By Stephen Smoot
“Let me emphasize a couple of things,” said West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey last Friday night as he stood before 300 plus who came to join the West Virginia Poultry Association in its yearly celebration of the industry.
“What you do here is really critical,” he explained, adding that growers, producers, and others “play a critical role in helping West Virginia and the nation eat healthy.” The governor then touted the powerful nutritional benefits of poultry and said “thank you for the hard work you do.”.
He also assured that while governor, he would not neglect the Potomac Highlands as state government has from time to time during the decades.
The West Virginia Poultry Association held its celebration at Misty Mountain Farms in Fisher, inviting all to a 4:30 reception and a 6 o’ clock president’s dinner. Weather conditions made the name true to the place as gossamer clouds of fog clung to the surrounding mountain and ridgetops.
Many came to the reception to enjoy incredible views of the natural wonders of the area while socializing and enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Close to six o’clock, all filed into the main hall to take their seats for the dinner.
After the governor’s message to open the dinner, Dave Workman, Hardy County commissioner, offered the blessing, saying, “Bless the fellowship . . . and the hands that prepared the food.”
Attendees enjoyed a buffet dinner of chicken and stuffing, roast turkey, green beans and ham, mashed red potatoes, gravy, rolls, salad, and a plethora of desserts.
Ward Malcolm, president of the WVPA, served also as master of ceremonies for the program. He recognized the poultry pageant queens, WVPA scholarship recipients, and window display winners. He also noted that “as the governor said, this is the biggest part of agriculture in West Virginia.”
Malcolm also introduced author Rick Shockey who was in the area promoting the second in his Hardy’s Heroes series that discusses each of the soldiers from that county lost in the second World War.
In West Virginia, the core of the poultry industry extends along lines connecting production centers in Moorefield and elsewhere with numerous growers. Most come from Pendleton and Hardy counties.
Poultry represents West Virginia’s largest agricultural sector.
Well-earned honors and accolades dominated the last half of the dinner presentation, with Pendleton County well-represented among the Producers of the Year. Others honored came from Hardy, Grant, Hampshire, and Rockingham [Virginia] counties.
Paige McNeely, representing Pilgrim’s, took the stage to announce that company’s Broiler Producer of the Year. She asked Jimmie Bennett and his wife, Vickie, to come to the podium. McNeely read off a slate of impressive statistics from the family operation, including the raising of seven flocks, selling 440,000 hens totaling 1.9 million pounds.
She noted that the farm was “top grower for the Moorefield complex for last year.”
Bennett also represented the Pendleton County Commission as one of its elected officials at the dinner.
Another Pendleton County agricultural establishment, Oak Flat Farm, won Grower of the Year from the Virginia Poultry Growers’ Cooperative. Chad Larson, representing VPGC, introduced Bruce Miller and his wife, Connie. He said that “we appreciate what they do for the cooperative.”
He called Connie Miller their “scheduling guru” as she has run that for the coop since its founding in 2004. She started with Wampler Longacre in 1989 and stated that “the farm has done well because of Bruce and Tim’s (Hook) attention to detail.”
