Longtime Maine Poultry Farmer Says State Wants Him to Destroy 300+ Turkeys Over Labeling Issues, Demands Farmer is Nice to State Officials or Pay $28,000

Just a week before Thanksgiving, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) demanded that a longtime Somerset County poultry farmer destroy over 300 turkeys for allegedly running afoul of labeling regulations, and required that the farmer “interact congenially” with state officials or pay a nearly $30,000 penalty, according to a settlement agreement obtained by the Maine Wire.

Scott Greaney, co-owner with his wife Tracy of Greaney’s Turkey Farm in Mercer, told the Maine Wire that despite his farm previously not having any issues with DACF in their 43 years of operation, state inspectors from DACF began making visits to his processing facility starting in late May of this year, issuing violations to the farm and claiming that they were out of compliance with certain licensing requirements.

Greaney said that earlier this week, DACF and the Maine Attorney General’s Office sent the farm a settlement agreement with a laundry list of demands, including the destruction of nearly 400 turkeys and chickens, and requiring that the farm “interact congenially” with DACF staff under threat of a $28,700 civil penalty.

According the nine-page settlement agreement, on Oct. 22, DACF officials detained and embargoed 314 turkeys and 60 chickens from the farm, citing labeling issues on the farm’s poultry products, including incomplete addresses, missing weight information, and improper use of “not for sale” stickers.

The agreement between Greaney’s Turkey Farm and DACF, along with the Office of the Attorney General, outlines stringent conditions the state is requiring the farm to meet in response to the alleged violations.

Central to the agreement is a $28,700 civil penalty, of which $25,830 will be suspended if Greaney’s complies with all terms of the agreement over the next five years.

Among those conditions are for Greaney’s to provide the state proof of education in poultry processing and sanitation, limiting operations to a single poultry exemption for five years, and that all of the birds detained on Oct. 22 — 314 turkeys and 60 chickens — must be “destroyed under the supervision of QAR [DACF Quality Assurance & Regulations] personnel.”

The agreement also appears to impose behavioral restrictions on Greaney’s, stating “Greaney’s must interact congenially and professionally with DACF staff and not engage in abusive verbal or nonverbal communications or other intimidation tactics so as not to obstruct DACF from completing their work.”

Under the agreement, any non-compliance, “as determined by DACF or [the Attorney General’s Office] in their sole discretion,” may result in enforcement action against Greaney’s by the state and the collection of the full $28,700 fine.

“While DACF and the OAG have no present intent to pursue enforcement…so long as Greaney’s is in compliance with the terms of this Agreement, by signing and executing this Agreement, Greaney’s knowingly, intentionally, permanently, and irrevocably waives any and all defenses Greaney’s has or may have with respect to the enforcement of this Agreement,” the settlement reads.

Greaney told the Maine Wire that he has hired legal representation to challenge the state’s actions, and has obtained a 30-day extension regarding the settlement agreement.

Greaney added that he is looking for potential avenues to donate the 314 turkeys, which he is still keeping frozen.

“We cannot comment on this pending enforcement matter,” said Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher Taub of the Maine Attorney General’s Office on Friday.

The Maine Wire has also reached out to a DACF spokesperson and the manager of the department’s poultry inspection program, Jennifer Eberly, for comment on the matter.