Chalfant Brothers Row Crop lies nestled in the rolling plains of Randolph County, Indiana. Despite the farm’s name, the Chalfant Brothers, Adam, Andrew and Aaron do so much more than row crops. And while the brothers now own and operate the farm, four generations of Chalfants have been working the land.
“Grandpa, dad.. they passed the farm down to us,” Adam said. “The decisions we make today and in the future will affect the next generation. So it's not necessarily us that we look out for, it's grandpa and dad before us and the next generation.”
Andrew built his first barn at age 19 with help from Farm Credit Mid America. Now, each brother has his own set of barns, each housing around 4,000 pigs.
“Farm Credit Mid-America is right there with us,” Andrew said. “A lot of the people who work there are farmers or are right there in the farming community. Having a great relationship with our lender really helps out our farm.”
In addition to the pigs, they grow around 3,500 acres of corn and soybeans and operate a manure-pumping business.
They pump between 25-30 million gallons a year including seven million gallons of nutrient-rich manure from their hogs, which they use as organic fertilizer. Recycling manure eliminates the need for commercial fertilizer which has decreased input costs and increased yield from the crop row.
“Mostly what I'm proud of is how we improve this farm through the generations and still keeping it up and going to see what the future brings,” Andrew said.
Today’s operation is a far cry from the small horse farm their great-grandfather started in 1926. But, for them, it’s about sharing a passion with their family.
“It’s not just a job, it’s a way of life,” Aaron said. “We want to grow a passion for agriculture in our kids and families. I have it. My brothers have it. Instilling that passion into my kids is a fun thought.”
Watch the video below to hear the Chalfant brothers' full story. To learn more about how Farm Credit Mid-America can support your operation, visit our agricultural loans page.
