At Risser’s Poultry in Lititz, Pennsylvania, a continuous tale of industry leadership is playing out. A father is nearing retirement. While he’s comfortable with what he knows, his son is full of goals and enthusiasm, ready to pen the next chapter of the family’s agribusiness story.

After 43 years, Jeff Risser, who has been a steward of his family’s 98-year-old agribusiness, is transitioning his role as President to his son, Mark.

“I have been a steward of the business for a season of the company’s existence, and now, I’m getting into a season of really stepping back from Risser’s,” he said.

As a teenager, Jeff worked alongside his dad, Bill, and grandfather, Carl, who founded Risser’s Poultry from his kitchen table at his North Board Street home.

“He didn’t really raise any poultry, but what he began in 1928 was recognizing an opportunity to purchase unwanted birds from backyard flocks of local farmers,” said Jeff.

In his youth, Jeff’s role was to help care for the birds Carl purchased from neighboring farms until he had enough to fill a full truckload and deliver them to processing plants.

It was during this time that Jeff learned something about his grandfather’s character.  

“I’ll never forget this one afternoon, we were waiting for everybody to load birds, and I was on the clock at that point. My grandfather saw idleness, so he handed me a roll of paper towels and a bottle of Windex and asked me to clean the lights on the trucks and trailers. That really clicked with me, that was the okay, ‘you’re being paid, and you should be doing something’, okay, the lights were not that dirty. Still, he would be encouraging effort into doing something productive, you know, and that stuck with me,” said Jeff.

Over the years, the Risser family, especially Jeff, would pay a lot of homage to Carl’s values and prolific work ethic, which shaped the company over generations, even through Jeff’s father, William “Bill” Risser, and uncle, Mel Herr, who would continue operations as Carl stepped back from the business before he died in 1978.

While Jeff appreciated the agribusiness and the duties of caring for and transporting poultry, and had intentions to return to business, he seized the opportunity to focus on his passion, horticulture. It was a period he credits with building up his identity capital.

“I was given opportunities to do landscape design and sales; it was a lot of customer-facing work, which grew me professionally,” he said.

After graduating from Penn State, Jeff would work in the landscaping industry in the Lancaster area for a decade, until August 1983.

“I was at a crossroads in my life at the time, to either decide whether I’m going to go ‘all in’ in the landscape industry, or return to my roots, and so made the obvious choice to come back to Risser’s,” he said.

However, the following fall would challenge the newest generation, now in the driver’s seat, as they transported birds for the family business. The yearlong Avian Influenza outbreak of 1983 to 1984 would devastate Pennsylvania’s poultry industry with a loss of over 17 million birds and roughly $65 million in economic damage, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

“I made this big step from the security of the landscape industry, and at the time, it was questionable, not knowing what the result of the outbreak was going to be. But the company survived it, and I certainly survived it.”

Jeff would continue to put in long hours transporting birds, traveling in all types of climates, and weather events, including traveling to New England through snowstorms, while maintaining safety and ensuring the birds loaded at the farm would arrive at the processing plant, B & B Poultry Co, Inc., in Norma, New Jersey, in healthy condition.

“There are many memories that I have that are not always pleasant, but memories that remind me that if you don’t have any adverse circumstances, they usually don’t become a memory. It’s those, those moments or situations that really burn into your memory a little bit deeper than normal circumstances,” Jeff said.

During his time driving, loading birds, and gaining frontline experience in the logistics side of the business, Jeff would later make informed decisions, including moving beyond transport to diversify into broiler, egg, and pullet production.

“I felt a lot of weight with making those decisions, because my dad, at that point, was already stepping back, I was beginning to move into a leadership role here with the company,” he said.

While managing all divisions of the growing business, Jeff made the executive call to reallocate responsibilities, delegating and creating new positions.

“In those earlier days of my leadership, I would oversee the production, the sales, all the billing, while my partner, Mike Herr, oversaw the transportation, and as the company grew, I found it necessary to bring on a poultry production manager, an operations manager. By doing so, that allowed me to delegate some of the day-to-day responsibilities,” he said.

Blending Generations

In expanding through adding positions, it allowed opportunities for Mark, Jeff’s son, and the fourth generation of the family, to see the business and poultry industry in a different lens – of his father’s employees including poultry service technician, Rodney Best, who Mark, as teenager, would ride along to visit contracted farms, collect blood samples, and chick deliveries.

“Doing those ride-alongs with Rodney really gave me good exposure, I got see the birds, and have chances of interacting with the company and the people who contract with Risser’s,” said Mark. “I enjoyed the relationships, the people, and the families that I got to visit. It started with a connection in terms of poultry health, but it expanded into life stuff.”

