By Krystle J Bailey
Local Air Force veteran and first-generation farmer Kyle Smith started growing food on a small plot of land in the backyard of his mother’s Egg Harbor Township home in 2010. The starter farm that housed a few chickens has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings. Smith Poultry Farm now feeds hundreds of families in South Jersey and Philadelphia.
As of 2023, Smith explains that his farm, which continues to serve Atlantic County, processes 150 whole hogs and produces over 1,000 eggs each year – all of which are enjoyed by local families and restaurants.
When Smith outgrew his mom’s yard, he leased land to house his chickens. The exchange? One chicken and a dozen eggs per week for the Egg Harbor Township property owner. As he continued to seek farming knowledge in an effort to provide basic needs for his family and the people he loved, Smith went to school at Cumberland County College for Agricultural Business while working on other local farms and learning about the farming industry.
With continued growth, a need for more space, and a budding career in the United States Air Force, Smith moved the operation to Williamstown, where he now owns six acres of land and leases twenty more. With quality and sustainability at the forefront of what Smith Poultry represents, the pigs and chickens are pasture-raised in a healthy environment free of harsh chemicals and antibiotics or hormones. The feed consumed by the animals is 100% GMO-free, and all red meats provided by Smith are USDA-inspected. A significant amount of root and vegetable crops are grown seasonally, and each holiday season, whole turkeys are available for purchase.
If you ask the father of five what he does as a farmer, his answer is simple, “I grow veggies and meats to feed the people.”
That simple intention was engrained in Smith at an early age. As a kid, he would spend weekend afternoons with his grandfather, picking up produce from markets in Buena to be delivered to the African-American senior citizens in Atlantic City and Pleasantville who didn’t have convenient access to grocery store produce.
“What I’m doing now is the same thing my grandfather taught me how to do when I was a kid,” said Smith. “It’s not just about growing food; it’s about growing community. We were raised to purchase from the meat, fish, and produce guy. That’s how a lot of people got fresh food.”
When Smith isn’t busy on the farm or working in Delaware as a C130 Aircraft Mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, he can be found hosting food workshops, whole hog barbecue events, educational seminars, and feeding people by the thousands through food drives and fundraisers.
Just recently, Smith worked with the 76ers and three other Black farmers to feed over 1,000 families in the Philadelphia area. Kyle serves as a C.R.O.P.S. board member and provides fresh food to the South Jersey community through his various CSA programs.
“When I saw the disparity issue and food insecurity issues with single mothers and parents wanting good food, I began an egg CSA,” explained Smith. “We typically sell eggs for $5.50 a dozen, but with the CSA, they’d pay up front and pay $3 per dozen. This enabled us to get food to people who really needed it.”
Smith, one of only twelve farmers in the State of New Jersey raising pastured pork, doesn’t take his role lightly. As a hog farmer, Kyle explains that he is driven by the inspiration of his ancestors. With family roots in the South, Smith shares, “Working with food insecurity and being a Black farmer comes with a different hat. Hogs were animals that were raised in the South because of their easy turnaround and ability to reproduce, often leaving the chitlins and hams for slaves to eat. Being a hog farmer connects me to my roots and my ancestors in a unique way.”
“The biggest thing that drives me is not being a farmer, as we don’t make a ton of money,” Smith explained in an interview with Shore Local. “It’s about me being able to support my community in the way that I was raised and being able to support my family. The most important thing we need every day is food.”
With his knowledge, education, experience, and passion, Smith works with local school districts and community groups to educate and inform on the topics of farming, agriculture, and community.
Keep up with Kyle on social media at Smith Poultry and smithpoultry.org.
Krystle J Bailey is a published author, multimedia journalist, copywriter, and content creator. She is a regular Shore Local columnist and digital contributor as well as the booking agent and co-host of the radio show Joe’s Table for Two on WOND. Krystle can be reached at KrystleJBailey@gmail.com
