Enviromental Sustainablity

Enviromental Sustainablity

On Our Farms

At Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative, we believe that we have an important duty to protect our environment. We realize that implementing practices on our farms that care for the environment can increase the cost of doing business, but by contributing to a safe and sustainable food supply, the benefits outweigh those costs. Here are a couple of the sustainability practices you will find our growers utilizing on their farms:

Nutrient Management Plans

poults eating feed

We work alongside our growers to develop nutrient management plans to mitigate their farm’s effect on the ecosystem. With many farms located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, these plans work to protect this important body of water. Over the years, several of our growers have received numerous awards and recognitions for their environmental stewardship.

Solar Power

farm with solar array

One of our farms has become one of the first in the Shenandoah Valley to be outfitted with a solar power system. This will work to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and provide the farm with clean, sustainable energy. This innovative project is just one example of how our growers are committed to preserving the environment so that it can continue to feed us for generations to come.

In Our Plant

As a major poultry processor, Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative recognizes how important it is that we ensure our operations do not place an undue hardship on the world around us. We are proud to live and work in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, and we work hard to preserve the area for not only ourselves, but also for the community around us. Here are just some of the ways we are working to make our facility more sustainable:

Water Treatment and Reuse

water being tested

With our plant located near a major water source, we have recently completed a multi-million-dollar expansion of our Wastewater Treatment Facility to handle the water that we use in our plant, and ensure that it does not pose a threat to the environment. We have also overhauled our operation to reuse as much water as possible, decreasing our overall use.

Recycling

recycling trash can

In addition to our water treatment efforts, we have also implemented multiple material recycling and reuse programs within our offices in plant. These programs deal with everything from paper in the office to cardboard and pallets in the plant.

Lighting

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We have converted most of the lighting within our plant to LED bulbs to cut down on energy usage. Though costlier to implement, these bulbs allow us to decrease our electricity usage significantly, and thereby cut down on our carbon footprint.