By Cara Beth Lewis
After being a dedicated member of the pork industry for 55 years, David Gooden – owner of Gooden Farms in Elizabethtown – has received a great honor in his field as the newest member of the NC Pork Council Hall of Fame.
According to ncpork.org, “Entry to the North Carolina Pork Council Hall of Fame is the highest honor the organization bestows. The Hall of Fame recognizes those persons with long and outstanding service to North Carolina’s pork industry and the North Carolina Pork Council.”
Gooden Farms started small, according to Mr. Gooden himself. As he reminisced of the farm’s early years, he explained how far the farm has come since. Today, Gooden Farms has the capability to house nearly 12,000 pigs at one time.
This great honor that Gooden has received is the product of years of hard work and dedication. Gooden stated, “I’ve been a member of the Pork Council for a long time.” The purpose of the NC Pork Council is to promote pork, in simple terms. The vision of the NCPC is “to be the respected voice of North Carolina’s Pork Industry.”
Since 1989, the NC Pork Council has chosen a new member to be added to the hall of fame each year. This year, a Bladen County man was the one chosen for the year 2021. Hall of Fame Member, David Gooden, says “ It is an honor that the Pork Council chose me to receive this award. It’s all because of little things that have happened over the last 40-50 years.”
In the words of Mr. Gooden, “It’s all about doing the right things for the right reasons.”
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