Two farm families who grow chickens for Allen Harim were honored recently as Outstanding Growers by the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Allen Harim is a leader in No Antibiotic Ever chicken.
DPI honored Dale Phillips of Georgetown, Del., a third-generation chicken grower whose father and grandfather also raised birds. His wife, Kathy, is involved in poultry, too, working at the University of Delaware Lasher Laboratory to detect flock illnesses. They operate two chicken houses and care for up to 60,000 birds at a time.
Dale is active in the Delaware Farm Bureau. His farm, Gravel Hill, has been growing chickens since 1995. In 2005, Dale took over for his grandfather and built a second house on the farm.
Also honored as an outstanding chicken grower was Chittle Saylor Jr. of Preston, Md., who also won in 2011. He and his wife, Jean, raise up to 63,000 birds in each flock for Allen Harim in three houses on a Preston, Md., farm they acquired in 1993. They operate a poultry services business, too.
“It’s a good feeling, like you’ve really done something for the day,” Chittle said of raising chickens. “It’s kind of a joy to tend to them…and it’s a hard job. People don’t realize the hard work you have to put into it.”
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