Welcome to this month's farmer spotlight, where we’re thrilled to introduce Nancy from Ole Timer’s Farm. Nestled on 25 picturesque acres just outside Camden, South Carolina, Nancy and her husband have transformed their retirement dream into a thriving homestead. Although they’ve only been farming for a short time, their dedication to non-GMO, organic practices is evident in every corner of their farm. From raising broilers and pigs to cultivating certified organic produce, their commitment to sustainability and agritourism is both inspiring and impactful. Join us as we explore their journey, challenges, and triumphs in building a farm that's as nurturing to the land as it is to its visitors. Let's jump in!
1. Can you describe your farm and the type of agriculture you specialize in?
We are a small USDA registered farm sitting on 25 beautiful pastured acres located down a shady dirt road just minutes from the city of Camden, South Carolina. However, we think of ourselves more as a homestead. Two retired, long distance elderly truck drivers that desired to grow healthy, nonGMO, organic food. The farm will eventually trend towards Agritourism. We currently grow broilers, layers, pigs, turkeys, and don’t forget our two lovely livestock guardian dogs. We use regenerative and conservation practices on the farm, growing all our animals and produce with no chemical inputs. Our animals are fed 100% non GMO and organic feed and we grow our produce in certified organic living soils. We do not deworm with chemical wormers and we do not use antibiotics.
2. How long have you been farming, and what inspired you to get into agriculture? We purchased this property in 2023 and retired permanently from trucking in January of 2024. So, ideally, we have been farming for less than a year. Both my husband and I had health issues that we felt were being exacerbated by the additives and chemicals in our food system. We desired to know how our food was grown and handled. In the short six months we have been eating off the farm, our health has already shown great improvement. We want others to be able to enjoy the same benefits. We want others to be able to come and see how we handle and treat our animals, how their food is grown, and what inputs went into the production of this very food they will be eating. Trending towards agritourism, we will offer educational events and our B&B will allow others to come experience farm life.
3. What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a farmer, and how have you overcome them?
Building infrastructure. My husband will be 69 this year and I will be 59. We are not young spring chickens!! So, the time and effort it has taken for two old people to
develop and build infrastructure has been a daunting task. We are up at 6 a.m. every morning and don’t come in until 9:30 at night, sometimes. When building infrastructure, you are never sure what will or will not work. Sometimes you hit it right on the head and things work perfectly. Other times you have to scrap everything and start over again. I’ve learned that YouTube is great for suggestions, but it is not the answer. You have to figure out what will work for you on your own farm. We try to simply remind ourselves that tomorrow is another day, we did all we could do this day, and farming is a journey with no definitive end. We know we will never “get there”, but we try to enjoy the journey trying to. We take each day as a success if something got done and if our farm never gets to the place we dream of, we have a good time trying.
4. Could you share a success story or achievement that you're particularly proud of? When we purchased this land, the place was a mess. There was a news story of the previous owner that had lived here wherein horses and dogs were seized on this property. There were 49 horses and 47 dogs seized. Pasture fences were a mess where the animals were trying to push out and get to grass to feed on. Things were all “ginny rigged” in a “get by” matter. It has taken a lot of work to get things back in order. We started in January of this year and have already raised over 130 broilers, 4 pigs, and 90 laying hens. Built three 10’ x 20’ metal mobile chicken tractors, a hen house that looks like the main ranch house, and three large rolling brooders. We have planted 150 strawberry plants in 6 hand built raised beds. Raised a years worth of garlic and onions. We also completed a full remodel of the main ranch house. This has all been done in just 6 months with only some intermittent help from family and friends. I think that is a lot to be proud of for two old folks!!
5. How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your farming operations? Our goal on the farm is not to waste anything. All compostable materials go to five large 6’x6’x6’ compost bins we built by hand and maintain. When we have to process an animal on the farm, we use every part of the animal in some way, so that its life is given full purpose. We use our pigs to clear forested areas to turn them into pasture land. They root and turn the soil all while fertilizing it with their manure. Chicken tractors are moved twice per day, all while fertilization and scratching of the soil is done by the chickens. We are working on water retention from the roof of our 3000 sq ft workshop. Everything we do, we do with the sense that we take from the land and give back to the land. That which we give will be given back.
6. What role does technology play in your farming processes, and have you adopted any innovative tools or techniques?
We have a UTV and a farm tractor. That is about the extent of our current technology.
7. Can you discuss any community involvement or initiatives you're part of as a farmer?
As we are only about 6 months old and in the build phase, we have not had much community involvement. Eventually, we plan to host picnic days, basket days (one basket, all the veggies you can get in it, for one price), educational events (like birdhouse gourd painting for kids), and “Baby Animal Days” where families can bring their kids to see the spring babies.
8. What advice would you give to new farmers starting out in the industry today? Farming is HARD!!! Don’t get into it unless the desire is so intense, life can not be lived unless you farm. It never ends. There are new problems every day. You go to bed exhausted and you wake up tired. Especially if you plan to raise animals. They depend on you and need you every day. There is no going off for a three day vacation without training someone to run the farm when you are gone (good luck with that).
You can watch YouTube and see the cut and edited version of Homesteading and Farming. I can assure you, it is NOTHING like that. There are days I wake up and cry because I don’t want to face the work ahead of me. There are scrapes and bruises and fights with my spouse. But, in the end, farming has been my heart's desire my entire life. While all of the above sounds awful, I go to bed exhausted but fulfilled. When I eat what I raise, I feel like I have gotten back to a way in which God intended us to live.
9. Is there any part of your business that you would like to promote, either locally to you or nationwide?
We currently have USDA processed pork products for sale. We also have broilers that range in the 6 to 8 pound range. We will be processing this Saturday, so will have fresh broilers for those who want to stop by and pick up a couple broiler chickens right at the end of processing. We are also accepting deposits for Thanksgiving turkeys. We require a $35.00 non-refundable deposit on all turkey orders. All of our animal products are antibiotic free and were only fed 100% organic feed, being fully raised on pasture. We invite people to come to the farm and see our practices and take a short farm tour.
People can call Ole Timer’s Farm at 863-221-9073 to arrange a time to stop by and purchase products and/or tour the farm. If there is no answer, we are probably in the back pasture, so leave a message and we will get back to you the same day.
