Growing up on a family farm, Seth Hufford did a little bit of everything.
“It was just a small little cattle farm,” Hufford said. “Nothing big. We had a really small herd of cows, and I just worked out there, and then I also raised show pigs for Future Farmers of America.”
A Siloam Springs native, Hufford enjoyed his agrarian upbringing and knew he wanted a path toward the farming industry in some form or fashion, but like a lot of young people, he was not specifically sure what his future would look like. Also, like a lot of young people, the price tag for college loomed large.
“Tuition can definitely kick some people’s behinds,” Hufford said.
A lot has happened since Hufford began thinking about what opportunities lay beyond his family farm. Now a confident 25-year-old, Hufford attends the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and works as a program technician for UA Poultry Science professor Benjamin Parsons. He has a bachelor’s degree in poultry science and, despite his cow-centric childhood, is embarking on a master’s degree in poultry nutrition.
Hufford said none of that would be possible without the help of The Poultry Federation. A Little Rock-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the interests of the poultry industry in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, The Poultry Federation has long given out scholarships to Arkansas youth looking to find a place in one of the state’s largest industries.
“The support of The Poultry Federation has been undeniably amazing,” Hufford said. “They have definitely been that support system. It’s amazing to know there’s a federation out there that supports our cause in the poultry industry and helps our journey and our dreams to build this amazing industry up.”
“I think it’s important to give back to the kids,” said Dr. Bill Hewat, director of veterinary services at Tyson Foods and a member of The Poultry Federation’s scholarship committee.
Hewat has spent his entire adult life in the poultry industry, and if there is one thing he is sure of, it is that the poultry business in Arkansas encompasses more than what most people are aware of. While The Poultry Federation’s scholarships are a natural fit for students with a farming background like Hufford, he encouraged students from all interests and backgrounds to look at the poultry industry as a whole. They just might be surprised.
“It expands the gamut from what people would traditionally think or believe as business related, such as marketing, sales or finance — just the regular functions that any company would have,” Hewat said. “Then it goes to research and development for the development of products. There’s the combination of science and marketing. Then there’s engineering, like plant operations. Then there’s my area of live operations. That goes from vaccine sales to being a service technician or a veterinarian. It’s very, very broad, the areas where you can become employed in this industry.”
Dr. Abigail Graham, a technical services veterinarian based in Pea Ridge and another member of The Poultry Federation’s scholarship committee, said there are plenty of science-related jobs in the poultry industry that extend beyond the birds themselves. There are water quality analysis, medication and vaccine research to go along with the more traditional work that takes place in hatcheries and processing plants.
“There are a million routes to go,” Graham said. “We’ve had some nursing students whose desire might be to get a job as a nurse at one of these companies’ processing plants. You wouldn’t think a nursing program would end up with a poultry scholarship, but there’s definitely been a few of those. There’s also the food sciences department. There’s a lot of technology with the food space.”
Those with an eye toward the industry are spoiled for choice, and The Poultry Federation is happy to help fund each student’s educational journey.
“I’ve been kind of dabbling with whatever I want to do,” Hufford said with a laugh. “I did some plant work. I worked with some amazing people in the plant. Then I went to hatcheries, the feed mills. Then I went on to service chickens, so I’ve done everything from plant to live production.”
For now, Hufford is enjoying his work with Parsons and is feeling a tug toward the nutrition aspect of the industry. He likes the subject matter and has developed a knack for working with people, and he is excited to make a full jump into what he predicts will be a lifetime profession.
“Without The Poultry Federation, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Hufford said. “Without their support, I don’t know if I could have gotten through college financially. I’m just incredibly grateful for them, and their love and support of our students is truly amazing.
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