By Katie Miller “I’ve always said we sell livestock on our family name,” Tom Farrer says. A name which three generations have worked tirelessly to ensure is backed by superior genetics, but more importantly is synonymous with honesty and integrity. With the fourth generation just getting old enough to lead show steers and drive barrows, the Farrers continue to look to the future, while always remembering their roots. Farrer Stock Farms was founded in 1947, when Bill and Betty Farrer received a couple of Spot gilts as a wedding gift from Betty’s parents. Soon, Bill gained a reputation as being one of the finest minds in the Spotted swine business, and the Farrer name began its long history of being associated with good livestock. “That makes you want to keep working hard,” Taylor Farrer, Bill’s grandson, says. “I know my Grandpa, whom I never got to meet, raised some of the best hogs in the country. That is what gets me going every day, because I want to be like he was.” Shorthorn cattle joined the Spot hogs in Royal Center, and the family continued to improve their stock. About the time Tom and Steve Farrer finished their junior livestock career, Farrer Stock Farms launched their now longest-running show calf and show pig auctions, which both mark their 44th annual sale, this year.
In 1972, the brothers A.I.ed their parents’ Shorthorn cows to imported exotic bulls to make show calves, before it was common practice in the industry. It must have worked, because in 1977, they raised the Champion Steer at the Indiana State Fair. This steer was the first of a long history of state and national show winners including Denver, San Antonio, Maryland State Fair and Michigan State Fair. The Farrers were some of the first swine producers to use artificial insemination, in 1978. In ’82, they started with embryo transfer, followed by IVF transfers in 2011, and in 2015, they cloned one of their most important herdsires, FSF Starburst. While the Farrer family has used various technology to improve their genetics through the years, today’s operation still sits firmly on the foundation it was built upon seven decades ago. Although the 300 head of cattle they run now consist of several breeds and some crossbreds designed to be club calf mamas, the majority still are Shorthorn and Shorthorn-influenced. While their 60 head of sows now include Duroc, Hampshire and crossbreds, there will never be a time when their barn doesn’t have good Spot gilts kept back to continue the next generation of their family’s tradition. Keeping all the wheels turning on this operation is truly a family effort. Grandma Betty Farrer still leaves water and cookies in the garage for the family, if they need a snack during their chores. Tom makes many of the breeding and management decisions, but he often asks his sons, Payton and Taylor, for their input – just like his father did
in the ‘70s. His wife, Lisa, grew up showing cattle. Today, her support and organization are paramount to the family’s success. She keeps all the cattle breed registrations and transfers in order for seven different breeds, on top of teaching school. Payton and Taylor both live nearby, but work off the farm. They often work well past dark to keep FSF going. The brothers both help with the family’s crop and hay operation. Payton is more interested in the cattle side of things. Together, with his wife, Kristen, and children, Kendalyn, Alexis and Kolton, they help with the family’s 300-head of cows. Taylor’s passion lies in the swine side. He and his wife, Kristen, work farrowing 60 head of sows, collecting boars, marketing their swine genetics and handling litter recordings, transfers and AI certificates. Bailey, their only daughter, moved to Oklahoma two years ago to join Elanco as a beef representative. She still makes it back for every sale and helps market FSF genetics in any way she can, whether it’s delivering semen and embryos to Southwestern customers or keeping the website up to date. Farrer Stock Farms is built to be a family legacy, and Tom takes pride in affording his children and grandchildren the same opportunities his parents gave him. “I’ve been able to continue doing what I enjoy doing, and I have three kids who are interested in their own direction and way of continuing some of that legacy, which is the same as what my dad and mom had to do,” Tom says. “You are proud when you hear that you’re considered an honest person to deal
“I’ve always said we sell livestock on our family name.” - Tom Farrer August 2017 • theshowcircuit.com
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