The National Turkey Federation (NTF) has honored Bill Prestage with its Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor the local turkey pioneer said was humbling.

Prestage, founder of Prestage Farms in Clinton, received the award at the NTF’s annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, in February for his lengthy, selfless dedication to advancing turkey production.

“It was very humbling, to get something like that from your peers,” said Prestage. “I think it’s great when the people who know you best choose to honor you in that way. It’s a great award. I felt like it should go to a lot of people. I am just the figurehead.”

In presenting the award, the industry leader and community member’s three sons, John, Ron and Scott, executives with Prestage Farms, spoke about how their father grew his single turkey operation into a fully integrated business.

Bill Prestage joined the turkey business more than 40 years ago, in 1967, when he purchased a share in Carroll’s Mill. There, he pioneered new and innovative production practices such as moving the birds inside to better control their environment and provide optimum growth opportunities.

In 1983, Bill Prestage sold his share in Carroll’s Foods and went right back into the turkey business with his wife Marsha and sons John and Scott, creating Prestage Farms. With 22 employees and 18 contract growers, Prestage Farms produced 8 million pounds of turkey in its first year of operation.

“Dad perfected this new way of growing turkeys and then carried these practices into the swine production business and, within a few years, the company had become a significant player in both poultry and swine production,” said Scott Prestage.

Prestage’s turkey operation kept growing and soared to new heights in 1993, with the construction of the world’s largest single-stage hatchery and the capability of setting up to 650,000 eggs per week. The turkey division of Prestage Farms expanded into South Carolina a year later when Ron Prestage joined the family business.

“Dad’s turkey production efforts were brought full circle in 2000 with the purchase of the Rocco turkey processing plant in St. Pauls, N.C., and the beginning of the development of a Prestage Foods label,” said John Prestage.

Today, Prestage Farms produces 450 million pounds of turkey and 750 million pounds of pork annually. The Clinton-based company employs more than 1,800 associates and contracts with more than 700 farm families.

Prestage said much of the trail blazed by his company was through practices that have now become commonplace in the turkey industry.

Where turkeys used to be kept out on the range, Prestage put the birds in a better environment. He formulated their feed, placing them on high-quality diets, so they could grow bigger, faster and healthier on less feed.

The feed process itself was transformed at Prestage, the first to use a computerized feed delivery system for turkeys, its founder said. Knowing the calorie level of the birds, how many were in each house and how often they ate, a mathmetical calculation was devised — and a system created — to feed them by way of a computer.

NTF began its Lifetime Achievement Award program at its 1946 annual convention. Since that time, 65 recipients have been recognized with the honor. Past recipients include turkey industry leaders, executives of national and state poultry/turkey organizations, allied industry leaders, government officials, university professors, researchers and journalists. The award is given to people who were instrumental in making the turkey industry grow and become a cohesive, viable entity in this country.

Prestage’s accomplishments are fitting of the Lifetime Achievement award, NTF officials and family members said. While at the forefront of innovation, Prestage remains modest about his contributions.

“I’ve been lucky, our business has been lucky,” Prestage said of his company’s success. “I strongly believe that it is because of the accumuluation of all the good quality people we have and the community’s support. The community has been very supportive. (Success) takes a lot of conditions you have no control over. It takes a lot of luck, and I have had my fair share of that.”

John Prestage noted the traits that make his father deserving of such an award. “His humility and commitment to the community is visible in the many honors he has won for volunteerism and distinction,” he remarked.

Bill Prestage has served as president of both the NTF and the North Carolina Turkey Federation, as well as on the Board of Directors for North Carolina Natural Gas and Smithfield Foods. His community involvements, support and sponsorships are nearly endless — no where is that dedication felt more than the turkey industry.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award is for those who have given their lives to the turkey industry and who have left it better off for their efforts,” said John Prestage. “That sums up our father perfectly.”

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.