to something else One way to look at this process is to see that the success of a niche market is measured by attempts of the big guys to move into that market For a long 23 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ time, production of chicken without the use of antibiotics was strictly in the realm of a smaller-scale, specialty producer who could afford the higher costs of production because of the margin they earned for the specialty product Tyson began to change all that in June 2007 with the announcement that they will have a new line of chicken meat raised with no antibiotics Companies of the Middle that specialize in that niche will need to respond adequately to assure their places in the market Burger King did something similar to smaller specialty producers when consumer demand resulted in a change in their policies Burger King announced preference given to chicken producers that use more humane processing methods A company the size of Burger King making this change creates a huge demand for specialty meat To what extent will companies of the Middle be capable of addressing that demand? These companies are surely more limber than the bigger companies and may be able to transition to the new technology But how many (and which) companies of the Middle have the available capital to alter their processing technology so dramatically? In short, specialization is not enough Innovation must continue among producers of all sizes Many additional niche opportunities exist in Poultry of the Middle While this paper has discussed multiple specialty niches, there are many more opportunities for specialty poultry production and sales As Fanatico points out (personal communication), the nature of the industrial, large-scale chicken meat industry is so narrow in its structure and its products that it allows the opportunity for many niche products and companies Among those with future potential could be: • Functional meats—those products with specific nutritional characteristics that may have health advantages for those who consume the meat • Terroire meats—in many European countries, products raised in certain regions are recognized as having certain characteristics that result from being raised in a very specific geographical region Terroire implies a connection to the soil and water of a region that impart certain characteristics and flavors that cannot be duplicated elsewhere • Distinctive feed formulas—animal feeds can offer certain nutritional advantages or distinctive flavor profiles when compared to conventional birds and thus claim specialization • Small family farm-raised—many smaller companies of the Middle fall into this category Organic Valley is perhaps the premier example of how farmers can use their position to capture a national market 24 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ These production and product specialties and many others are likely to be used by entrepreneurs of Poultry of the Middle in the future Interstate shipment of meat For many companies in the Middle and those that direct market meat in small volume, access to USDA processing facilities is limited Many of these companies in 38 states in the U.S take their animals to state-inspected facilities for processing A major disadvantage is that meat processed in state-inspected facilities cannot cross state lines for commercial purposes This means that a producer may have meat that meets (or exceeds) the USDA standards for processing, but that meat cannot be sold in another state This is especially limiting for companies near state lines (especially those with nearby out-ofstate, cities), those producing adequate volume that they want to market out of state or those working with out-of-state distributors Over the years, there have been multiple attempts, in several states, to overthrow this restriction, but no one has been able to eliminate it to date A challenge to this restriction appears in the proposed Farm Bill (July 2007) that appears to be promising If overturned, this could create multiple opportunities for producers who use state-inspected processing facilities and who want to market their meat beyond state borders Avian flu and scale of care Every producer of poultry and organization who works with poultry producers is paying close attention to avian flu outbreaks across the world Most organizational websites have relevant policy statements, guidelines and recommendations in anticipation of this coming challenge While the scenario could be very bleak, businesses of the Middle and smaller producers may offer some hopeful opportunities Companies that keep and breed non-conventional, more genetically diverse poultry varieties may have better survivorship in the face of an epidemic when compared to genetically identical, large-scale poultry manufacturers A possible analogy could be the example of honeybees and the crisis of disappearance of hives experienced and reported in the media throughout the winter and spring of 2006-07 Remarkably, organic bee keepers apparently did not experience this crisis Some attribute this to the genetic variety of bees that is used by large, conventional beekeepers (Organic Consumers Association 2007) Other interpretations of this crisis point to the number of hives managed by smaller scale beekeepers compared to the huge, industrial honey operations The smaller scale of production may enable producers to maintain certain standards and more closely oversee colonies so that at the first sign of problems, they can react before the problem creates a crisis (Eugene Woller, personal communication) 25 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Dealing with avian flu will surely be a huge challenge for a producers of birds Producers of the Middle will face the challenge as those at all scales of production Conclusion This report has offered one perspective of how to define producers of Poultry of the Middle in the U.S Challenges resulting from small size and volume of production are overcome with an increase in specialization of product and by creating or buying into the necessary infrastructure in their