Avian Flu

There is no such thing as too much biosecurity, as it is always of utmost importance.

Here are five important safety points to remember to keep your farm safe!

Avoid contact with migratory waterfowl.
Do not allow visitors to your farm. If they must come on farm, they must practice strict biosecurity while they are on farm.
Change clothes and shoes before entering poultry houses and before leaving the farm.
Have dedicated footwear or shoe covers for each poultry house.
At the first sign of increased mortality, anything over ¼ of 1% of house capacity, or severe decrease in water consumption, please contact your company service personnel.
Keep all non-essential personnel away from the poultry houses.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is rapidly spreading across the broiler belt of the United States, with migratory waterfowl as the primary carriers. Alabama is a part of the Mississippi Flyway migration route of these birds, putting one of the state’s most important agricultural commodities at risk: commercial poultry.

The Risks

Domestic fowl have no natural immunity to HPAI, and there is no treatment for the resulting disease. The virus is also extremely virulent and spreads in an enclosed aviary or commercial poultry house like wildfire. The only way to control further spread is to euthanize the entire flock after confirmation of the disease. For the commercial poultry industry, this means the potential loss of millions of birds.

Potential for Economic Losses

The scope of the economic catastrophe resulting from a major HPAI outbreak in Alabama is difficult to grasp. However, when one considers the recent economic impact estimation of $15 billion total from poultry operations in the state, even a small percentage means a lot of dollars lost.

For a contract poultry grower, the loss of an entire flock of birds would be devastating. No grower can withstand the loss of one-fifth of their entire annual revenue and not be put in a dire financial situation. For the average grower in Alabama, the loss of a flock could equate to the loss of $45,000 to $55,000 in revenue. These types of losses are typically not covered by normal farm insurance policies, and often the contract provider has no relief to offer. For every dollar the grower loses, the company loses as much as ten times that amount in cost and potential revenue.

The USDA does have an indemnity program to compensate growers for the destroyed flock, disposal of the carcasses, and cleanup of the infected facilities. However, this amount does not cover all the losses that are incurred by either the grower or the company. For more information, see the USDA publication The HPAI Indemnity and Compensation Process Start to Finish.

Biosecurity Measures Must Be a Priority

During a recent University of Arkansas Agriculture Research and Extension webinar on HPAI for industry professionals, Terry Conger, a poultry health epidemiologist with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), encouraged a lockdown around poultry activities. Conger warned that because of the perpetual risk of HPAI from waterfowl, the only preventive tool growers can rest their hopes on is stringent biosecurity. The bottom line is that every grower in the state must do everything possible to keep HPAI out of their flocks. Because HPAI infection can spread quickly by the movement of contaminated shared equipment, vehicles, service personnel, visitors, and pests including rodents and insects, poultry growers cannot be too stringent in their efforts to protect their flocks.

Every integrator in Alabama has tightened their biosecurity procedures in recent years, but the weakest link is always at the grower level. This is simply because the growers have daily contact with their birds. As HPAI becomes more widespread, biosecurity must become an automatic part of life for those that oversee a commercial or backyard flock.

Resources

For more information on proper biosecurity at the farm level, see the Alabama Cooperative Extension System publication Biosecurity for Backyard Poultry Flocks. Other resources from the USDA include Defend the Flock – Biosecurity 101 and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Standard Operating Procedures: Biosecurity, both available at www.aphis.usda.gov.

Ray Hilburn and Morgan Flowers of Alabama Poultry & Egg Association provided information for this blog.

