Text and photos by Sydney Cruze, July 2010
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Life at Parker Family Farms follows a rhythm that has all but disappeared from rural North Carolina. The family of six lives in northern Orange County, on 19 acres they share with 125 pigs, 250 chickens, some cows and a goat. Days are filled with schoolwork and farm chores. The animals need year-round care, and crops get planted in the spring. Then the tobacco harvest starts in late July, lasting until early fall, when it’s time to get fields ready for the next year.
At a time when North Carolina is losing scores of family farms every year, the Parkers plan to be on their land for a long time. They hope to save their farm––and their agricultural heritage––by raising pigs and chickens in their pastures.
Renee and Randall Parker are familiar with farm life. Both grew up on Orange County farms, helping their families grow tobacco. They started Parker Family Farms in 1992, when Randall started planting tobacco on his father’s land, where they live today. Since then they have continued to grow tobacco––and to pay close attention to the changes brought by buyouts and business closings.
“Eventually we decided it was time to try something else.” Renee says. “Every year, our kids show livestock at the Central Piedmont Jr. Livestock Show in Hillsborough, and we’ve always enjoyed their projects. Our oldest daughter loves pigs, so we decided to look into pasture-raised pork.”
In 2005 the Heifer Project gave the Parkers six unbred sows, called gilts. Heifer is a giving program, so the Parkers gave six gilts back to Heifer after breeding the pigs. They also joined NC Choices, a marketing program that helps independent hog farmers sell their products across the state.
Founded by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in 2006, NC Choices has about 30 member farmers today. All of them produce pork from pigs raised on pasture or in straw beds, without the use of antibiotics or hormones. These farmers work to provide a high quality of life for their animals, and many, including the Parkers, have earned certification from the Animal Welfare Institute.
Living the good life
The Parker pigs live outside in 12 paddocks, where they can root in the woods, build nests for their babies, and feed on fescue and clover. Each of these small fields has a sun shelter and a mud-filled wallow where the pigs can cool off.
When Renee first researched the pasture-based system, she was glad to see how the ground cover prevents erosion, making it better for the land. After using the system on her farm, she realized it also makes a dramatic difference in her animals’ quality of life.
The Parkers’ profits from pork sales are small but steady. They added a flock of laying hens, so they now offer eggs, as well as sausage, bacon, ribs, pork chops and pork roast.
Research shows that more than 70 percent of U.S. consumers want food that is raised locally, and most are willing to pay more to get it. The Parkers sell their products online, through farmers’ markets, to Whole Foods and Weaver Street Market.
Raising pigs this way has changed the Parker kids, too, Renee says. “They might get angry, but they don’t hit or slap the pigs. And they don’t let others do it either.” And she adds, “We hope they’ll take over the farm one day.”
Sidney Cruze is a Carolina Country contributing writer who lives in Durham.
Contact Information
Served by Piedmont EMC
Parker Family Farm
8015 Tilley Road
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541
(919) 636-2182
www.rparkerfarms.com
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