The LVEDC continues to assist local Agriculture Businesses with Small Business First Loans:

 

Spotlight : Ben & Tonya Moyer

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Moyers’ Poultry Barns

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With more than 19 years of experience, Ben Moyer has always had a knack for growing mums and pumpkins on his family farm — Moyers Mum Farm. In 2006, Ben Moyer took over his family’s farm and focused on growing mums and pumpkins that are unique in shape, size and color. In 2010, Ben and his wife, Tonya, started expanding and increasing the family business into both a mum farm and a poultry farm. We caught up with Ben to learn more about their recent expansion and what it means to them to Work Smart, Live Happy in Pennsylvania.

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My dad first built two poultry barns on the farm in 2004 and then in 2014 he decided to slow down and built one chicken house on an adjacent farm. At that time, he sold the existing farm and chicken houses to my wife and I. From that point on, Tonya and I had plans to continue expanding the farm.

 

Our most recent expansion was for our poultry farm. With the recent Bell & Evans plant expansion announcement, we wanted to add two more poultry barns to increase the amount of chickens we raise for the company. Bell & Evans is estimating that it will need to increase its breeder farms and farms where chickens are raised by 250 percent to support its new harvesting plant. Our expansion was a result of their expansion – a downstream effect of developments.

We also had the opportunity to go organic in June 2016 because of our ongoing partnership with Bell & Evans. At that time, our two existing barns were converted over to organic. Then, in the fall of 2017 we started our expansion for two more organic broiler barns. All four barns are now part of the organic division, each house holding 34,800 chickens with a total of nearly 140,000 chickens. We’re just happy that there is always room to expand with the growing agricultural industry in Pennsylvania.

 

When we first bought the farm, the LVEDC helped us to apply for a Next Generation Farmer loan, which is facilitated through DCED. For our broiler barn expansion, the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loan we applied for offered us a very good interest rate. We were approved for a $400,000, 15-year loan at a two percent fixed rate through the Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). We are also in the process of working on another funding opportunity through the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for manure storage and compost building.

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I was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania and have seen growth in the agricultural industry. There are plenty of good markets here to sell all agricultural products that are produced. I also live 15 minutes from the Bell & Evans hatchery and plant, and its large expansion creates opportunities for farmers like me. 

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I am also proud to know that my kids, Annie and Kaleb, show a promising interest in the farm life, as well. Part of my and Tonya’s interest in expanding our farm was for our children’s benefit. Every day, our kids will accompany us on our walks throughout the farm and chicken houses. Kaleb, who is only five years old, is interested in every aspect of farm life and wants to be there all the time. The promising future of agriculture in Pennsylvania and the state support to make these expansions happen will support our dreams and generations to come.

 

https://dced.pa.gov/paproudblog/small-business-spotlight-ben-tonya-moyer/

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