Ms. Georgie Cartanza, a organic poultry farmer, presented and informed students of the Understanding Todays Agriculture class about the evolution of the poultry industry on the Delmarva and how it is managed today. On the Delmarva, there are ten processing plants, thirteen hatcheries, and ten feed mills each of which allow there to be many poultry houses on the Delmarva that are accounting for ten percent of the nations production. With these houses, many jobs are created as for every one job in the industry, it creates seven in the community which overall helps the economy of the state of Delaware. However, the poultry industry was only able to become this efficient and profitable because of the technology that has developed over time; that allows producers to have better structured houses, thermostatic heating, good ventilation inside the houses, feed access such as drips and troughs, and overall a better living environment for the birds which has made the industry very successful in producing poultry. While, in past years, the poultry industry had very little access to technology which limited the producer in the number of birds they could produce and how the producers could tend to the various health needs that are associated with these birds. Over time, the industry has also changed by becoming virtually integrated, which has caused Ms. Cartanza and other poultry producers to grow and produce poultry more based off of the control of the consumer; such as objects like enrichments and outdoor access, like in Ms. Cartanzas organic poultry house, to be placed. Essentially, throughout this presentation many things about the poultry industry in the past and current day time can be learned, which can help the students and myself to develop a better understanding of the industry and develop certain interest with it as well.

Throughout this presentation, I learned many things, the evolution of poultry production, its contribution to the local economy, and how the industry markets there product today. With marketing and production, the industry has become more integrated to the consumers desire for the industry, causing the consumer to become more in control; which I found very interesting because I’ve never heard of it and didn’t think that the consumer would have control of the industry let alone what occurs in the chicken house as well. With the information learned, I now have a better understanding of the industry and how it has become the industry it is today which can allow me to educate others about the poultry industry as well as develop a factual opinion about poultry farms in Delmarva and in other states of the United States.