Iowa pig farmers who raised 8,000 hogs a year now grow mushrooms in their old barn
A family farm in Iowa, USA, known as 1100 Farm, has stopped raising pigs and now grows mushrooms in a former hog barn. The change is supported by the Transfarmation Project, an initiative of Mercy for Animals.
A family farm in central Iowa, in the US Midwest, has ended decades of pig production and converted part of its former hog barn into a mushroom-growing facility. The story of the Faaborg family and their 1100 Farm was reported by the agricultural outlet topagrar.com. It is an example of how farmers can change production direction while keeping existing buildings.
From a few pigs to large-scale production
Rand and Tammy Faaborg bought a farm of about 10 hectares in the 1980s, hoping to live self-sufficiently. Rand worked as a welder and at first kept a few pigs to supplement his income. The family later moved to contract finishing: a company supplied the animals and feed, while the farmer provided the buildings, equipment and daily labor. They expanded by taking a $400,000 loan to build two new hog barns, which took 12 years to repay. The farm raised about 8,000 pigs a year, producing around 3.8 million liters of manure slurry.
Rand says he worked 16 hours a day. According to him, over 35 years his income from his main job grew tenfold, while income from pig farming fell by about two thirds.
The change
Their son Tanner, who is interested in sustainability and climate protection, proposed using the buildings differently. In 2021 the family began working with the Transfarmation Project, an initiative of the organization Mercy for Animals that helps farms move away from industrial animal production. In 2022 they sold their last pigs, and a year later the program awarded them $15,000 for a pilot mushroom operation. Preparing the building, buying equipment, creating a brand and launching a website cost about $35,000 in total.
Part of the former barn now grows mushrooms, including Lion’s Mane, and the family also sells coffee blends and flavored salt. This summer they finished converting half of a roughly 60-meter barn, which is meant to serve as a demonstration center for other farmers. For documenting the process, the family is to receive $216,000 under a four-year agreement. The former manure pit has been turned into a freshwater pond.
