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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Why Perdue Going Organic Could Mean Cleaner Water

Perdue Farms’ recent foray into the organic market offers grocery store shoppers another choice in affordable, pesticide-free chicken. But in time, could it also lead to cleaner rivers, lakes and bays?

The company, based in Salisbury, Md., is still growing most of its organic chickens in Pennsylvania, which is home to Coleman Natural, the organic grower Perdue purchased in 2011. But with demand strong, Perdue is looking to expand its no-organic and no-antibiotics offerings.

If it does, it may well look to the 1,100 growers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where Arthur Perdue began selling eggs nearly 100 years ago. That move could prompt Big Chicken’s other large companies, Tyson’s and Pilgrim’s Pride, to offer more organic choices. And although organic growing standards have little to do with water quality, raising chickens differently could be good for the streams and rivers that often bisect poultry farms.

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50 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice to hear something good about Perdue , they have been good for this country , even though many negative and unproven things have made the media.

Anonymous said...

LOL 7:44 Try the tax payers have been good to Perdue. When tax payers are subsidizing quite a few of their employees (those in the processing facilities mainly) in the form of food entitlements, renters assistance, Medicaid, etc and using the services of non profits such as food pantries this is not good.
They are touted as a major employer. Most of their employees probably somewhere in the $10/hr range. This effects everyone. These people can't afford to buy homes which lowers everyone's home values, if they do manage to buy a home, they can't keep it up lowering values again. I could go on and on.
Look at the other side before concluding they have been good for the county.

Anonymous said...

they still spray the feed with expensive chemicals and hormones that make the chickens bulk up faster and poop less so what is the difference? also the antibiotics.

Anonymous said...

8:00am. You too should look at the other side. All the farmers grain that is purchased by Perdue, all the local businesses that provide services and materials to Perdue and wouldn't exist without Perdue.

Anonymous said...

8:16-that's because when the big companies saw the money they were losing in the niche organic market the bastardization and redefining party began. The USDA definition of organic was watered down.

Anonymous said...

I have heard so many times that Perdue chicken does not have hormones in it.
I would really like a straight answer.

Anonymous said...

8:24 Of course there is some benefit but the overall picture of having any kind of slaughter house in any area is that the area becomes depressed and blighted. Salisbury is not unique.

Anonymous said...

The other thing people need to keep in mind is that the agriculture industry is behind immigration and amnesty. This because it ensures they have a steady stream of workers willing to work for the low wages they pay. If not for immigrants they would be forced to raise their wages.

Anonymous said...

8:45 Who knows. While they say the chickens do not receive growth hormones they say nothing about what's being done to the eggs.
They play with words. It's like the no arsenic in feed law passed in MD. Feed is the key word. Arsenic comes in liquid form so this doesn't prevent it from being put in the water supply.
The law should have been no arsenic in any form is to be introduced in any way in the food produced for human consumption.

Anonymous said...

Good for Perdue...leading this initiative. The people earning low wages are probably earning more than the would in service industries and retail don't know about now, but in the past benefits were better than other employers for jobs in a similar pay class.

Anonymous said...

8:42. I don't think your statement is factual. The USDA Organic standards have not been "watered down". USDA Organic standards are law, not marketing claims such as "natural". USDA Organic requires traceability of materials and handling all the way back to the farmers field. There is a stringent list of what ingredients can and cannot be used in the production of foods labeled as USDA Organic. This includes annual audits of processing facilities and documentation.

Anonymous said...

LOL 8:00 am
Your comment made you look as if you profess to be an imbecile .
It's with sadness we have to put up with such degenerates in our society.
Having said that , we truly understand that a lot of commenters need professional help.

Anonymous said...

If Purdue has broken the law , I'm sure they will suffer .
If you don't like Perdue stuff , don't buy it.
The Latinos love Perdue , employment is great for them , the blacks don't like Perdue because of the work.

Anonymous said...

Perdue is building a new facility in Ferguson , getting people to work shouldn't be a problem , they have nothing else to do but riot.

Anonymous said...

Where do I start 9:42.
First the USDA does regulate the claim natural.
As far as organic.
To meet the USDA standards only 95% of the ingredients must be organic. There can still be small levels of pesticides present as well.
The animals are only required to graze for small amounts of time to meet the organic requirement.
USDA has several levels of organic-organic and 100% organic being 2 examples. Most people aren't aware of this.
Definition says "animals" can be given no hormones or antibiotics. Since artificial insemination is frequently used for reproduction introducing hormones and antibiotics in that way isn't addressed.
The best practice is the know your farmer know your food philosophy.

Anonymous said...

8:16 You have no idea what you're talking about.

Organic is simply a way to pull more money out of your pockets. It's like global warming, chem trails, etc. Gets you all worked up, rapes your wallet, then proven false years later.

Non GMO is up there too. Over half of non gmo products are products that there is no GMO seed for. GMO opponents use false data, and manipulate their "studies" for MONEY. And you eat it up.

Anonymous said...

