Raising pigs is a way of life for Mt. Pleasant’s McArtor family

The McArtor Family has always had a passion for livestock and farming.

McArtor Family Farms began in 1960 when Duane McArtor began farming with all five of his sons.

Duane raised pigs, starting in pastures and huts. He would later build a hog confinement and a farrowing shed where he raised feeder pigs for several years.

In 1994, Duane’s son Kenneth and his wife, Brooke, purchased the farm and equipment, continuing the family tradition of raising feeder pigs and sheep along with farming corn and soybeans. They have since built a new confinement building too.

For Kenneth, raising hogs has been a part of his life since he was young. It’s a great way to help the community too.

“Raising pigs is what he has grown up doing,” Brooke McArtor said. “When comparing pigs to cattle, pigs can be matured out faster, and they require less room. The end goal for us on raising pork is providing meat for our communities.”

Their four children - son Tanner and daughters Kristina, Katelyn and Allie - have played an essential role on the farm over the years, each overseeing numerous operations.

Tanner, Katelyn and Kenneth now do most of the work that involves sending pigs to the market, as far as loading.

All of their children have also shown swine at the County Fair. They were responsible for caring for the pigs during that time.

Tanner and Katelyn have been active in the Henry County Swine Committee even after graduation. Kenneth also helps the committee as needed but is not an acting member.

With raising pigs comes an abundance of chores and extensive work.

“The chores associated with raising pigs include giving medications as needed if they become ill, cleaning their pens so that they remain healthy, ordering feed and making sure it’s readily available to them, making sure they have clean water, maintaining a warm environment, and determining when they are ready to sell,” Brooke said.

Kenneth takes it upon himself to walk through the pen twice a day to evaluate the hogs and check their needs.

Between each group of pigs, the confinement building is washed and disinfected. When new piglets first arrive, the building must be kept at a constant temperature to ensure growth.

The McArtors have been recognized numerous times for their work with the Henry County Pork Producers and 4-H.

In 2019, nine members from the McArtor family were inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.

Ron and Jeryl McArtor, Joni McArtor, Jeanne Mulford, Kenneth and Brooke McArtor, Tanner McArtor, Katelyn McArtor, and Allie McArtor were all inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame.

Kenneth and Brooke’s family were recently awarded The Way We Live Award from The Iowa State Fair.

The award is given to outstanding farm families that exemplify hard-working farm values and hold a passion and love for farming.

Raising hogs has always been a part of the McArtors’ lives, and it’s been both a challenging and rewarding process.

“We enjoy raising pigs,” McArtor said. “It is a family tradition and one we hope to pass on to your children and grandchildren. One enjoyment is seeing the small weanling pigs grow and mature for the market. Being able to raise a pig in such a short amount of time without illness is the most rewarding part. The challenging part is keeping the pigs healthy the whole time.”

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com