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FOUNDING FARMER AND CHAIRMAN, FARMER FOCUS, HARRISONBURG
FOUNDING FARMER AND CHAIRMAN, FARMER FOCUS, HARRISONBURG
Virginia Business// August 29, 2024//
Sixth-generation chicken farmer Heatwole started his 100% organic and humane-certified chicken company in 2014. Originally named Shenandoah Valley Organic but rebranded as Farmer Focus in 2020, the company lets farmers own their flocks, receive fair compensation and make key decisions.
In August 2023, Farmer Focus announced that Stephen J. Shepard, the company’s president and chief operating officer, would be promoted to CEO, a position Heatwole had held since the company’s start. Heatwole assumed a new role as chairman of the organization’s board of managers.
The moves are part of the company’s strategic plan and commitment to focus on the future of farming. In early 2023, Farmer Focus announced a $17.8 million expansion of its organic poultry processing facility that was backed by a $3.6 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. The expansion would nearly double the number of chickens the facility could process and would allow the hiring of another 300 workers.
In a 2023 news release, the company stated that Farmer Focus was on track to double its revenue by the end of 2024 because of increasing consumer demand.
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