Sustainability
We're Deeply Connected to the Land
We Care About Our Customers, Our Employees, Our Chickens, and The Environment
At Hillandale Farms, sustainability is central to our values. We use every emerging technology and technique that we can to improve the quality of life for our customers, employees, and chickens. We go to great lengths to minimize our impact on the environment.
In the old days, manure in a chicken house could remain there as long as 5 months at a time. We were one of the first companies to incorporate a belt system that cleans a third of each of our houses each day. We also recycle our manure to use as fertilizer. We design our houses with powerful fans, to keep air quality for everyone at a maximum. And we ensure no spill-off into our important water systems, like the Chesapeake.
In an effort to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible, we keep our farms as close to our customers as possible, and we utilize an ever-increasing amount of wind and solar power.
Water Treatment Building
In February 2011, Hillandale Farms invested $3.5 million in a water treatment facility to handle the water used to wash its eggs in a smart and responsible manner. Through a nitrification/denitrification process, the egg wash water is purified, filtered and returned to the ground in an environmentally-sustainable way.
Solar Power
Hillandale Farms uses solar power at several of its facilities. Hillandale staff has worked closely with the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, which leverages resources to drive investment and increase the state’s clean energy infrastructure.
In-House Composting
Hillandale Farms uses an in-house composting method in their high-rise layer houses producing drier and lighter compost that can be broadcast spread. This method also enhances pest control, reducing the potential for flies surrounding the compost, with an added benefit of significant reductions in the use of fly control products.
Energy Efficient
Aside from large-scale efforts, like the installation of solar power structures, Hillandale Connecticut has implemented numerous small energy-saving practices that have a significant impact, such as switching to motion sensor on/off switches in all offices and buildings, installing high efficiency lighting in all processing, warehouse and office buildings, and transitioning to LED lighting in all of the chicken houses.
Safety-Focused Environment
We work with the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division on an ongoing basis. OSHA provides voluntary and cooperative programs focused on reducing injuries and illnesses, and conducts on-site consultation services assuring that Hillandale facilities comply with OSHA standards, identifying potential safety and health hazards so that potential risks can be avoided.
As farmers, we know how important the environment is, and we do everything in our power to tread lightly and improve it where we can.
Our environmental testing surpasses the FDA’s requirements.