As he passes the position to his son, Jeff notes that the transition from one generation to the next is one that all families should begin as soon as possible, and that the process can take years, because while the togetherness of a multi-generation agribusiness can be satisfying, it can also be a challenge for each generation.

“Don’t procrastinate with beginning the process of succession planning. It takes time to do it really well. You certainly want to make sure your business transition does not occur at a moment of need, when the older generation becomes ill or incapacitated, and the younger generation feels pressured to step into the business. Being proactive and beginning those conversations early helps ease tensions and the weight of expectations,” Jeff said.

Another element Jeff believes has been key to a generational transition is giving the younger generation time and space to be themselves and do things their way.

“There’s an assumption or expectation in certain families that the children will come into the business, but I never wanted my children to feel that expectation,” said Jeff.  “I wouldn’t trade those 10 years that I wasn’t a part of the family business for anything because it developed me as a person, those years were formative in lessons from work ethic to people management that I learned away from the business and helped me be a better leader for Risser’s.”

For Jeff, it has been a treasure to have both his children, Mark and his daughter, Elizabeth, find their way back to the family’s agribusiness. Like father, like son, Mark’s path back to his farming roots mirrors his father’s, including a brief hiatus working in horticulture and the landscape industry.

 “My dad and I have always enjoyed talking landscaping, plants and gardening, but then one day, we started talking about the industry and I wasn’t sure exactly how to build a career in landscape and that’s when my dad mentioned at Risser’s was in a position that they needed a poultry service technician so, I took it as an opportunity to return,” said Mark.

“It’s important that next generations are given the autonomy to make that decision on their own without feeling pressure,” added Jeff.

As Mark pens a new chapter at Risser’s, from sales manager to co-owner and President, he starts with a strong sense of place and an understanding of the heritage while bringing a fresh perspective to his role.

“I recognize the generations before me, what they have sacrificed and the hard work they invested, and as a leader, I love seeing people grow, watching other leaders on my team grow and gain confidence in what they’re doing. That really energizes me,” said Mark.

While working alongside his father, Mark has come to understand Jeff’s perspective and life experiences, which helped him make decisions that shaped the business. 

“Some of that runs generations deep, including how their parents introduced them to the company when they were growing up and the expectations placed on them. You need to give your parents’ generation some grace and patience in working through a transition, but you should also know when it’s time to speak up, too,” he said.

Mark credits Brian Black, a succession-planning consultant at North Group; his father; and his faith for shaping his leadership style as he took on more responsibilities at Risser’s and prepared to step into his current role.

“I learned a lot of lessons from my influencers, my dad taught me grit, attention to detail, stewardship, and how decisions can have lasting impacts and not to be too short sighted, while Brian, who I met early in my career here, emphasized humility and throughout this period, I found my faith really grounding for me,” he added.

Mark knows that, in his new role at Risser’s, he will inherit not just the day-to-day obligations of a company President, but also be the one to continue relationships that have been part of the success of his family’s agribusiness.

“Generational relationships are fairly common in the farming industry. So, sometimes there is a decision that doesn’t make sense to do it for business, but you do it to protect the relationship and to honor past relationships,” said Mark.

As father and son work toward their new chapters, Jeff is adapting to a new season, and Mark is picking up where Jeff left off, both with a strong sense of their purpose in the deep heritage of their family’s agribusiness.

“I feel at peace. The company is certainly in a good place under Mark’s leadership, along with many others here at Risser’s. I feel that the company is in a good place and that’s a nice feeling about this season that I’m moving into,” Jeff said.

Story written by: Courtney Love, PennAg Industries Association’s Communications & Marketing Specialist.

As you step into the charming little white clapboard building of Little Britain Ag Supply, you see several bright and colorful leaflets containing helpful crop advice on the checkout counter. You’re greeted with a cheerful hello and warm smiles, which instantly make you feel like a valued customer.

As a member of the third generation of Little Britian Ag, an agronomic seed and fertilizer business, that is precisely how Chris Burkhart wants you to feel.  He aims to have customers feel respected, supported, and confident that their needs come first when they walk through Little Britain’s doors.

“I am proud that customers feel that we’re a trusted source. We strive to give good information. We know what we’re talking about, and we don’t just tell customers something to make a sale,” he said.

From a blending plant for fertilizer, custom spreading and spraying, to being an official Channel dealer – selling the brand’s seeds for various crops, to field scouting, custom farming services, and conducting their own research on large test plots at Burkhart’s family 450-acre farm. The Lancaster County-based ag retailer has effectively become a one-stop shop for agronomic needs for Lancaster and surrounding county farmers.

