Grower of the Month - April 2012

Bar A Farm in Adairsville, Georgia

Spotlight on Bar A Farm in Adairsville, Georgia

Brian Adcock, owner of Bar A Farm in Adairsville, Georgia, is Pilgrim's Grower of the Month for April 2012. Adcock is being recognized due to his high standard of performance and his never-quit attitude, giving 100 percent to his business every day.

"He just does an excellent job. He works alongside his dad and his uncle, who raise birds too, and all three of them do an excellent job. When his houses are set up, it's to a T, he puts out more feeder lids than other growers, his houses are always washed and the air quality is always good," says Phillip Jones, broiler service tech out of the Canton, Georgia, complex. "He's always with the birds and he does an excellent job of taking care of them."

Adcock produces seven flocks of 83,000 broiler chickens each a year, totaling over 581,000 chickens. He gets the chickens on day 1 and keeps them for 37 to 40 days. "And every day is different," says Adcock. "You have to make sure the chickens are as comfortable as possible."

Building a Business One Bird at a Time

"The best piece of advice I've received about raising chickens is to realize that every day is a new day. So every day you have to do something a little bit different because the weather changes every day. Every flock of chickens isn't the same. You have to be willing to do things differently, and grow them the best way you can," Adcock says. "One thing is for sure, you go to bed with the chickens, sleep with the chickens and get up with chickens. It's never out of your thoughts. The only time it leaves your mind is between flocks."

Adcock grew up chicken farming. His grandparents, Luther and Grace, built their first chicken house in 1956. His parents, Doyle and Mary, started their own chicken farm in 1968. His uncle and aunt, Dearl and Lydia, started their own chicken farm in 1970. Dearl and Lydia still grow chickens right next door to Adcock.

Adcock bought his first two chicken houses on his 10-acre farm in 1990, when he was 19 years old. He added two more in 1993.

How does a 19-year-old have enough money to build chicken houses?

"You never go anywhere or spend any money. I stayed with my daddy on his farm and I didn't get married until I was 27. I saved every bit of money I made and borrowed money from the bank. Banks were different then and chicken houses were cheaper. It cost me $57,300 to build a house and now it's probably $200,000 or more," says Adcock. While the initial cost may have been less than a new one now, over the years he has invested significant amounts for upgrades to utilize the latest technologies.

Family First

Adcock married Kim, who works in the accounting department at Yanmar Tractor, 17 years ago. They have two daughters, Rion Mealer and Hannah. Rion has two sons, Dalton and Trenton, who Adcock calls Pistol and Skeet.

Adcock is no stranger to winning awards. In 2004, he was honored with the Farm Family of the Year Award for Bartow County.

Adcock's excellent farming skills can be contributed to his competitiveness. He's competitive as a bass fisherman and as a chicken grower.

"He keeps bragging that he beat his own farm one year when he got Grower of the Year on a farm he was leasing," says Jones. "He's a very competitive person. He, his father and his uncle worked together to set the houses up, but once the doors are closed, it's very competitive."

Taking Care of Business

Adcock is not modest about his desire to win.

"I don't give up on anything. I give it 110%, every day. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, I give it my all. You see people watch a ball game and jump up off the couch for a football player they don't even know. I don't do that. I scream for one person, and that's Brian. I'm my own hero," remarks Adcock.

While competitive with his family, who farm within the same vicinity, Adcock says they are also very cooperative, working together every day and helping each other succeed on their respective farms. In fact, the constant contact with his family is one reason he loves farming.

"I wouldn't take a dime in exchange for my family. I was raised right next to my grandparents and it's a great life. We've never had a minute's trouble in all these years of working together," says Adcock.

"If all my growers were like him, it would make my job easier," says Jones.