Niche New Kent business Burks Farm to end deer processing, plans to be sold

Located on Route 155 (Courthouse Road) in New Kent, Burks Farm has specialized in processing deer for more than 20 years.

Robb Johnson photo

The ability to find a niche in any business market can be a difficult one. But for one New Kent entrepreneur, finding that key demographic has provided 25 years of goods and services to literally thousands of people. Now, he’s hoping someone will take what he started and continue it for years to come.

David Burks, owner of Burks Farm, is retiring from his business of processing animals this upcoming September, citing medical reasons.

Burks has been a New Kent resident for more than 20 years. But after suffering a setback in the military that left his confined to a wheelchair for a period of time, the businessowner only used that as motivation to go onto greater things.

Burks began feeding animals upon his medical discharge from the military. From there, he developed the concept to start a slaughter facility.

Burks’ research led him to his main focal point of his business, deer processing. Locking into that concept and knowing that many surrounding areas consisted of hunting activities, the businessman found a core that resulted in his business processing 1,500 to 2,000 deer per season.

Burks spoke about how his injury was a key turning point in his life.

“I just grew up working my whole life and knew how to do nothing else but to work,” he said in a Monday afternoon interview. “When I finally got back on my feet, I could not lay around. I had to do something.”

Harboring on his roots growing up in Southern West Virginia, Burks traveled to nearby King & Queen County to pick up pigs.

“There was a gentleman there that had to get out the business due to some health issues,” Burks continued. “I actually backed the car out of my garage and to this day, we still run the slaughter shop out of what was our garage attached to the house.”

Burks added an attachment to the former garage, resulting in a business that would prosper for the next 20 years. His operation welcomed people from around the state, but it harbored its roots and grew in prosperity thanks to local residents.

“Seventy-five percent of the business is from this county or surrounding counties,” Burks said. “Without the local community, it would have never worked.”

But Burks isn’t just a person who accepted and took things in for profit. He gave back and gave back often.

“We have always processed [meat] for the hungry programs,” he commented. “We do four to five hundred deer every season. We pick them up, and donate them.

“I have one particular veteran who comes about three times a year and gets some hogs and I send them out at a flat rate,” Burks continued. “He will buy them, take them to other veterans, and he does not charge them.”

Burks has donated more than 30,000 pounds to local food banks. He has also provided additional donations at local events, with New Kent’s Relay for Life that took place a few weeks ago being his latest contribution.

But as with many businesses and parts of life, there are times when transitions have to take place. Burks is retiring due to health reasons but is hopeful that the next owner continues to have a heart of hospitality.

“My biggest hope is that whoever buys it [the business] continues to do what we are doing, meaning processing deer, domestic animals, and process for the hunger programs,” he said. “It will be a huge void left behind, but I am hoping whoever buys this continues the process.”

In addition to the programs, Burks’ operation continued to work with veterans, who make up roughly 75 percent of his customer base. His kindness through discounts, donations, and dedication to veterans, active military, and first responders doesn’t go unnoticed.

As far as Burks himself, he believes that the business not only saved him, but provided New Kent a specialized service that nobody else could fill.

“I think when I give this up, I will be leaving a void in the community and that would be my biggest regret,” Burks commented. “It will be hard for people to find a place to process the deer. I’m hoping that the transition process will be a smooth one.”

Burks will continue to process domestic animals until the property is sold, but he is thankful that he turned his setback into a set-up to step up.

“I fought the pain and I still do,” he said, admitting his cancer diagnosis and upcoming surgery. “I fought everything for the last 20 years.

“But I still got up and I still run this place every day,” Burks said to conclude the interview. “I hope that someone will hear my story and take up this place so that this void won’t be empty too long.”