ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. – Dwight Ely was elected president of the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) during the 82nd Annual Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers’ Exhibition in Oklahoma City.

Ely succeeds Rick Reams of RJ’s Meats, Hudson, Wis., who will remain on the AAMP board of directors as the immediate past president. He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Meat Processors (PAMP) and AAMP since 1989.

“He [Ely] actively helps with and attends both state and national meat association conventions, striving to gain more knowledge and expertise in the industry,” AAMP said. “He has been a tremendous promoter for PAMP and AAMP, offering to share his knowledge and help to others in the meat industry through speaking engagements and live demonstrations.”

Ely is a seventh-generation farmer who has owned and operated Ely Farm Products in Newtown, Pa., for more than 40 years. He opened a butcher shop in 1981 after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in meat science. In 2006, he began making European-style, raw-milk-aged cheeses. Today, Ely Farm Products offers a wide variety of meat products, cheeses, and services, including a large-scale deer-processing operation serving Pennsylvania and the tri-state areas.

He was inducted into the AAMP Cured Meats Hall of Fame in 2015. Ely Farm Products has won countless awards with its products at both the state and national cured meats shows specializing in smoked ham production. The Elys also have several awards for their cheese products, winning their first accolades in the American Cheese Society competition in 2012.