“Agri-Business in Kosciusko County” was the topic of the Jan. 2 Kosciusko Leadership Academy meeting. Shown from left are Mindy Truex, president, Creighton Brothers, Crystal Lake, LLC; Olivia Tucker Ruddell, director of marketing at Maple Leaf Farms, Mary Lepird sponsored by Lake City Bank and Terry Sweeney, sponsored by KEDCO. Photo provided.

News Release

LEESBURG — The Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets visited Maple Leaf Farms World Headquarters on Tuesday, Jan. 2, where Olivia Tucker Ruddell, director of Marketing for Maple Leaf Farms and Mindy Truex, president of Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake LLC, presented on Agri-Business in Kosciusko County. Both farms are vertically integrated and family owned.

Truex explained Creighton’s process of harvesting, cleaning, inspecting, and packaging “shell eggs” and liquid egg products. Then she discussed how the birds are fed and cared for, using conventional farming techniques.

Creighton Brothers has been a family farm since 1925. Truex also spoke about the Crazy Egg Café and The Roost, a restaurant and banquet facility just adjacent to the headquarters. Creighton Brothers are all about creative innovation and understanding what makes healthy eggs and happy chickens and they have been in business for over 97 years.

Ruddell presented the history of Maple Leaf Farms and how it has grown and the many high-quality products it offers world-wide. Cadets met at Maple Leaf’s world headquarters in Leesburg, which opened in 2011.

The building was converted from the Leesburg Elementary School. Maple Leaf was founded in 1958 by Donald Wentzel in Milford. Maple Leaf operates off its “Trident Stewardship” program, which ensures duck well-being, biosecurity, and natural resource conservation.

The farm produces 9-12 million white Pekin ducks annually. Ruddell invited the group to visit the company store at Maple Leaf’s World Headquarters in Leesburg and to try some of their ready-to-eat entrees. A wide range of down products and household goods are also available at the store.

The next KLA session will be on economics of Kosciusko County and will be held at the Syracuse Community Center, Tuesday, Jan. 16.