Adam and Natasha Swaney

Snow Camp, North Carolina

Knowing that they provide value to North Carolina and other states by putting nutritious food on consumer’s tables is Adam and Natasha Swaney’s favorite part about being North Carolina egg farmers. Adam worked on various farms growing up and found his love for raising poultry while studying Poultry Science at North Carolina State University. The Swaney family is raising 85,000 laying hens and 60 cows on a first-generation farm in Snow Camp, North Carolina.

“We love that we get to work side-by-side with our family. It allows us to show our kids where their food comes from, while also teaching them what good, hard work looks like!”

What measures are being taken on your farm to protect and preserve the environment in your community?

We work with our neighbors and other farms nearby to ensure everyone’s success. We also consult with the Alamance County Soil and Water District to develop a manure and litter management plan that follows the guidelines they set. One measure we took recently to protect the environment is building a dry litter storage facility. This facility allows us to store dry litter until conditions are suitable for application on land, or until litter can be picked up for use by others as fertilizer or animal feed, or can be composted.

How do you ensure the health of your hens?

We have a strict biosecurity plan. Only employees are allowed in the houses and all employees leave their shoes on the farm as well as clean and disinfect their shoes with boot dipping. All egg rooms are cleaned thoroughly every day. Doing all of this means reducing the chance of infectious diseases being carried onto our farm and leaving our farm.