Hi all,
My name is Nick Chestnut and on January 26th I took over as owner/operator of the hog herd at Anderson Farms. I am an Ohio native, born and raised in Dayton, OH and a United States Navy Veteran. I’ve been living in Newark going on 12 years and met James at “The Whole Hog” workshop he hosted in March of 2023. Having had the product, and knowing the work and dedication James put into it, watching it go by the wayside was something I just couldn’t do. However, it wasn't something I was really prepared for either.
For the last two years I've been using my Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits and studying crop and soil science online though Oregon State University. I'm due to graduate March 2026. However, having not worked for the last couple years, other than some odd jobs here and there, the money I had saved to go back to school has dwindled down. And somehow, I always seem to start new endeavors at the absolute worst time.
The hogs are raised outside with suitable shelter(s) and the sows are moved into the farrowing barn three weeks before they're due. This year, however, brought a new challenge. The first week brought the most snow the region has seen nearly a decade, followed by the longest stretch of low temps also seen in some time. But, we adapted and overcame with only a couple losses.
Challenges like those, as well as the financial challenges, often lead to the loss of small local farms. Unfortunately, the US loses thousands of farms a year, with some estimates at 63 a day. One of the biggest reasons for that is cost, with most farms lost annually making less than $10,000 a year. This is by no means a "get rich" endeavor and I can assure you that I'm not looking to take advantage of anyone. Every dollar raised will go towards the hogs, operating expenses, improvements, and scaling the operation.
That said, I'm a huge proponent of supporting local farmers, knowing where your food is coming from, and getting people more connected with their food. Large scale agriculture and grocery stores have left many people, it would seem, believing that the food just grows on the shelves. Over the lest several decades, not only have we lost the connection with our food, it has become more processed and less nutrient dense, including our fruits and vegetables, with the advent of large scale agriculture.
So, I'm calling on all foodies, pit-masters, supporters of local farms and ranches. Any one wanting to support food grown locally by family farms. Every year the number of farmers and ranchers in the US decreases. Help me keep one going. Get to know your farmer, get to know your food! Thank you for reading and thank you for your support.
https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-policy/u-s-lost-142-000-farms-according-to-ag-census
