TUCKER, GA. — Holden Farms of Obion County, Tenn., recently received recognition for the US Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.

Applicants for the award were rated in various categories including nutrient management planning, implementation of novel sustainability practices, community involvement, innovative litter or manure management techniques, and participation in education or outreach programs. 

Farm visits were conducted, and applications were reviewed by environmental professionals from universities, regulatory agencies, and state poultry associations.

Holden Farms is a fifth-generation, family-operated farm that Kris and Rebecca Holden manage along with their sons, Hunter and Hayden.

They manage 2,085 acres of crops, and Holden Barns Partnership, a six-house poultry operation that was added in 2022. 

Holden Farms also oversees the five Century Farms, which is a program that honors family farmers who have kept continuously owned family land in agricultural production for at least the last 100 years. Three more farms the Holden family operates will achieve Century Farm status this year.

With the addition of poultry barns, Holden Farms can reduce their reliance on commercial fertilizers. The litter generated on the farm is used as organic fertilizer and applied on its acres. Holden Farms often applies poultry litter before planting wheat, allowing for incorporation into the soil during sowing.

USPOULTRY added that the company preserves natural habitats around the property by maintaining several acres of woodlands and buffer zones to serve as habitats for native wildlife alongside agricultural operations. 

Holden Farms also manages numerous ponds on its property that serve to control runoff and provide a consistent water source for wildlife and during dry periods.