Before side hustles made their way into the cultural zeitgeist, Burkhart’s grandfather, Marlin R. Brubaker, a prominent dairy farmer, began the business by selling fertilizer on the side to neighboring farms in 1962 while farming for himself. It was later in 1977 that he formed a four-member family partnership that included Burkhart’s father, Larry, and, in 1985, incorporated it into its current business form.

“Sometimes the customer just wants to be heard. They don’t really need a solution to the problem; they want to know you heard them, and maybe you have to apologize, and that’s enough because they understand that problems can happen out in the field.”- Chris Burkhart, Little Britain Ag Supply

Burkhart, who joined the family business 20 years ago after earning a Master’s degree in plant pathology, said that as a recent graduate, he wasn’t sure what he would do but had imagined working for a seed company focused on plant genetics. Still, when there was an opening at Little Britain, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work alongside his dad.

“I didn’t necessarily think I was going to join the family business, but I’ve always liked plants, so when I got done with school and there was an opening here, it felt like good timing,” he said.

It’s a decision he hasn’t regretted since day one. Every day, Burkhart finds fulfillment in helping customers, building genuine relationships, and upholding his family’s company values of trust and honesty.

At the beginning of his career, Burkhart would watch his father use a patient approach when discussing crop concerns with customers, whether over the phone or in person.

“He would jump on the phone and talk through the whole situation with them, and at the end, the customer would either be satisfied or not, but they would stay a customer because he cared. He took the time to listen,” Burkhart said.

Burkhart adds that his customer-first philosophy starts with being a little of an investigator: he defines the problem and asks questions to get the full details of the situation. He tries not to jump to any conclusions right off the bat, he said.  

“A lot of time, just walking through the situation solves the problem without you even having to do anything,” said Burkhart. “Sometimes the customer just wants to be heard. They don’t really need a solution to the problem; they want to know you heard them, and maybe you have to apologize, and that’s enough because they understand that problems can happen out in the field.”

Pennsylvania’s Agronomic Industry Is Better Together as a Group

For Burkhart, Little Britain Ag is stronger when working with other members of the agronomic industry. He appreciates PennAg serving as his representative on political and regulatory matters.

“We’re better as a group—like when our industry works together, we can pool our strengths, and it helps give us a voice,” he adds. “I’m not into politics, and I don’t have time to go to the Capitol, so with our membership at PennAg, it’s a way for us to have a seat at the table and so that our voice is heard.”

PennAg has made a real difference in his career and the business, Little Britain Ag, Burkhart said. PennAg facilitates industry meetings, offers continuing education, and has enabled Little Britain Ag to influence legislation affecting its operations.

“I’m not into politics, and I don’t have time to go to the Capitol, so with our membership at PennAg, it’s a way for us to have a seat at the table and so that our voice is heard.” – Chris Burkhart, Little Britain Ag Supply

By being involved in the Agronomic and Seed Council and Legislative board at PennAg, Little Britain helped with terminology and wording in the state’s fertilizer law that was beneficial to ag companies, adds Burkhart.

Beyond industry advocacy, PennAg has helped Burkhart build valuable relationships and contacts with other ag businesses, providing both community and practical support in navigating industry changes.

“ I really appreciate the meetings like the Keystone Crops and Soils and the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Conference providing opportunities for continuing education, those sessions are valuable to me and my team… even just like the relationships, getting to know other people in the industry has helped us as team and company, because of having contacts with other either industry or outside industry to call upon in a crisis is vital, ” he said.

Story written by: Courtney Love, PennAg Industries Association’s Communications & Marketing Specialist.

For Matt Ventrella, the rewarding aspect of his role as Leidy’s Director of Technical Services and Hog Procurement comes from the people he works with — from the pig farmers to the employees who process predominantly Pennsylvania-born-and-raised hogs into the company’s well-known, savory, smoky-sweet bacon. 

“We are a small, but mighty team!” says Ventrella. “We all work very hard to make the safest, highest quality pork you can buy…everyone wears multiple hats, so we are usually good at making decisions efficiently, because we are a small group of highly engaged leaders.”

As a medium-sized manufacturer with about 250 employees and roots dating back to 1893, Leidy’s has been a longtime key player in Pennsylvania’s swine industry, particularly in the Southeast-Philadelphia region. While the company was once a small family farm, over the decades it grew to meet the demand for artisanal, premium pork by buying hogs from local farmers and building a modern processing facility that processes over 10 million pounds of bacon annually. 

