2024 Board Members
President
Jeff Cutler
Ohio Egg Processors
Association Chair
Jay Rindler
Vice President
Drew Bowman
Ohio Egg Marketing
Program Chair
Thomas Hertzfeld
Secretary
Thomas Hertzfeld
A Message to our Members
Our people, the animals we raise, and the quality food we produce will always be at the heart of the Ohio Poultry Association's (OPA) mission.
Despite all our best biosecurity efforts, we were met by Avian Influenza (HPAI) at the start and end of 2024. Nevertheless, Ohio's poultry farming community persevered through difficult circumstances - our work is ongoing and continues to be a key priority.
Even during adversity, OPA continues to work on your behalf to keep consumers informed and educated on the farming community and the foods we produce. Each year, OPA strives to lead innovative initiatives that highlight the health benefits, versatility and affordability of our egg, chicken and turkey products.
In 2024, our team utilized the OPA kitchen to test recipes, create new photo and video content and launch a three-part Influencer Master Class series. We debuted six new deviled egg flavors, one pound turkey wings and cheesecake sundaes at the Ohio State Fair; and reached thousands of students through Chickenology workshops and virtual field trips.
We led with innovation, honored the visionaries shaping our industry, tackled challenges with unwavering resilience, and gained valuable insights that will drive our industry's future growth and success.
This report highlights the progress and impact of our 2024 programs - made possible through your leadership, commitment and shared vision. We appreciate your continued support and dedication to advancing Ohio's egg, chicken and turkey farming communities.
Sincerely,
Jim Chakeres
OPA Executive Vice President
Jeff Cutler
OPA Board President
DEVELOPING KEY POULTRY HEALTH PROGRAMS
2024 Overview: Challenges and Opportunities for Ohio's Poultry Industry
Despite HPAI setbacks, Ohio's poultry industry demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity. Producers have remained dedicated to swiftly adapting to disease management efforts and enhancing biosecurity practices. We extend our gratitude to Ohio's poultry producers, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the USDA for their continued teamwork and cooperation, ensuring the ongoing success and growth of Ohio's poultry industry.
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
The Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) represents Ohio as the official state agency for the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). In 2024, OPA continued its collaboration with the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services (APHIS VS), acting as the state's administering agency for NPIP. Additionally, OPA oversees the Avian Influenza Monitored Program for all NPIP subparts.
OPA expresses appreciation to the producers who served as Ohio's voting delegates at the August 2024 NPIP meeting held in Providence, Rhode Island:
- Natalie Harp of Nature Pure
- Chris Buckley of Trillium
- Brian Donley of Cooper Farms
- Chris McConnell of Gerber Poultry
- Dr. Dominika Jurkovic of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
- Dr. Eric Heskett of Case Farms
- Dr. Marie Severyn of Cooper Farms
- Lisa Timmerman of Hendrix Genetics
- Sam Ballou of Elkhorn Pheasant Farm
- Lola Crespo of Aviagen
- Jim Chakeres of OPA
- Jenna Gregorich of OPA
In 2024 OPA conducted the following initiatives:
- Completed 9 hatchery inspections.
- Qualified 30 Subpart E hatchery breeder flocks and 2 Subpart J Upland Game Bird breeder flocks, representing over 100,00 breeders.
- Managed 25 Upland Game Bird propagators under a 90-day monitoring program.
- Conducted 4 slaughter plant audits for NPIP pre-movement testing compliance.
- Performed 29 biosecurity audits as part of a biennial audit schedule.
- Tested 250 Subpart E (exhibition and backyard) flocks for Pullorum and Avian Influenza, 43 of which are AI Clean and tested biannually.
- Submitted over 170 upland and 870 backyard/exhibition PCR samples for testing.
PROMOTING CAREERS AND PROVIDING
YOUTH AND SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION
Backyard Flock Education and Outreach
Efforts to reach and educate backyard flock owners expanded in 2024, thanks to ongoing partnerships between OPA, the Ohio Poultry Breeders Association, and The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension.
These collaborations led to the creation of new educational materials and webinars. Additionally, the OPA Backyard Flock newsletter, which covers topics ranging from biosecurity practices to egg recipes, was distributed once a month to over 600 individuals.
Workforce Development and Biosecurity Promotion
The OPA team worked closely with OSU, 4-H, and Future Farmers of America (FFA), to promote biosecurity at multiple events across the state and organize hands-on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) exercises.
The Ohio National Poultry Show, held on November 8-10 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, attracted over 7,000 entries from 650 exhibitors. OPA staff members hosted a booth and educated attendees at the event through a presentation on HPAI and biosecurity tips, as well as set up footbaths at all exterior entrances, accompanied by signage emphasizing the importance of biosecurity. Members of The Ohio State Poultry Science Club helped the OPA team with setting up and monitoring the footbaths.
