Faces of NC Farm Families

Heaven on the Farm: The Mewborn Family

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“The family farm—is more than a business—the family farm is a lifestyle—it is an ideal worth preserving.”

Robin and Wesley Mewborn met in middle school in Duplin County. When they first started dating, Wesley knew nothing about farming; however, Robin had grown up on a multi-generational farm. In 2010, the couple got married. Together, they dreamed of raising their own family on the farm. That dream became a reality in 2014 when they placed their first set of chickens, growing for Case Farms. A few years later, they would add a hog farm and grow for Smithfield.

Although their dream came true, it wasn’t easy. As a first-generation farmer, you start with nothing. When Wesley would ask how he could get started, he was met with statements like, “You don’t. You can’t.” But seven years later, the Mewborns have made it work.

“It just makes me proud to be his wife,” said Robin. “To be that first generation for our children, to grow into that knowing how much work and dedication he’s put into this. His dedication has created this.”

Wesley credits a lot of the opportunity to farm to Cape Fear Farm Credit. “If it wasn’t for Farm Credit we wouldn’t have what we have. They have bent over backwards, so in return they’ve enabled those two [their kids] to have something one day,” Wesley said with emotion.

Robin and Wesley with Shannon Bell and Carrie Cumbo from CFFC.

Farm Credit is more than a lender for rural and agricultural communities. They are also a resource. Wesley says that sometimes, before talking to Robin, he’ll call the folks at Farm Credit to ask if something is a smart move or will something work? “When they say yes, I go home and say, ‘hey, Robin guess what?’” said Wesley.

Farm Credit invests in farmers and rural communities because they recognize just how much farmers bring to the table—literally.  Thanks to them, families like the Mewborns have the chance to chase their dreams and become first-generation farmers.

“I’m excited for us to be here and farming because that’s what I’ve always wanted to do-- that and raise our kids here,” Robin said. “I love the freedom of it. They can come [to the farm] and learn.”

Being able to do that is special for Robin, as she has fond memories of being picked up from school by her mom to go spend time on the farm with her dad. Now, she gets to do the same thing with her children.

Robin doesn’t just want her own children to learn about farming. She extends those lessons to her own classroom. Robin has taught in Duplin County for 16 years at the same elementary school she attended as a girl. Through Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom, Robin ensures her students are learning all about agriculture through activities like hatching chicks and raised bed gardens. One thing she hopes that her students and her own children realize is that agriculture is a vast field.

“There’s more out there than just farming—welders, electricians, truck drivers—those jobs are available. They can stay in Duplin County and do those jobs,” Robin shared.

Farming and agriculture also offer opportunities for girls too. Robin and Wesley want their daughter Macy (8) to know that “it’s not just a man’s job. There’s something for her here too.” Macy’s favorite day on the farm is when they get new baby pigs or chicks. Meanwhile, her brother, Case (4) loves all things tractor. He can tell you names, models, and colors. He also takes farm work seriously.

“When you pick him up from school, it’s ‘my daddy needs me to check the chicken alarm, or my daddy needs me to go to the hog houses and pump.’ He comes ups with it all on his own,” said Wesley.

In many ways Wesley and Robin farm for their children—all three of them, although you will notice only two of them are with them today. Robin and Wesley’s firstborn, Layla was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was only 3 months old. The young family went to Duke every week for treatments. At the time, they were just starting to build their chicken houses, so were not farming yet. Robin was 7 months pregnant with Macy, and Wesley had been laid off his job.In October of 2014, their first set of chickens arrived. For the Mewborns, farming was a blessing in so many ways. Not only did it provide a job for Wesley, but it allowed for more flexibility as they continued traveling with Layla for care and treatment.

Layla passed away on her fourth birthday in 2016 at Duke. She was in palliative care for two weeks prior, and Wesley was able to be there every day, something that he might not have been able to do with another job.

Today, they continue to remember Layla in all they do, including farming. Their smaller hog farm is named LMC after their three children.

Robin, Macy, Wesley, and Layla

Layla and Wesley

“In our farming day to day, we remember Layla. She is also our child. Honoring her in just naming our farm and in the day to day is a huge part of our story. She is a part of this even though she is not here, and it gives us that drive,” shared Robin.

They say when you see a cardinal, it is a visitor from heaven; every time they see a cardinal, they remember Layla. Frequently, the family will see red birds at the farm. For some, the farm is a slice of heaven on Earth, and for the Mewborns, that is especially true.

The Tenacity of Farmers—How Carolina Swine Integrators Began

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One of the character traits of a farmer is to be able to maintain flexibility. They are problem solvers who role with the punches. Farmers are a tenacious group that are not to be deterred. They hold strongly on to hope and faith, because at times that’s the only thing that gets them by. Like many, Darryl Floars and son, Blake, exhibit these traits.

Part 1—Becoming Hog Farmers

In the past two decades, the Floars have evolved a great deal in their farming endeavors. What started as acreage in the mid 90’s for recreational purposes for the family, turned into an opportunity to become hog farmers.

“We’d go there all the time on weekends, riding four-wheelers, shooting skeet, and hunting,” said Darryl.

