Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to Bruce and Deb Dooyema of Sioux County on Wednesday, July 24. The presentation will take place during an event beginning at 11 a.m. at the Sioux Center Ambulance Garage in Sioux Center.
Center Fresh Egg Farm today includes more than 4 million egg laying hens, but Bruce Dooyema’s start in the business as a seventh grader was far more modest. In 1978, Bruce asked his parents, then dairy, swine and cattle farmers, for chickens as a summer project. The initial group of 24 chickens, cared for by Bruce and his brothers Kim and Eric, ignited a family passion for poultry that has only grown over the last four decades. Soon after, Dooyema and Sons was established, and a 60,000 head chicken coop was constructed. During the 1990’s, the egg industry went through a period of consolidation and Center Fresh Egg Farm was established in 1996 with 1 million birds and 8 partners. Dooyema and Sons sold shares of their farm to Center Fresh in 2015. Today, Center Fresh is made up of 15 owners, all of whom were smaller scale producers that came together to combine their skills, talents, and resources. Bruce credits his brothers, as well as the Dean and Visser Families as integral partners in the continued success of Center Fresh.
“Iowa is the national leader in egg production, and we can attribute that ongoing success and productivity to farmers and industry leaders like Bruce Dooyema and the team at Center Fresh,” said Secretary Naig. “Not only is Center Fresh focused on a high standard of animal care, but they also implement proven conservation practices to sustainably enhance and protect our soil and water. From Sioux Center to Mozambique, the Dooyemas give back in so many ways and I am pleased to present them with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.”
The farm raises corn and soybeans and utilizes crop rotation to optimize nutrients. In recent years, they have begun incorporating barley as a cover crop to protect the soil and improve water quality. They keep the corn stalks in the field after harvest to bolster the availability of organic matter. They utilize buffer strips along waterways and irrigate their row crops with recycled water from their egg processing plant. The recycled water, as well as the incorporation of poultry litter as a fertilizer, provides added nutrients for crop production.
Center Fresh’s barns are specifically designed to ensure that hens are housed in clean and comfortable conditions, which helps to keep the birds healthy. They employ nutritionists and veterinarians to constantly monitor the health of the birds, which is the key to ensure that their birds remain productive. Their high standard of care includes regular industry audits to assess animal care and they pride themselves on utilizing rigorous biosecurity protocols.
Bruce and Deb are active throughout their community and church as well as the egg industry. Bruce is an EMS ambulance driver, serves as a bus driver to get students to and from school and activities, and volunteers in his church as the treasurer and sound booth operator. He is actively engaged with Dordt University, is on the executive board of the Sioux Center Hospital, and serves on the Sioux Center Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee. Bruce has served as Chair of the Iowa Egg Council for the past decade and his board membership spans 25 years. He is a founding board member of the Iowa Poultry and Egg Scholarship Foundation and serves on the boards of the Egg Industry Center and World Poultry Foundation. He has served on many committees within the United Egg Producers. He is also passionate about working with the Ebenezer Mozambique Vocational School near Nampula in Mozambique. The school provides hands on learning for 18- to 23-year-old farmers and teaches them how to raise healthy chickens as well as the basics of growing various vegetables and corn. The two-year program, which includes students spending 6 hours per day in the field and 3 hours per day in the classroom, shows them how to sustainably feed themselves as well as those in their communities.
The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award is made possible through a partnership with the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF), The Big Show on WHO Radio and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Now in its 20th year, this award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment and their livestock while also being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.
