U.S. egg producer Herbruck’s Poultry Farm announced new developments in its cage-free layer facility Blue Springs Egg Farm located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, as well as advances in energy consumption and litter processing.
In 2023, the egg producer plans to expand its fertilizer production process to its 335 acre Blue Springs facility that opened in 2022, which comprises eights barns, an egg processing plant and a litter pelletizing/storage building, according to Herbruck’s third annual sustainability report.
At Herbruck’s Green Meadow Organics farm located in Saranac, Michigan, which already utilizes the litter processing technology, its captures and processes bird litter into dried poultry fertilizer, which eliminates waste on its farms and provides an organic, nutrient-rich product to farmers and customers.
Additionally, Herbruck’s said it plans to continue reducing its overall energy usage across the company by using low-energy lighting in its buildings and using high-efficiency heat sources and motors in its plants and layer houses.
In the producer's second annual sustainability report released in 2022, it said it would meet its 100% cage-free conversion goal by 2024. Currently, approximately 80% of Herbruck’s egg production is cage free.
In the sustainability report, Herbruck’s added that it donated 2.2 million eggs to the surrounding community, transported farming equipment to producers based in Africa and maintained its recycling rate of nearly 100% in 2022.
“It’s been a year of tremendous growth that has allowed us to make our sustainability efforts even greater,” said Herbruck’s CEO Greg Herbruck. “There have been challenges, but our principles have helped guide us and continue providing delicious, nutritious eggs to our customers.”
In October 2021, as part of the company’s sustainability initiatives, 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%.
