DPI establishes ‘Chicken Day’ for state legislators

By MICHEL ELBEN
Staff Reporter

Annapolis, Md. — A barbecue chicken aroma spread throughout the lower level of the Lowe House Office Building on Jan. 26, enticing more than 240 legislators and staffers into the informal yet informative Chicken Day, Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc.’s latest outreach efforts to the Maryland General Assembly.
“It’s the first of its kind,” said Bill Satterfield, executive director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry. DPI sponsored Chicken Day with the cooperation of the Eastern Shore Delegation.
Satterfield said the crowd enjoyed a barbecue chicken lunch from Em-ing’s in Bishopville, Md.
“We are very pleased,” Satterfield said. “We had 61 members of the General Assembly, and they represented every county in the state.”
“At one point, I was worried we wouldn’t have enough chicken,” said Eastern Shore delegate Addie Eckardt, R, Dist. 37B.
The crowd did more than enjoy Eastern Shore chicken. As they walked through the line, the guests interacted with knowledgeable DPI hosts who spoke about his or her role in Maryland’s Eastern Shore poultry industry.
“It was a great opportunity for the poultry industry to get to know the other legislators,” said Eckardt.
The hosts also used the time to discuss the chicken industry’s significant economic contribution to the entire state of Maryland.
Antoninette Duven, chief of staff for Barbara Robinson, D-Dist. 40, Baltimore City, said she and members of Robinson’s staff talked to the hosts about upcoming legislation.
“I was able to ask lots of questions while in line,” said Duven.
When not chatting with chicken industry hosts, legislators and staffers were able to view large posters that illustrated the poultry industry’s admirable animal care efforts and respectable environmental record.
“I got to meet a farmer,” said Delegate Tawanna P. Gaines, D-Dist. 22, a legislator from Prince George’s County, adding she learned about the ways chicken farmers are reducing environmental pollution.
“The farm family gets lost in the poultry industry,” said Eckhardt. “It takes a while to shift the perception that the media has created in other parts of the state.”
Satterfield said DPI would likely plan a similar event next year with the help of the Eastern Shore Delegation.
“It went extremely well,” said Eckardt. “Everyone was just delighted.”