Center Fresh Egg Farm in Iowa: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Center Fresh Egg Farm in Sioux Center, Sioux County is a large Iowa egg producer that the Iowa Department of Agriculture says includes more than 4 million laying hens and 15 owners. It began as a 1978 school project with 24 chickens, grew into a 1996 partnership with 8 partners and 1 million birds, and is now a major regional egg and liquid-egg supplier.
| Location | Sioux Center, Sioux County, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Founded | Established 1996 with 1 million birds and 8 partners |
| Sectors | Table and liquid eggs; corn and soybeans |
| Scale | More than 4 million laying hens and 15 owners (Iowa Department of Agriculture, 2024) |
| Why it is notable | Large Iowa egg operation; owner family received the 2024 Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award |
| Ownership | Partnership; Iowa Soybean Association reports parent company Versova |
| Official website | Center Fresh Group website |
History of Center Fresh Egg Farm
The Dooyema family's story began in 1978 when Bruce Dooyema, then a seventh grader, started with 24 chickens from his parents, who farmed dairy, swine and cattle. Dooyema and Sons later built a 60,000-bird house, and Center Fresh Egg Farm was established in 1996.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture reports that Dooyema and Sons sold shares of its farm to Center Fresh in 2015. The Iowa Soybean Association reports a cage-free expansion near Sioux Center, with three four-story facilities planned for 1.5 million birds.
What Center Fresh Egg Farm Grows and Raises
Center Fresh produces eggs and operates a breaking facility that supplies liquid egg products to the food industry, per the Iowa Soybean Association. The complex ships to commercial buyers such as restaurants, hotels and hospitals rather than retail shelves.
The family also grows corn and soybeans with crop rotation, barley as a cover crop and buffer strips. It uses recycled water from the egg processing plant for irrigation and poultry litter as fertilizer.
How Center Fresh Egg Farm Makes Money
Shell and liquid eggs
The core revenue is egg production plus liquid egg products for commercial food buyers.
Cage-free production
Cage-free capacity is being built to meet buyer demand, per the Iowa Soybean Association.
Crop and fertilizer value
Poultry litter fertilizes row crops and processing water is reused, lowering input costs.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Center Fresh Egg Farm
Scale up with partners. Center Fresh began with a family and eight partners, which spread capital and risk.
Match production to buyer demand. Cage-free housing and a breaking plant serve different customers from one complex.
It takes a lot of nerve to start with 24 chickens in seventh grade, and even more to end up with millions. The crew at farm.FM love farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and an egg farm with four-story hen houses has our full attention for sunrise-and-sunset lighting alone. We hope every hen gets a good view.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
How to Contact Center Fresh Egg Farm
Website: http://www.centerfreshgroup.com
Website as listed for Center Fresh Group in a regional business listing; confirm contact details on the company's own site before use.
Center Fresh Egg Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Center Fresh Group - Company website
- Iowa Department of Agriculture release - Dooyema family and Center Fresh facts
- Iowa Soybean Association feature - Cage-free expansion near Sioux Center
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - National poultry and egg data
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Iowa layer inventory data
Center Fresh Egg Farm FAQ
Where is Center Fresh Egg Farm?
It is in Sioux Center, Sioux County, Iowa.
How many hens does it have?
The Iowa Department of Agriculture reports more than 4 million laying hens.
Who started it?
The Dooyema family, beginning with Bruce Dooyema's 1978 project.
Does it sell to retail?
Per the Iowa Soybean Association, liquid eggs go mainly to commercial food buyers.
Center Fresh Egg Farm shows how a school project can become a large Iowa egg business. Read our Iowa farms guide for more poultry and farm profiles.