Jenny Rhodes, a chicken grower for Allen Harim, was honored with the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc.’s highest award – the J. Frank Gordy, Sr. Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award – at their annual banquet in Salisbury.

Rhodes is also a University of Maryland Extension Educator and a leader in the chicken industry and agricultural community for years. She and her sons Ryan and Chris own and operate Deerfield Farms LLC, a 110-acre poultry and grain operation in Queen Anne’s County. She was president of Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. in 2013. She remains an active member of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Grower Committee that she chaired in 2006 and 2007, Environmental Committee, and Government Relations Committee.

“Jenny Rhodes is an outstanding grower for Allen Harim and she’s an ambassador for the chicken industry across Delmarva and beyond,” said Steven A. Evans, CEO of Allen Harim. “She has certainly earned this top honor and we are proud she’s part of the Allen Harim family.”

Rhodes is an outstanding communicator for the chicken industry and farming in general, making herself available for news interviews, presentations to groups, in one-on-one meetings, and through social media. DPI noted that if there were more chicken growers and farmers like her, many more people would have a better understanding about how food is produced.

She is a member of the Maryland Agricultural Commission, an advisory group to the Secretary of Agriculture, and has been active in the Queen Anne's County Farm Bureau, Foundation for Community Partnerships, the Queen Anne's County Soil Conservation District, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of MidAtlantic Farm Credit.

Her experiences with 4-H, FFA, and LEAD Maryland have increased her knowledge about agriculture while developing and improving her people and leadership skills. Rhodes was employed for ten years with the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension as a Nutrient Management Advisor. While in that position, she graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a B.S. in Agriculture in 2002 and in 2006 earned a Masters of Education degree in Agriculture and Extension Education.

Hundreds of persons supportive of the Delmarva Peninsula’s chicken community gathered in Salisbury, Maryland this evening for the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI) Booster Banquet, the 1,800-member trade association’s annual membership dinner. During its 59th banquet, DPI recognized 12 outstanding chicken growers and three individuals for their work on behalf of the chicken industry.

Outstanding growers from Allen Harim included Carol Johnson of Lockerman Farms in Bridgeville, Delaware and Robert and Lise Masten, Mispillion Farm, Milford, Delaware

Source: Allen Harim Foods