9:06 Here's another person who doesn't have a clue. Do you know where the majority of ILLEGAL labor is working? Every single restaurant in town. They don't even ID them. Ag still has some hispanic labor, but it is shifting.

And, besides that, they are paid better than you think. Doesn't matter, as the legal workforce is LAZY and unwilling to work for their pay. Until that changes (It won't) expect everyone to look for hispanic labor.

Anonymous said...

10:30-You are the imbecile. Instead of coming back with facts to refute the comment you turn to insults. Speaks to your lack of intelligence as well as your low class status in life which compels you to be combative instead of enlightening.
Now you are dismissed. I don't do low class.

Anonymous said...

WAIT A MINUTE PLEASE!!! This article talks about less manure due to organic growing. Please, explain to me how 1,000 chickens grown organically, or free-range, will produce LESS manure than 1,000 chickens grown under today's standards. It sounds nice, but the total amount of manure is the same, isn't it? Am I missing something or is this just more propaganda against the farmer? Please, explain how there will be less manure to apply to the fields, please.....

Anonymous said...

So after you close down Perdue where you fools going to work? Walmart?
You people can't afford houses is because of greed in the housing market, not salaries.
The more you get the more you want. But you still feel hungry.

Anonymous said...

You don't have a clue 11:26. You just open your mouth and eat the BS you are fed by the shovelfuls.
The lazy excuse is propaganda. I bet if they put out an ad saying the starting pay was doubled you would see how lazy the workforce is. They won't try that which would prove the philosophy one way or another though and they are afraid to find out the truth.
Don't try to pass the buck on other businesses who may very well be doing the same thing. It serves no purpose whatsoever and only proves you have no valid defense of the practice. Now go away and don't come back until you can debate on an IQ level somewhat above the moron/imbecile/idiot range. Okay?

Anonymous said...

11:47
Didn't you just do what you have accused 10:30 of doing? You really didn't have a point to make. Just insults.

Anonymous said...

Wow.... now I have learned that even though they don't feed the chickens poison ...or inject them with poison...they are still putting poison in the eggs before the chicken grows to yield higher profits. How has anything changed? Very interesting information.

Anonymous said...

11:57-People aren't going to magically stop eating chicken if Perdue is closed down.
Same thing could happen here that happened in Hinton Virginia when Pilgrim's Pride thought they would show their ass and left.
Growers started a co-op called VA Poultry Growers Co-Op.
Things have never been better in the area. Now growers are free to buy their feed and other supplies from independent businesses. They also have the option of where to sell their poultry for processing making the price higher for growers across the board. Competition was created. The concept of being vertically integrated (company controls all aspects of business such as perdue-from hatcheries to feed to transportation) is the downfall of communities.
Look up the Walmart in ND that has to pay over $17/hr for employees other wise they can't get any due to the high paying jobs in the oil field industry.

Anonymous said...

11:54. First thing that caught my eye was the title. The "could" mean cleaner water is a dead giveway. More propaganda. All people are going to remember is "organic" and "cleaner water" and they will start repeating that organic means cleaner water without ever hearing another word about whether this proved to be true or not.

Anonymous said...

I was just about to say the same thing. People need to think about what they say when they respond.

Anonymous said...

There are sure some "air-head"
comments on here today. good grief, has PETA been cut loose and are the tree huggers coming out of the woodwork?

Perdue isn't perfect and neither are other businesses, but Perdue is a great company and has been a blessing to this area for many years.

I believe some of the negative comments are coming from disgruntled employees. No need to be so sour. There is very little truth or proof, so button up.

Love the idea of going organic. More and more of us are looking for healthier choices and even though I have been purchasing Perdue forever, this will be even better. Thanks Perdue...

Anonymous said...

1:11 apparently you are unaware what PETA stands for. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Not one of these comments addresses animal abuse or cruelty. Do you people not read? Talk about "air-head"-LOL!

Anonymous said...

The topic that this post has spawned is actually one of the few things the far right and the far left have in common- their disdain of government support and subsidizing of a private business.

Anonymous said...

Hey 11:47
I'm so sorry , I understand you now , you were educated by Al Sharpton , tunnel vision is your priority in life.

Anonymous said...

Wow 10:30 talk about looking like an idiot, I bet if I looked up the word sheeple your photo would be there.

8:00 has their facts straight.

And lets touch on the joke of the subject "cage free", which perdue now has plastered on all their products. Ever seen a chicken house? Doesn't exactly fit the "cage free" image now does it. But sadly, even with the inhumane way chickens are raised they have the right to use such a label.

Organic, natural and cage free have been so bastardized that they now mean NOTHING. It is all regulated to the benefit of big AG, not the consumer.

Anonymous said...

1:11 all rainbow and butterflies until your water, land and air are polluted and your community has a higher than normal cancer rate.

Are you thank Perdue for all that too?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
So after you close down Perdue where you fools going to work? Walmart?
You people can't afford houses is because of greed in the housing market, not salaries.
The more you get the more you want. But you still feel hungry.
August 16, 2014 at 11:57 AM

Really? You actually believe this? Really? Wow

Anonymous said...

