Ag Career Profile - Kentucky Poultry Federation
Guffey with the new poultry houses at the University of Kentucky.
By Jennifer Elwell, TeachKyAg
Jamie Guffey is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Poultry Federation (KPF). This non-profit federation fosters, promotes, and encourages the improvement of production and marketing of all types of poultry, poultry products, eggs, and egg products in Kentucky. KPF is unique compared to other commodity promotion organizations in that they also have regulatory responsibilities, such as monitoring disease outbreaks and reporting to the USDA.
“I don’t have a typical day,” remarked Guffey. “I work with both farmers and the allied members, such as Perdue, Tyson, and Egg Innovations, to name a few. I am also the liaison between the Kentucky poultry industry and elected officials in Frankfort.”
Since KPF has a small staff, Guffey manages the organization’s financial accounts, employees, board of directors, annual meetings, scholarships, youth, and marketing projects. You may also find him behind the grill or skillet, cooking chicken breasts and eggs at schools, appreciation events, and even the Kentucky State Fair.
Guffey says his favorite part of his job is working with the farmers and telling the story of poultry every day.
“Poultry is helping Kentucky agriculture grow, and I get to be a part of that,” Guffey said. “I believe poultry is one of the best ways to diversify a farming operation and a great way to bring the next generation back to a farm as it provides a steady income.”
For the last 9 out of 10 years, income from poultry and egg production in the Bluegrass state topped all other commodities. The University of Kentucky agricultural economists predict it will be on top again this year.
Guffey went on to report that Kentucky ranks seventh in the nation in broiler production, and he believes Kentucky is now third in the country for pastured table eggs. Other interesting facts are that most poultry farmers were once tobacco farmers, and the poultry industry tends to be the largest employer in counties with a poultry processing plant.
Guffey’s interest in agriculture began when he worked on his grandfather’s dairy farm. While he said a needed change of scenery encouraged him to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, he decided to study agriculture and business administration once he completed his service. He went on to earn a Master’s in organizational leadership from Western Kentucky University.
Upon graduation, he worked for different agricultural companies and even ran a landscaping business. He eventually ended up at Keystone Foods, working as a broiler tech, and he quickly moved up the company ladder, giving him a diverse view of a poultry operation. His involvement in the Barren County Farm Bureau and Kentucky Farm Bureau’s LEAD program, where he gained a passion for advocacy and agriculture education, paved the way for earning the position with KPF.
Guffey says that strong written and verbal communication skills, thinking on your feet, and flexibility are crucial for his job.
Guffey (right) with Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Dan Flanagan (former KPF president) and Kentucky representative Mike Meredith.
“Whether you are lobbying, talking to growers, or promoting the product, you must be able to listen and be available,” he advised.
While Guffey loves his job and does not consider it ‘work,’ working in agriculture is not without its challenges. In the past six months, Guffey has been on high alert due to the continuing threat of avian influenza in Kentucky and the U.S.
When we asked Guffey what he would have done or studied differently if he knew he would end up with this career, he said he would have taken more political science classes and started with the poultry industry much sooner. Environmental regulation is also an area he says he wished he would have paid more attention to.
Compared to poultry organization executives in other states, however, Guffey is one of the few with live poultry production experience.
“I can talk turkey,” he laughed. “I also read a lot of business-related and self-help type books, and I wish I would have read more at an earlier age,” Guffey said.
Another fascinating fact about Guffey is that he loves to travel, and he has visited all seven continents as of last month.
“We recently went to Antarctica to see penguins. That really shows my love of poultry!”
This video is the first in a series of conversations about job opportunities in Kentucky agriculture.