own form of integration As the poultry industry evolves over time, new opportunities will continue to emerge for businesses that form Poultry of the Middle We hope that this report serves the interests of farmers and other entrepreneurs who participate or seek to participate as companies of the Middle If you are a producer, a reader or researcher who wishes to contribute to further description and analysis of Poultry of the Middle, please feel free to contact us at the University for Wisconsin’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems 26 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ References Cited Economic Research Service 2007 Poultry and eggs: Background USDA http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Poultry/Background.htm Fanatico, Anne 2002 Sustainable poultry: Production overview National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/poultryoverview.pdf Fanatico, Anne 2003 Small-scale poultry processing National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (NCAT) http://attra.ncat.org/attrapub/poultryprocess.html Fanatico, Anne; Dana Brandon, Jeannette Beranger and Skip Polson 2006 Small poultry processing plants and services ATTRA file:///Users/lauriegreenberg/Documents/CIAS/aa%20MIDSIZED%20POULTRY/Small%20Poultry%20Processing%20Plants%20 and%20Services%20Search.webarchive Greene, Catherine and Lydia Oberholtzer 2007 Organic poultry gaining in specialty market competition Amber Waves, Feb 2007 www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February07/Findings/Organic.htm Kirschenmann, Fred, Steve Stevenson, Fred Buttel, Tom Lyson and Mike Duffy 2004 Why worry about Agriculture of the Middle? http://www.agofthemiddle.org/archives/2004/08/key_documents.ht ml Martin, Andrew 2007 Burger King shifts policy on animals The New York Times, March 28, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/business/28burger.html?ex=1 332734400&en=7104231631119310&ei=5124 National Chicken Council 2007a Animal welfare: Physical well-being of chickens http://www.nationalchickencouncil.com/aboutIndustry/detail.cfm?id =11 National Chicken Council 2007b Going Up: Chicken as a percentage of overall meat, poultry and fish consumption, 1960-2003 http://www.eatchicken.com/statistics/cons_percent_overall_6003.cfm National Chicken Council 2007c U.S chicken industry history http://www.nationalchickencouncil.com/aboutIndustry/detail.cfm?id =16 27 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Northcutt, J.K., Jones, D.R 2004 Water use in the usa's poultry processing plants Poultry USA.5(10):36-43 Organic Consumers Association 2007 Organic beekeepers report no losses while conventional operations report massive colony losses Organic Consumers Association May 6, 2007 (http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5094.cfm Pretanik, Steven 2007 National Chicken Council Washington, D.C Personal communication Sanchez, Marcos X., Wade M Fluckey, Mindy M Brashears and Shelly R McKee Microbial profile and antibiotic susceptibility of Campylobacter spp and Salmonella spp in broilers processed in air-chilled and immersion-chilled environments Journal of Food Protection 65(6): 948-956 Thornton, Gary 2007 Broiler companies: Top 10 pulls away from pack in 2006 Rankings: Watt Poultry USA http://www.wattpoultry.com/PoultryUSA/Article.aspx?id=10096 U.S Poultry and Egg Association 2004 Economic Information, Poultry: Production and Value, 2004 Summary http://www.poultryegg.org/EconomicInfo/ 28 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ APPENDIX A Opportunities for small-scale poultry processing in Wisconsin, July 2007 Source: Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Inspected Poultry Slaughter Plants under the jurisdiction of the State of Wisconsin: Quality Cut Meats Inc 125A Milwaukee Avenue 414/85/8424 29-68 Cascade Sheboygan 53011 Twin Cities Packing 5607 E County j 608/676-4428 29-795 Clinton Rock County 53525 Sonday Produce E870 State Road 54 715/570-5396 29-402 Waupaca Portage 54981 Hmong Meat Market LLC 2140 Bohn Drive 920/687-9140 29-402 Little Chute Outagamie 54140 Uninspected Poultry Slaughter Plants in the State of Wisconsin Ron’s Meat Processing 239 Edgewood Drive 608/584-5655 23-314 Oxford Marquette County 53952 Krizan Poultry Processing W8969 28th Street 608/427-3688 23-400 Camp Douglas Juneau County 54618 Koenig Processing 354 55th Street 715/263-2905 23-403 Clear Lake Polk County 54005 Ralph & Joyce Linssen 3290 Hilltop Lane 920/863-6225 23-409 Green Bay Brown County 54311 29 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ Norm’s Poultry LLC 16436 50th Road 262/878-3120 23-441 Franksville Racine County 53126 Little River Meats E5947 Evanswood Road 920/867-3288 23-1208 Weyauwega Waupaca County 54983 R & R Meat Processing 4225 Maple Road 715/677-3097 23-1145 Out of Business Rosholt Portage County 54473 Pine River Processing W2575 Aspen Drive 920/987-5191 29-67 Pine River Waushara County 54965 Door County Custom Meats 5091 Bechtel 920/746-0304 29-101 Sturgeon Bay Loehr’s Meat Service, Inc 523 East Main Street, Box 233 920/533-4513 29-111 Campbellsport Fond du Lac County 53010 Shetlers Processing W15978 E Blair Road 715/372-6114 23-1295 Taylor Bayfield County 54659 Pond Hill Processing LLC W16257 County Road Q 715/253-2491 29-87 Wittenberg 54499 Nhiacha & Chao Butchery 6056 E State Road 29 920/863-2079 23-2000 Luxemburg 54217 Sunny-Side Meadows W7256 Elm Avenue 715/678-6407 23-1031 Dorchester 54425 54235 30 A General Map of ‘Poultry of the Middle’ ... SMALL-SCALE POULTRY PROCESSING IN WISCONSIN 27 29 A General Map of ? ?Poultry of the Middle? ?? A General Map of ? ?Poultry of the Middle? ?? Introduction Purpose of the study Poultry meat production in the United... among those of the Middle Among the largest in the Middle are the smaller companies from the national list of the top 38 poultry producing companies in the U.S At the other end of the continuum are... collected for this report: Poultry of the Middle is hard to define For the purposes of this study, we have combined a very diverse group of businesses in poultry of the Middle There is a huge range in