Farmer partner appreciation event held at Pure Prairie Farms

PHOTO GALLERY: Pure Prairie Farms farmer partner appreciation day

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Pure Prairie Farms Inc. gave its partner farmers a tour of their updated Charles City chicken processing plant recently, as part of an appreciation day held at the company’s home office.

Pure Prairie Farms’ CEO and President Brian Roelofs and board Chairman Michael Helgeson provided a business update to the group of about 75 attendees, on the same day that the company later helped sponsor the city’s last Party in the Park event of this season.

Though the day was overcast, morale and spirits ran high, the company reported.

Pure Prairie Farm’s leadership team was on hand to answer a variety of questions, and farmer partners and their families were treated to a catered lunch and tours of their state-of-the-art chicken plant.

Since the company took over the former Simply Essentials property on Charles City’s Main Street, Pure Prairie Farms executives have emphasized the significance that the farmers who will be providing chickens to be processed at the plant are also part of a group that has shared ownership in the company.

The company views its farmer partners as investors in addition to being contractor growers, the company said in a statement.

One of the farmers representing the group, Tom Poppens, an Aplington chicken grower, had said previously that it’s an unusual ownership structure in the poultry industry, and has created “a unique environment of mutual cooperation and support from all parties involved.”

The farmer partners at the appreciation day were also the first to see the company’s new logo design which, according to CEO Roelofs, “visually tells the story of a simple and pure approach to premium chicken and an authentic, personal approach to the business.”

Roelofs said they were pleased with the turnout and excitement of the group at the appreciation day.

“While we can say this time is different for the plant, it was equally important that we showed our farmer partners why and how it’s different, as well as inform them of our continued progress,” Roelofs said, referring to previous plant owners that had not been successful.

“We believe events like these are key to building and maintaining strong relationships based on trust, and for our future,” he said.

Roelofs said Pure Prairie Farms is on target to start production in the fourth quarter of 2022, and continues to fill key positions with the balance expected to be filled by the end of the year.

For those interested in employment with Pure Prairie Farms, the company plans to provide at least four weeks’ lead time, so future employees can give current employers advance notice.

“It is our goal to quickly become the regional employer of choice, so we are laying important groundwork to do just that. This includes the development of training programs, competitive wage and attractive benefits packages, and the future renovation of our plant’s team member wellness area,” Roelofs said.

For community members interested in a position with Pure Prairie Farms, the company encourages candidates to engage with its social media pages on Facebook, LinkedIn and Indeed.com.

Pure Prairie Farms Inc. was founded in 2021 and purchased the former Simply Essentials property in bankruptcy court. Its business plan is to deliver premium quality and organic chicken products to retail, deli and foodservice segments. The all natural, air-chilled and highly trimmed products will come from chickens raised under strict animal welfare standards, with no antibiotics ever, and fed a vegetable- and grain-based diet with no animal byproducts.