Ventrella, who has been at Leidy’s for seven years, holds a multifaceted position that allows him to wear multiple hats as he works across several departments, including quality assurance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and product development. 

“My role is pretty unique, making it so that no two days are ever the same,” says Ventrella. “Working with several different departments directly often means there’s a lot of different things that can come up in the course of a day that I need to jump into.” 

However, Ventrella really enjoys working with Pennsylvania family farmers, who feed and raise Heritage Breed Duroc hogs that go on to become the brand’s famous bacon, ham, and specialty craft pork products. 

“Farmers in Pennsylvania know how to raise happy and healthy market hogs.” – Matt Ventrella, Director of Technical Services and Hog Procurement at Leidy’s.

He spends a lot of time during the day collaborating with farmers, assisting them with their contracts, negotiating supply agreements, and ensuring compliance through third-party certification, including American Humane. 

Leidy’s has been an innovator in animal welfare, says Ventrella. Close to twenty years ago, it was one of the first companies to adopt American Humane Certified™ standards. 

Before California’s Prop 12, a law which prohibits the strict confinement of livestock, including breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and veal calves, was enacted, Leidy’s had begun to embrace open pen gestation housing, which is also a key component of the certification standards. 

The company worked with Dr. Parsons at The University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center to help farms transition from gestation crates to open-pen housing, says Ventrella. This shift from restrictive breeding crates to group housing enables sows to move freely and engage in natural behaviors between breeding and farrowing, thereby enhancing animal welfare. Ultimately, this change improves the quality of the meat from the offspring they produce, he adds.

Using a collaborative approach, Ventrella says he helps new-to-contract-farming farmers raise pigs for Leidy’s, and he helps adapt their current barn facilities creatively and cost-effectively to continue improving the swine animal care process.

“Farmers in Pennsylvania know how to raise happy and healthy market hogs. They know how to go about things in a very unconventional way that allows them to accomplish things that maybe other farmers can’t do out in the Midwest or in North Carolina,” adds Ventrella.

A lot of the time, he works with the farmers to show them how they can get credit for the good work they are already doing, focusing on proper handling techniques, enrichment tools, and other best practices.

“The American Humane certification adds value back to the farm, which is rewarding. Yet it is what we have to do here in Pennsylvania to stay competitive within the market,” he says. “On the processing side, by complying, we are creating a value proposition for our product.” 

Additionally, nutrition plays a significant role in how farmers raise pigs.  

Since joining the Wenger Group in 2022, Leidy’s has been able to support its farmers by using Wenger’s swine nutritionists, who evaluate and develop novel all-grain rations to meet the ideal nutritional requirements for hogs throughout all stages of life, but also enrich meat quality, improving characteristics like tenderness, moisture, and color.

“We are consistently asking ourselves, how do we make each hog that we bring in here as valuable as possible for everyone? So, we really focus on ingredients that enhance the quality of the pig’s meat. The quality, that is what is going to keep the consumer coming back to buy more pork,” he adds. 

A Mutual Benefit: Leidy’s Sees Value in Its Membership at PennAg 

For Ventrella, who supports the company’s longstanding membership with PennAg Industries Association, the price they pay is worth every penny. 

From legislative monitoring and protection of the industry to networking that builds collaborative relationships across the industry and beyond, Ventrella and his team at Leidy’s have had a lasting impact. 

“We rely on PennAg to keep tabs on what is happening in Harrisburg on any legislative action that could impact our business, then report back to us on their efforts and communicate with us on how we work together to create a better outcome,” says Ventrella.

Ventrella adds that the company’s membership with PennAg has opened opportunities for him and his team, including getting industry information from its newsletters, and networking have been vital to Leidy’s relationship with PennAg and its Assistant Vice President Jennifer Reed-Harry. 

“We aim to treat people and animals right. It is about working well together, but also respecting each other, and that includes work-life balance.” – Matt Ventrella, Director of Technical Services and Hog Procurement at Leidy’s.

“Any opportunity that I or my team has to collaborate with Jen. We really enjoy. She’s always throwing out ideas on how we, as an industry, can do better, such as communication and disease response. That kind of relationship is very valuable. She understands our business. She understands our products,” he says. 

Additionally, by being PennAg members, Ventrella and his team are aligning and strengthening not just Pennsylvania’s pork industry but also themselves as professionals.  

“I’m proud of what my team and I do here day in and day out. I have team members who have been with Leidy’s for over 50 years, that’s something you don’t see much of anymore, but that speaks to our environment,” says Ventrella. “We aim to treat people and animals right. It is about working well together, but also respecting each other, and that includes work-life balance.”