Farmer on the Rise, Duy Pham

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Duy Pham of Somerset County, MD is one of ten recipients.

Duy is a first generation farmer. He owns and manages a poultry farm on 25 acres. He purchased his six house, 180,000 square foot operation in 2020 and grows broilers for Mountaire Farms. He is passionate about the wellbeing of his flock and all contributing factors from nutrition to housing and veterinary care to biosecurity. Prior to farming, Duy spent eight years as an electrician, three years as a welder, and was employed in the area of environmental enhancement practices for a large manufacturer - all of which have helped him to keep his poultry farm clean, safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Duy is planning to upgrade the heating system in his poultry houses. Currently, he relies on tube heaters in his chicken houses, which have been in use for 18 years. Overtime, their efficiency has significantly decreased, resulting in wasteful fuel consumption and decreased performance. Upgrading this heating system will have an immediate and substantial impact on his farm's efficiency and overall success.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!