HARRISBURG, Pa. — PennAg Industries Association announced Delvin Martin and the team of Stevens Feed and Pennsylvania Sen. Scott Martin as its 2024 Distinguished Service Award winners at the annual Spring Banquet on March 27 at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex Center, Manheim, Pennsylvania.
The committee selected them for their unwavering support of the Pennsylvania poultry industry during the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks in the last three years. Hailed as Pennsylvania’s highest honor in agriculture, PennAg’s Distinguished Service Award is presented by the organization’s membership in leading animal ag and agribusinesses. It honors excellence in service to agriculture, including policy, communications, and aid to support farmers.
Martin and his team at Stevens Feed Mill were indispensable in connecting independent and plain community poultry farmers with PennAg, the Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence, and the Department of Agriculture. This allowed for communication and support with biosecurity tools and practices on those farms.
“During the Avian Influenza outbreak, we were exposed to the fact that each organization and segment within the poultry industry spoke a different language, literal and figural. As a member, Delvin and his team at Stevens were vital to PennAg and the Department of Agriculture’s communication successes with parts of the poultry industry that we were having trouble reaching at the height of the outbreak,” said Chris Herr, executive vice president of PennAg.
State Sen. Martin, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, was instrumental to the poultry industry by securing bipartisan support with Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration.
PennAg has recognized over 50 pioneers in service to animal agriculture, agribusiness, the agricultural community and agriculture and environmental policy. During the Spring Banquet, winners are presented with a plaque and a video showcasing their contributions to the farming community.
