Florida knows its chicken

Florida knows its chicken    The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has joined with Pilgrim's Pride, a North Florida poultry producer, to promote sales of poultry from locally raised chickens.
   Sam's Clubs across Florida will begin stamping this poultry with a colorful 'Fresh from Florida' logo. 'The logo will help Floridians easily identify a safe, wholesome, fresh Florida product,' said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson, in a statement.
   The Florida Agriculture Department said the chickens are raised antibiotic-free on an all-vegetable diet, and processed in Live Oak through advanced air-chilling technology to ensure quality and freshness. Poultry producers and processors in Florida must comply with strict food-safety regulations.
   The department also noted that eating food grown closer to home improves the environment. Estimates indicate that the average fresh food item travels about 1,500 miles from farm to table, a contributor to air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. 'Eating locally reduces those 'food miles' and your carbon footprint,' the department said.
   In addition, the department said poultry production and processing are 'economic mainstays' for rural North Florida, where more than 80 percent of the state's chicken production takes place. In Suwannee, Lafayette and Madison counties, the poultry industry has an economic impact of $347 million a year. The industry supports nearly 100 farms and 3,700 jobs.