HARRINGTON — L & J Farm, of Harrington, was one of five farms across the United States to receive USPOULTRY’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2024 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta.

Owners Linda and John Brown were in Atlanta to receive the award after being nominated for the honor by Delmarva Chicken Association.

USPOULTRY sponsors the annual awards in recognition of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.

The Browns raise 150,000 organic broiler chickens per flock for Perdue Farms, and theirs was the first commercial organic farm on Delmarva.

L & J Farm makes use of an EcoDrum composter and was the first farm in Delaware to take advantage of the USDA cost share program for this equipment.

Litter is primarily windrowed, with partial and complete cleanouts when necessary. They test their litter annually, and all litter removed from the farm is used for offsite cropland.

Ms. Brown is an officer on the Tax Ditch Committee, part of the network of drainage ditches on Delmarva that help protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Browns also take online courses to keep up with the latest best management practices.

The Browns have implemented many measures on their farm to make it more environmentally friendly, as well as neighbor friendly.

Grass buffers at fans and tree buffers at the property line help to ensure that dust and odors are contained, and a pollinator garden, heavy use pads, improved roads and stormwater drainage ponds help to protect and enhance the surrounding environment.

Using solar energy, including to charge their electric car, helps to reduce their environmental impact. Last year, anterooms were added to two houses to improve biosecurity as well.

L & J Farm received Delmarva Chicken Association’s inaugural George ‘Bud’ Malone Environmental Award in 2022.

Afterwards, Delmarva Chicken Association worked to nominate their farm for USPOULTRY’s highest environmental recognition, and USPOULTRY named the farm a semifinalist, earning them an all-expense trip paid to International Production & Processing Expo. USPOULTRY representatives toured the farm last fall during the judging process.

“John and Linda are fully dedicated to operating their farm with the highest standards of sustainability, and we at DCA are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished in decades of growing chickens,” said Holly Porter, Delmarva Chicken Association’s executive director.