Dresden, Tenn.–Congratulations to the Parham Family in Weakley County for being named the TN Poultry Association‘s Farm Family of the Year.
The Parham family raise pullets for the Tyson Obion County Complex. David and his wife, Melanie, have been married for 28 years and raise their children Joshua and Emma in Dresden.
A graduate of University of Tennessee at Martin David has lived his entire life there on the farm. He is the 4th generation farmer and worked for Tyson Foods in Union City prior to establishing his own poultry operation in September of 2019.
Melanie is also a graduate of UT Martin with a bachelors in social work and a master’s in professional studies from Lipscomb. She works at an area county hospital as a Director in Behavioral Health. Additionally she manages the business and finances for the family’s poultry operation.
Since the beginning of David’s tenure as a Tyson employee, he expressed an interest in becoming a poultry grower. As soon as the Obion County Complex announced its plans to expand operations, David requested consideration to become a pullet grower. David’s dream was realized when ground was broken in May of 2019 and construction of the four-house pullet operation began. Due to the success of his poultry business, two more pullet houses were built, and they became operational in 2021.
Parham’s Pullets and Parham Farms are dedicated to protecting natural resources and efficient environmental practices, which include conservation and energy savings. Following the guidelines of their comprehensive nutrient management plan, the approximate 75 tons of litter cleaned out from each barn is spread on their own hay and pasture ground as a fertilizer and soil amendment.
The Parham’s are very dedicated to soil conservation and soil erosion prevention practices. Grass waterways are maintained, Bermuda grass has been planted and field tile has been installed, as has black plastic and rock under the eaves of each barn to assist with water drainage concerns. The Parham’s take pride in the maintenance and appearance of their land and pullet houses.
Biosecurity measures include house-specific footwear and coverings, bleach foot baths at the entrance of each barn, and adherence to the Perimeter Buffer Area program. They also utilize an advanced technology system to alert of any potential issues within the barns, to ensure expeditious resolution.
Supporting agriculture and ensuring agriculture education to future generations is the Parham’s passion and a great example they serve to our state.