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Together We Grow Foundation Awards 11 Scholarships to North Alabama Students

May 20, 2026

The Together We Grow Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of 11 scholarships totaling $27,500 to students pursuing education and careers in agriculture and related fields across North Alabama, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to investing in the future of Alabama’s agricultural community. The Together We Grow Foundation was born from a group of young farmers who recognized a growing need for college scholarships to support students entering Alabama’s agricultural sector. What began as a shared concern has grown into a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating opportunity, leadership, and long term success for students across the state. This year’s awards include 10 Young Roots Scholarships and one Cultivating Leaders Scholarship. The Young Roots Scholarship is designed for graduating high school seniors, and the Cultivating Leaders Scholarship supports students graduating from a two year college who plan to pursue a four year degree. Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement and active involvement in their schools and communities. 2026 Scholarship Recipients • Ella Barkley, DeKalb County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Kylie Calvert, Cullman County – Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Kiley Cochran, Jefferson County — Cultivating Leaders Scholarship recipient; attends Wallace State Community College and will major in Communications • River Cox, Calhoun County — Plans to attend the University of West Alabama and major in Forestry Technology • Jayden Friedrich, Cullman County — Plans to attend the University of South Alabama and major in Radiology, with a minor in Agricultural Sciences • Jackson Haynes, Cullman County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Biological and Agricultural Technology Management • Blaine McDuffa, Franklin County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Elijah Miller, Colbert County — Plans to attend Northwest Shoals Community College and major in Industrial Systems Technology • Addison Norwood, Limestone County — Plans to attend the University of Mississippi and major in Legal Studies • Gracie Stidham, Cullman County – Plans to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham and major in Nursing • Melanie Studdard, Cherokee County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Mechanical Engineering The Together We Grow Foundation receives proceeds from Alabama Farm Credit’s Ag Night at the Rocket City Trash Pandas, with VIP ticket sales directly benefiting Together We Grow scholarships. VIP tickets are on sale now for Ag Night, set for June 19 at the Rocket City Trash Pandas stadium. The Foundation primarily raises scholarship funds through community supported events, including Agri Shoot at Selwood Farms, an annual sporting clays fundraiser held each fall, which will take place on September 18 at Selwood Farms this year. Through the support of Alabama Farm Credit and community partners, the Together We Grow Foundation continues to strengthen the future of agriculture by investing in students who demonstrate both academic excellence and a commitment to serving their communities. For more information about the Together We Grow Foundation, VIP ticket sales, or upcoming events, visit thetwgfoundation.com.

Loyd Rutherford Named 2026 Academy of Honor Recipient, Scholarship Established at Auburn University

May 17, 2026

Alabama Farm Credit (AFC) proudly recognizes former board chairman Loyd Rutherford as a 2026 inductee into the Farm Credit Bank of Texas Academy of Honor, the Bank’s highest distinction for leadership and service in agricultural credit. Established in 1968, the Academy of Honor in Agricultural Credit recognizes individuals who have made valuable and significant contributions to agriculture, rural communities and the Farm Credit System. Each year, one deserving individual is inducted into the Academy of Honor, and a one-time $25,000 scholarship bearing the inductee’s name is awarded through a college or university of their choice. Mr. Rutherford has chosen Auburn University as the recipient of the Loyd Rutherford Academy of Honor Scholarship, which will support five students with $5,000 scholarships to further their education and careers in agriculture. A lifelong agricultural producer and business leader, Rutherford was raised on a farm and spent much of his life farming cotton, soybeans, wheat and broilers, while also managing the Lawrence County Exchange, the local farmers’ cooperative known at the time by that name. His deep agricultural roots shaped a career defined by service, leadership and a commitment to rural communities. Rutherford dedicated nearly 30 years to advancing agriculture through his leadership within the Farm Credit System. He served on the AFC board of directors from 1990 to 2019, including more than two decades as chairman from 1995 to 2017. During that time, he helped guide the association through the farm crisis of the early 1990s, significant structural transitions, and decades of sustained growth. He consistently championed stockholder interests and long-term stability while also serving on numerous district and national Farm Credit boards and committees. Rutherford was formally recognized as a 2026 Academy of Honor inductee at the Farm Credit Bank of Texas Annual Meeting, where his steady leadership, hands-on involvement in agriculture and lasting impact on rural communities were celebrated. Throughout his career, he was supported by his wife, Janice Rutherford, whose encouragement and partnership were integral to his lifelong dedication to agriculture and service. The scholarship established in Rutherford’s name reflects both his legacy and the Farm Credit System’s continued investment in the next generation. The funds will be awarded through Auburn University to students pursuing agriculture-related fields of study, helping recipients continue their education and build careers that strengthen rural America.