Raise chickens in large open fields 24/7 would eliminate chicken waste.

Raising live stock along highways would eliminate tractor mowing.

Removing motor vehicles from highways would remove pollutants from the air we breath.

Anonymous said...

8:00 AM. Totally agree.

Anonymous said...

Bald Eagles taste much better then Chickens.

Anonymous said...

Perdue is moving South Soon b/c of all the crap Maryland EAP does....so good luck in getting Jobs after we leave....

Anonymous said...

4:16- the regulations are federal so they apply in all states.

Anonymous said...

Greed in the housing market 11:57?
Houses in the Wicomico area are really inexpensive. This is a reflection of the lack of good paying jobs. Greed in the housing markets occurs when the demand outpaces the supply and if you think that is what is happening around her you are so out of touch with reality that you probably belong in an insane asylum somewhere.

Anonymous said...

August 16, 2014 at 4:37 PM
You sound like a real Estate agent, or somebody that makes a living off housing.

Anonymous said...

Oh hell no 7:59. You couldn't pay me enough to do residential rentals or sell houses to others. As a matter of fact, I have a house 4 hours away from the Eastern Shore, that I visit maybe 5 days a year, in an area that commands $2000 on up, a month for rentals and am forever getting letters and calls from agents who live in the area, wanting to rent it for me. They can tell it's vacant. It's been paid off for 20 years and thank God I don't need the money and especially the hassle.
It's about an hour outside of DC and around the time of the 1st Obama inauguration some agent called me. They were scrambling for places for the attendees to stay. They offered me $5000 for a few days of occupancy. I told them hell would freeze over before I would ever rent to a bunch of democrats going to see Obama and hung the phone up.

Anonymous said...

1:28, you're joking right? everyone know that PETA is an acronym for People Eating Tasty Animals. don't be so naĂŻve...

at least smarter than you.

Anonymous said...

So much misinformation in this thread.
Coleman was not based in pa although they did have operations there.
Hormones are not in ANY poultry. Perdue or other.

How is a company bad for providing jobs and healthcare to thousands of people?
I have never seen anyone being hog tied and forced to work there or anywhere else.
If you have more marketable skills, use them. If not, quit bitching and get to work.

Anonymous said...

"If you have more marketable skills, use them. If not, quit bitching and get to work."

Why does every assume that those who make a point out of tax payer subsidized employees is a disgruntled employee or someone else complaining because they make poverty level wages?
It's most of you who complain that this is taxed that is taxed. The reality is those taxes are because so few people are paying income tax because of the low wages.
I could careless about taxes. I just paid over 200 grand in property taxes and I won't miss the 200 grand. This year I'll probably give that much away because it's an election year on top of my usual donations to various charities.
The flush tax, gas tax, all those are insignificant to me. It's the middle class that suffers from a company that employees a good percentage of people on have to rely on welfare benefits to supplement their incomes.

Anonymous said...

"Hormones are not in ANY poultry. Perdue or other"

Can you say for certain, without a doubt, with evidence to back it up, that the hens who lay the eggs, that eventually end up chickens for human consumption, are not given hormones? The claim is always the chickens aren't fed hormones. I'm thinking that maybe hormones can be introduced in another way.
It's my suspicious nature and my ability to see immediately how some play with words and sentences. I see it with the wind turbine industry. Their brochures always say "wind energy CAN produce" this or that, and never that it's been proven to produce this much whatever on a consistent basis.
The newest health concern is something called "peracetic acid" that the chickens are being sprayed with to prevent bacteria forming on them. Look it up.

Anonymous said...

The chickins living in poor conditions depends on the grower. My chickens are well takin care of. There happy, it's not dusty or Nasty in the houses because I ventilated properly.And yes Perdue chicken are feed an all veggie diet. Not biproducts like the other manufacturers. Bottom line is if you think u know(which you don't). Stop eating chicken. The videos and hype are about houses that arnt upkept and those people give the rest of us a bad name.

Anonymous said...

Chickens shouldn't be eating an all veggie diet. They are omnivores. My doctor told me that the animals used for meat eat a diet of mostly corn and that is what is causing all the irritable bowel and a lot of other digestive problems people have now a days.

Anonymous said...

Peracetic acid is acetic acid (vinegar), mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is the most natural antibacterial that can be used.

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...
Peracetic acid is acetic acid (vinegar), mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is the most natural antibacterial that can be used.

August 17, 2014 at 2:37 PM"

Oh well that's just wonderful. In chemistry we were taught to never ever mix vinegar and 2(HO). It causes asthma. It's corrective as well. But now we are supposed to eat it.
PS-nothing "natural" about hydrogen peroxide nor are most vinegars for that matter.

Anonymous said...

Chickens in the field as depicted in the attached photo would increase the fox/ coyote population a thousand fold!

Never happen, Moot point.

Discussion over.

Back to square one.