Nebraska pork producers receive environmental awards

The National Pork Board recently honored two Nebraska pork producers by presenting them with Environmental Steward Awards. The Pork Board said the award winners "exemplify excellence in environmental care and conservation in pork production."

The Nebraska producers who were honored include:

• O'Neel Farms of Friend, represented by Terry and Diane O'Neel and family, and
• Enterprise Nurseries of Madrid, represented by John Csukker and Jill Goedeken.

A producer from Minnesota and another from Missouri were also presented with the award. Click here for the news release form the Pork Board.

For a better story, though, follow this link to the Brownfield report by Tom Steever. (It includes a good interview with Terry O'Neel.)

Steever notes that the O'Neel's live right next to their 500 sows.

"We still have picnics there, we still have family gatherings there," Terry O'Neel told Brownfield after accepting the award. "We actually have come to our farms and give tours, so we have some great odor control programs going, so it helps increase our quality of life."

John Csukker of Enterprise Nurseries has two units with room for 15,000 young pigs, but he said they’re also a good neighbor - "You just don’t know it’s there," he said.

Environmental steward award winners receive a plaque in recognition for their strong environmental ethics. Their stories were featured in National Hog Farmer magazine, which co-sponsors the awards program, in the Pork Checkoff Report and in an educational video produced and distributed by the National Pork Board.

National Hog Farmer profiles of the operations are available here for the O'Neels and here for Enterprise Nurseries.