Producer Profiles

Tim and Wendy Craig Stand Their Ground
For years, Tim and Wendy Craig had grown corn silage for a large stocker operation. Tim had farmed cattle and various crops with his family and also was part of the 60 year-old family grading business. An extremely dry year in 1993 led to the Craig's interest in the hog business. "If it had not been for the river-bottom land we rent from my father, we would have come up short on our silage." explains Tim. "That's when we began thinking about hog effluent as an alternative to irrigate and fertilize the silage crop."

Today the Craigs, who live in Sanford, operate five finishing floors on their Chatham County farm and a farrow to feeder operation in Harnett County, but getting into the hog business hasn't been easy for the Craigs. In 1994, they bought a 200 acre track of land in Chatham County – it took five years to get hogs on that farm.

Six months after purchasing the land, they found themselves in the middle of an easement dispute; the property had no road frontage. The easement dispute called attention to the Craig's potential farm within the community. Environmentalists got wind of their plans and Craig Family Farms was targeted for a lawsuit as "a prospective nuisance" - guilty of polluting the creeks and rivers. Though this lawsuit was eventually dropped the Craig's legal problems were just beginning. "The Chatham County Health Board decided the public needed protection from the hogs in Chatham County, even though there are only three hog farms in Chatham County." So, while the health board continued putting obstacles in their way, the Craigs farm continued to comply with every county ordinance and regulation.

Not only did they comply, they went above and beyond the compliance requirements. "We hired an outside engineer to design and oversee the construction of the lagoon and pipe installation. The local division of Soil and Water were also looking at what we were doing." Tim explains. "We did our own grading and excavating work, so we wanted other parties to see what we did. We performed compaction test and permeability test on the lagoon dam because we could – not because we had to! If our closest neighbor, who has six chicken houses, could smell our farm, then I was not managing our farm properly." says Tim. "From our topping barns to the paved road, it is one mile."

Tim is a certified animal waste operator which allows him to use hog effluent as spray irrigation. But he wanted to be prepared to comply with any future rules and regulations, so he received his biological waste water license as well. "It is not part of the rules now, but who knows what the public will want the next candidate for governor to say or do? I obtained my biological waste water license to stay one step ahead."

The Chatham County Health Board adopted an ordinance that would prevent any further construction of hog farms. Tim dislikes the fact that county commissioners and other policymakers have gotten away from the farming county they once were. "Face it, if you own 200 acres and have one or two houses on that land, the county can only charge impact fees for one or two houses. If you develop 200 acres and cut it up into 20 acre lots, the county receives impact fees for 20 houses. If you were part of this well-oiled machine, which way would you vote at county commissioner meetings?"

The Chatham County Agribusiness Council and the Craigs decided to challenge the rules and the authority given the Chatham County Health Board. "Not surprisingly we lost at the local court, but we appealed the decision and won." explains Tim. "Though the Board of Health did not want to pursue any further legal action, the County Board of Commissioners decided to appeal to the Supreme Court." The N.C. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal challenging the ruling that the state's comprehensive rules for livestock operations pre-empted local rules adopted in Chatham County and aimed at swine farms. Though the Supreme Court has not yet ruled, their decision could impact every other county or health board regulations across the state. "We are hoping that the unanimous Appeals Court ruling, will bring some weight to bear on their decision."

Tim and Wendy, devoted to each other and their three children, Taylor Grace, 8, Lucas, 5, and Isaac, 2 years old, have felt the physical and financial strain of this ordeal. "The Carolina Farm Credit has stood behind us through all of this", they explain. "For years we had unproductive land, but the bank saw the injustice of what was happening, and worked with us." The Chatham County Agribusiness Council was actually formed during this time. "Agriculture was under attack and agricultural business leaders within the community recognized the need to join together." Tim currently serves on the board of directors of the Chatham County Agribusiness Council. He has also served on the Chatham County Health Dept. Ad-Hoc Committee, formed to get information to the Health Department about Intensive Livestock Operations.

Their legal plight has brought out the fight in Tim and Wendy, but at the same time, exhausted them. "We just want to mind our own business and try to move along in life. Our farming friends, and most everyone, has stood with us, which has helped ease the pain." says Tim "There have only been a few against us, but they are the loudest and get most of the attention from law makers, regulators and media." The challenge has only deepened their respect for farming. "Be proud of your industry, whether it is poultry, hogs, cattle, or grain. We are the minority, but we must stick together. Together we stand, but divided we will fall."

After a quiet year, and the legal battle coming to a close, the Craigs are ready to get back to the business of farming. Innovative, enthusiastic, and an honest steward of the land, Tim has been working with Dr. Jim Barker and Associates at NCSU to design a solid separator basin for the finishing barns. They hope to have it completed by next summer and then install constructed wetlands. Their lagoon would be used as a polishing pond. Craig expects all of this to lower the nutrient level of the effluent by 50% to 75%. They are now clearing more land for pasture and row crops. Tim and Wendy credit farm manager Mike Stewart, along with Rafael Villasenor and Magdalena Orozco, with keeping the Harnett County sow farm running smoothly. "I could not have kept this farm going through the hard times without their dedication and dependability." Tim says with emotion and admiration.

Defending the business of farming has become a sad reality for today's producers, but Tim urges farmers to keep their heads up. "I will stand up for Agriculture as long as God gives me breath. If you have done no wrong, don't ever, ever give up. Stand your ground!"