The Floars asked their neighbor if he ever wanted to sell his land, to let them know. Upon retirement, the gentleman offered the land up to the Floars under one condition—they’d also buy the hog farm. And so, a new adventure began. A decade later, and the family decided to purchase an additional sow farm.

Blake, the youngest of four, took an interest in the farm and chose to go to NCSU for Agriculture Business. He has developed a real passion for the industry.

“I love the farm. I love this industry. I love the people. They’re the most important thing to me,” Blake said.

Blake has made a point to immerse himself in various aspects of the farm from barn work to contracts to educating the public.

“A lot of my friends don’t know what I do or anything about agriculture. I try to make a point to get the word out there a little bit,” Blake shared. “People have never wanted to know more about where their food comes from and never known less about how their food is made. I try to educate. Overall, people are good people. They just want to know, and people have a right to know where their food comes from.”

Hog farming wasn’t always an option for Blake, though. In 2020, he got the news that Goldsboro Milling was closing their hog operations. Blake diverted his plans to return to the farm after graduation and went to Arizona to sell life insurance instead.

Part 2—New Plan

Obviously, the news wasn’t good, especially since the family had just purchased another sow farm 1-2 years prior. Although depressing, Darryl took it all in stride.

“My wife and kids always ask, ‘doesn’t anything bother you?’ The Lord’s been good to us. If I end up with a horse and buggy, that’s okay. I look at it that way,” Darryl said.

This wasn’t to be the end of their hog farming story, though.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t really have a plan. I just prayed for guidance. I had a guy come in who wanted to meet with a guy, and that’s how it started. I really think the Lord put that in place,” Darryl said.

After the meeting, Darryl called Blake to tell him that there might be a viable plan in the works. That was in March of 2021. By October, Blake moved back to the farm full-time.

“I found out life insurance wasn’t for me, and I came back to the farm,” said Blake.

The plan? The Floars would partner with other growers that had gone out of business to supply hogs to a new packer. Essentially, the Floars would become their own integrator, supplying pigs to growers. They put together a plan. Currently, they have a 2,000 head sow farm in operation with plans to expand upwards to 6,000 sows. This would put over 100+ finishing floors back in business. That means a new start for many growers.

Darryl and Blake are really excited about the group they’ve got together so far.

“It’s like a big family. I haven’t known these guys all that long, but it’s turned into a big family of growers, and it’s been awesome to work with them,” said Darryl of their growers. He went on to say how much he values having “good people—good hog people around” him to compliment his more business-oriented mind.

For Blake, the growers are a big part of why he does it: “The growers are some of the highest character people I’ve ever met. That’s what drives me. We have our farms, and we want to get our farms going but really, it’s about that group of people. We want to help them get going again. That’s why I do it.”

Part 3—The Future

After sitting empty for a year, the Floars’ farm is filled with pigs again. The endeavor, called Carolina Swine Integrators, is at what the Floars calls the exciting part. After a lot of planning and hard work, they have sent their first batch of pigs to growers.

“It’s good to see all these parts come together because it’s been about a year in the making. There’s a lot of work that goes into it before you get that first wean pig off the sow farm. It’s a lot of work,” shared Blake. “So, to see that finally come to fruition, has been pretty rewarding recently, but we still have a long way to go. A lot of challenges, but there’s always challenges,” he continued.

Big things are happening at Carolina Swine Integrators. It’s been an all-consuming effort. Darryl says that he is finally able to have a little peace and take time to deer hunt and ride his horse on the farm.

Blake says he’s had a sharp learning curve. “I grew up around the farm but wasn’t involved in the day to day.” He credits everyone in the industry for helping him learn and supporting him. Blake puts a high importance on learning and developing relationships with others in the industry. However, sometimes, he says, he prefers the company of pigs to people.

For Blake and Darryl, they’ve also had to learn to work together. Blake says that “you have to learn where the boundary is between when he’s your dad and when he’s your boss.” That isn’t always simple, though, when farming is your life. “It’s hard for it not to be all-consuming, but after we leave work, I try for him to just be my dad.” For Darryl, Blake is his go-to guy. “He helps me read through contracts and is very detail oriented. He fills in the gaps for me really well.”

While excited to be up and running, they also want to grow, but they want to be smart. “We want to take baby steps. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We do want to grow, but a slow growth,” expressed Darryl.

Blake echoed his dad’s desire to grow but added that they are also focused on sustainability. “Part of being sustainable is being profitable. If we aren’t profitable, we can’t do any of these sustainability things that we hope to do in the future. Sustainability is a big deal,” Blake said.

It’s not just sustainability and growth that the Floars have their sights on. They, like so many farmers, want to do things the right way.

“We care about what we do because at the end of the day we want to be good neighbors. We want to be responsible, and I think farmers are. That’s who they are. They’re high character people. They care for their neighbor. Doing things the right way is in the nature of farmers. We don’t want to take any shortcuts. We want to do it the right way,” Blake said passionately.

What started as just enjoying some outdoor activities in Eastern NC for the Floars turned into so much more. It turned into a career, a test of faith, chasing opportunity, building something new, developing friendships, and maintaining their flexibility. The journey isn’t over, but with the tenacity and faith of farmers, they persevere in new and exciting ways.