Chickenology
In 2024, OPA continued its partnership with EducationProjects.org and OSU/4-H to facilitate three Chickenology teacher workshops and two virtual field trips. A new, two-day Chickenology workshop was launched, offering high school teachers an opportunity to engage with OPA staff and producer representatives at the OPA office through discussions and demonstrations. Chickenology, presented by GrowNextGen and funded by the OPA and Ohio Soybean Council, provides a STEM-based poultry curriculum for grades 6-12.
Sustainability
In June, OPA hosted the Sustainability Summit at its office, where 15 producers and allied industry participants, along with 10 speakers, gathered for an all-day event. The summit covered a range of environmental and sustainability topics at both the national and local levels and provided valuable networking opportunities for those involved in this growing field.
Additionally, OPA launched an environmental animated video series, which was funded by the Ohio Soybean Council. To coincide with Earth Month in April, ads for the series were promoted on Facebook, Instagram and Google.
The video series has received
235,000 views
on YouTube
A Closer Look: Ohio Poultry Farmers' Commitments
SUPPORTING ASSOCIATION AND INDUSTRY EVENTS
In 2024, OPA hosted and participated in many successful industry and association events, including the Ohio State Fair and OPA's Annual Banquet and Industry Celebration.
Ohio State Fair
The OPA team was back at the traditional Egg, Turkey & Chicken and Devilishly Good Food Stands this year to serve fair favorites along with new and unique deviled egg flavors. Due to construction at the fair, the Taste of Ohio Café was located in the North Market Pavilion.
This year's deviled egg flavor, Bubblegum, received significant media attention
Bubblegum Deviled Egg media coverage reached an audience of 265 Million
The annual Egg-citing & Devilishly Good and Egg-stra, Egg-stra! Culinary Competitions challenged participants to show off their deviled egg skills and prepare creative savory and sweet egg dishes. To add to the fun and help promote the fair, OPA debuted their new mascot, MVP (Most Valuable Protein).
The Poultry Barn and Hatching Unit educated youth on the poultry and egg industries, and the annual Sale of Champions was held on August 4, 2024, where the OPA team served eggs, chicken and turkey at the reception.
Annual Banquet and Industry Celebration
On September 12, OPA hosted their Annual Celebration Banquet at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel, with a Roaring 20's Speakeasy theme. Earlier in the day, friends, colleagues and industry leaders also gathered for OPA's Golf Outing at TopGolf.
This year, one organization and three individuals were recognized at the event.
The Ohio Poultry Breeders Association received the Industry Partner Award, which acknowledges those who have contributed to the success of the poultry industry, while also collaborating closely with OPA to protect the health and wellbeing of Ohio's chickens and turkeys and supporting the next generation of poultry farmers.
The Rising Star Award, new this year, was presented to three individuals who have excelled within their fields and exhibit strong leadership qualities. The recipients included Natalie Harp of Nature Pure, Craig Link of Cooper Farms, and Megan Combs of Trillium Farms.
ENGAGING WITH CONSUMERS THROUGH MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
In 2024, OPA executed 7 integrated communications campaigns to promote Ohio's egg, chicken and turkey farming communities during key times of the year.
Total Reach:
3,365,139
Total Link Clicks:
143,022
Humans of Ohio Poultry
To showcase the real humans behind Ohio poultry, OPA created profiles featuring the stories and background of 12 Ohio farm workers. The content was promoted on a unique landing page on OhioEggs.com , through organic social media content and a paid social media advertising campaign.
The Humans of Ohio Poultry social content earned
601,304 impressions and
reached an audience of 322,579
on Facebook and Instagram
Blogger/Influencer Engagement
In 2024, OPA engaged in eight influencer partnerships to promote eggs, chicken and turkey.
Total Influencer Reach:
372,000
Likes:
5,200
Video Plays:
420,000
Master Class Series
To continue cultivating strong relationships with content creators, OPA launched an Influencer Master Class for five Ohio influencers. The three sessions, held throughout 2024 at OPA's office, focused on Easter prep, National Egg Month, and holiday tips and tricks.
The influencers created social media
content following each session,
reaching more than
100,000 Instagram users
Website Development
In 2024, OPA launched an updated OhioEggs.com, and an all-new OhioTurkey.com. The updated OhioEggs.com features a modern design, increased recipe search functionality and the latest egg nutrition information, and OhioTurkey.com is dedicated to turkey recipes, fun facts about the protein and the farmers that produce it.
OPA was proud to work on behalf of members to lead many successful initiatives, educate consumers and advocate for Ohio's poultry farming community in 2024, and looks forward to continued success in the future.
Please contact OPA staff for more information about this report or specific initiatives at: (614) 882-6111 or info@ohiopoultry.org.
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