Shady Dale Egg Production Thrives
Cal-Maine Foods in Shady Dale is on the verge of celebrating 30 thriving years in the egg industry. The national corporation is the single largest producer of table eggs in the U.S.A. Period!
After all when winter weather hits, like the storm we’re currently in the midst of, what are the main staples of grocery shoppers…milk, bread, and eggs.
The egg production business may not be glamorous, and perhaps a bit funny smelling, but it has proven to be consistent for Jasper County. With plants stretching from Delta, Utah to Rothsbury, Ohio and deep south into Texas and Florida, our local egg manufacturer has been holding its own for nearly three decades.
I didn’t realize how expansive our local Cal-Maine had become until I sat down with its affable Manager Don Morgan, who has been with the Shady Dale production since its inception in 1986. When the Shady Dale egg facility originated it was under the helm of Southern Empire and on April 3, 1997, Cal-Maine Foods acquired the business. Under Cal-Maine the local egg business has grown to include a three-site production facility—a hatchery, feed mill, and processing plant.
The company has its own breeders and hatcheries. After baby chicks are hatched at one day of age they are transported to the farm and raised until 18 weeks of age after which the egg-laying begins.
Between the three local sites Cal-Maine employs 75-80 people, the majority of which are Jasper County residents.
During Mr. Morgan’s tenure with the company he has noted that its success has not come without change. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees every facet of the plant’s production from the hatcheries to the feed mills. With the advent of U.S. terrorism issues over the years, certain security protocol has become necessary to protect the food supply.
Gone are the days of school buses filled with bright-eyed primary school youth entering the facility for pre-Easter field trips, said Mr. Morgan. Before entering the processing floor from his office just feet away, he is required to wash his hands each and every time. Passerbys can’t help but notice the wrought iron gates that require entry authorization at the processing facility. The changes and upgrades are all part of a plan to keep our food supply safe.
Now that you understand what Cal-Maine does it’s important to know who they are in the community.
“We want to be good stewards of the community,” said Mr. Morgan. “We are members of the Chamber of Commerce, we are sponsors of the Shady Dale Rodeo and tractor pull each year.”
Cal-Maine also contributes to the Jasper County Food Bank, Shiloh Baptist Food Bank, and the ML&J Christmas Fund among various others
annual community initiatives.
So the next time you crack open an egg for an omelet, or to bake a cake, or make a facial remedy be reminded of how a simple egg impacts your community.
