Circle Four Farms, a division of Murphy-Brown LLC located in Milford, Utah was recently awarded the “Best of State Award” for its achievements in agriculture and its environmental stewardship efforts.

The Best of State Award is given annually to Utah individuals, businesses, and organizations based on achievements in their field of endeavor, innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods or processes and contributions to improving the quality of life in the state.

Circle Four Farms earned the award in the agriculture category for its outstanding accomplishments, including its leadership role in environmental management, animal welfare practices, excellence in employee training and education and its overall contribution to improving the quality of life in Utah. More than 200 volunteer judges from all over Utah reviewed and scored hundreds of applications in choosing Circle Four as the best of state in its respected category.

“We’re absolutely delighted and honored to receive the Best of State Award,” said Erik Jacobsen, general manager of Circle Four. “This reward serves as a tribute to our 450 employees who work very hard everyday to make our farms successful.”

Circle Four Farms is the largest agricultural employer in Utah. Spread out over 35 miles in southwest Utah, the farms raise about 1 million hogs per year.

Among Circle Four’s achievements, a recent study of the top U.S. hog producers conducted by Agrimetrics, a leading agricultural consulting company recognized Circle Four as the best pork producer in the nation based on quality, cost and hog performance indicators.

In the environmental arena, Circle Four’s Environmental Management System (EMS) was noted, which recently was recognized by the Utah legislators as the first agribusiness in the state to receive the prestigious ISO 14001 certification.

Circle Four adds to the quality in life of Utah by providing quality jobs with full benefits and through its education and training programs. The company pays for 100 percent of the cost of books, fees and tuition for its employees who take classes to improve their skills. Circle Four also offers employees 15 classes as a part of its in-house educational program, including leadership training, time management, Pork Quality Assurance, trucker Quality Assurance and other courses.

The Best of State Award was created in 2003 by the Utah Best of State Foundation to recognize individuals, organizations and businesses in Utah.

Congratulations to everyone at Circle Four!