U.S. egg producer Herbruck’s Poultry Farm is on track to be completely cage-free by 2024. Almost 80% of its production is already cage free, the company revealed in its second sustainability report, putting the company well on its way to meeting its own cage-free target.
As part of its transition to cage-free production, Herbruck’s will open its US$100 million Blue Springs Egg Farm later this year. The Mercersburg, Pennsylvania facility comprises eights barns, an egg processing plant and a litter pelletizing/storage building, all sitting on 335 acres. On completion, it will employ 200 people.
“Blue Springs Egg Farm will be an exciting economic boost to the Mercersburg community and entire surrounding region, and we’ve worked hard to incorporate community input into the project,” said Melanie Herbruck Jones, owner and general manager of the new facility.
“We’ll use the most innovative technology in our industry to organically process hen litter into fertilizer, which eliminates odors, flies and provides nutrient-rich organic fertilizer for farmers. Our innovative design of the entire property ensures it blends in with the surrounding typography to ensure minimal impact on the environment and overall aesthetic of the area.”
As part of the company’s broader sustainability initiatives, in October 2021, Herbruck’s brought a solar array online at its egg and fertilizer Green Meadow Organics facility in Saranac, Michigan. The solar array produces enough electricity to decrease the facility’s energy consumption by 25%. The solar panels are expected to generate about two megawatts for the location.
Cody Herbruck, director of processing and operations, stated, "A key part of Herbruck’s growth is ensuring we do our part to take care of the environment around us, and our solar project at Green Meadow Organics is just one way we make sustainability central to everything we do. Bringing clean energy to a rural part of the state is very exciting for us and the surrounding community. It’s good for business, good for Michigan and good for the planet.”
