Walnut Road Farm is located in Honeybrook, Pennsylvania, and is cared for by father and son team, Lester & John Stoltzfus. The farm is a family affair and has been worked by the Stoltzfus family over 4 generations. Lester’s grandfather, Amos E Stoltzfus, bought the farm 1960. Lester grew up on the farm and, at a very young age, began working various jobs on the farm, eventually taking over the major responsibilities of the farm in 1987. In addition to having been a farmer all his life, Lester has also taken time to do missionary work with his wife and family in Africa. The farm consists of 125 acres, where they grow corn and beans. Lester and his family also own 65 dairy cows who are fed from the corn that is grown on their farm.
Lester and his family start their day at 4:30am and usually end the day around 6:30pm. Lester has 4 daughters who also help with various tasks around the farm. His son John was the one who wanted to expand their farm to include an egg barn. Although the family has always had chickens on the farm, they wanted to expand to provide an additional source of income for John and his growing family. It had always been a passion of John’s to raise hens. John is married and both he and his wife take care of the hens each day. The reason he has continued his family legacy is because he loves being with his children and teaching them life skills that a farm brings through all of the hard work that is needed in maintaining a viable farm.
The Stoltzfus family has been working with Sauder’s for several years. Sauder’s was the first egg marketing company they worked with to sell their eggs. The reasons they chose Sauder’s was because of the Sauder brand recognition in the market place, as well as the Sauder reputation in the egg industry. Lester loves that Sauder’s is honest, open and supports family-owned operations.
The chickens on this farm are cage-free, meaning they are raised in a stress-free environment and are not in cages. They are kept in large heated and air-cooled growing houses where they can roost and socialize freely, participating in their chicken behaviors and pecking orders, and laying their eggs in dark, quiet nests.
This farm participates in the NPIP program (National Poultry Improvement Plan), which is a national program in collaboration with state and federal departments of agriculture and industry representatives. The main objective is to use new diagnostic technology to effectively improve poultry and poultry products throughout the U.S. NPIP provides certification that poultry and poultry products destined for insterstate and international shipments are disease free.
This farm is part of the Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP), which institutes steps to reduce the risk of Salmonalla Enteritidis (SE) with an effective flock testing and management program.
This farm meets the quidelines established by the United Egg Producers (UEP), placing top priority on the comfort, health, and safety of the chickens.
This laying hen farm meets the standards for the Humane Farm Animal Care Program, which ensures that the hens on their farm are provided with a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, and are raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors.
