Local Business Receives Award At the Business HOF Luncheon

Mill Hill Farms of rural Williamsburg received the sustainability award at the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame luncheon, held on Monday, June 13.

Jim Biddle, who owns the farm, along with his son Josh and their wives, Carol and Amanda, said that he manages the crops while Josh manages the dairy.

He added that they have a milking herd of about 490 Holsteins and 370 replacement heffers and they crop about 630 acres.

“We started as Mill Hill Farms in 2000, but I think that I am about eighth generation and Josh is the ninth,” Biddle said.

Biddle said that they have implemented a lot of conservation practices over the years. “I don’t want to understate this, but to me, it is recognition for all that we have accomplished over the last twenty years. The recognition of not only our farm business but of agriculture in general is very important.”

He continued, “I think sustainability is something that not only our farm, but other farms have worked on for many years. It has gained a little bit more attention, recently, just because you hear a little bit more about sustainability. I think as I look at our operations and other operations, it goes beyond sustainability. We don’t till any ground. We apply manure from the animals. That feeds the soil microbes and all of those living organisms in the soil. They, actually, in turn feed the crop that we are growing. We harvest the crop and feed that to our animals. They produce manure. The by-product of all of that is milk.”

According to Stacy Hoover, VP of Events and Technology for The Chamber, the Hall of Fame program was introduced about thirty-one years ago. “The event actually started in 1990 as a dinner. We reformatted it this year as a luncheon.”

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is The Altoona Beauty School and Boyer Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning. The Excellence in Small Business award goes to Blair Mill Outlet. The Young Emerging Business Award goes to Alto Markets. The Non-Profit of the Year is Sweat For Vets and The Safety Excellence Award goes to Leonard S . Fiore Inc.