“Not every town wants a chicken plant.”
These are the words of many citizens in Humboldt, Tennessee, as they received a Tyson chicken farm that was rejected by Kansas and now the growing thought of citizens in the Sharps Chapel Community.
I think many of us can see an issue with the words “chicken plant” being used in this statement.
In order to open our minds and community to new ideas and businesses, we must first understand the industry behind the business.
Livestock producers, whether they produce meat, milk, eggs or even vaccine production, do not run factories or “plants.”
They raise livestock on a farm or agricultural operation in order to supply the growing population with things we need to live our day-to-day lifestyles.
Alpes Sanfer Inc. is in the process of starting the construction of a pharmaceutical chicken operation in Sharps Chapel. This operation will house 72,000 laying hens for the sole purpose of vaccine incubation.
This concept has been around for much longer than we realized, as the influenza vaccine has been produced using chicken eggs for decades. Over the past two years, 82 percent of flu vaccine production has been egg-based.
When you think of a chicken farm, especially with that magnitude of poultry production, there is no doubt that a few concerns come to mind.
What will happen with the waste from the poultry farm, who will be working at the operation, and what will this change about the Sharps Chapel community are all valid questions that have been brought up.
Sanfer has stated that the litter from the poultry barns will be available to local farmers to use on their fields for natural fertilizer.
In comparison to other manures and compost, there is no need for concern surrounding runoff and nutrient pollution to any waterways, as that will be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through a waste disposal plan.
In 2015 alone, Union County had a total direct agriculture output of an estimated $49.6 million. Along with this, there were approximately 484 workers in our county employed by agriculture.
With the poultry operation initially employing approximately 30 people, this number will rise. While Sanfer has stated that they will not guarantee Union County residents will be employed, those that are employed will bring revenue to the community through numerous outlets.
On September 27, Mary Johnson voiced her concerns at the Union County Commission meeting stating that, “we have a chance to think about the future.”
While Johnson was not saying this in a positive manner toward the chicken operation, I believe we need to take a positive perspective on it.
We, as a community, do have a chance to think about the future, and what better way to do that than grow the connection between the pharmaceutical industry and the animal agriculture industry alongside bringing exponential economic growth to East Tennessee.
While many in a group known as the Friends of Sharps Chapel want to promote the preservation of owning your own farm and homesteading, agriculture is ever changing. While there are small farms that used to produce meat, milk, eggs and produce for families, the face of agriculture no longer looks like that.
With the estimated world population jumping to 9.9 billion by 2050, agribusiness owners and farms alike have to think of ways to produce more food and fiber than ever before. Along with this comes larger operations in order to create sustainability and efficiency.
While Sanfer is not an agricultural company, this sector will be agriculturally based as they will be using the product of poultry to create something that will allow for better health and wellness.
Agriculture is all about moving forward and producing the best product to get our population to the next generation and what a better place to do this than Sharps Chapel, Tennessee.
What used to be numerous dairy operations and tobacco fields is now turning into the face of tomorrow.