Our History

Our Roots: From the Midwest to the Piedmont

Farming isn’t just a business for us; it’s a multi-generational legacy. Our story began in southern Indiana, where my grandparents, Jim and Anna, and my father, Gary, raised beef cattle, hogs, and corn, and other row crops. They even ran a local meat shop—a foreshadowing of the direct-to-consumer path we would eventually return to.

In 1979, the family moved the operation to Chester County, South Carolina. For years, we followed the “bigger is better” model of conventional agriculture. Under the name Watson Grain, Inc., we managed 1,200 acres of cropland. However, the mid-80s brought droughts and financial crises that proved just how unstable row-cropping could be. Seeking a more predictable path, my dad transitioned into raising turkeys for a large integrator in 1996.

The Turning Point: Choosing Sustainability

By 2007, after decades of seeing the “inside” of conventional production, we knew there was a better way—for the land, the animals, and our family. We began the slow, intentional transition to sustainable, regenerative farming.

This shift wasn’t just about philosophy; it was about survival. It allowed our family to stay on the land rather than seeking outside jobs. My wife, Kelly, joined the farm full-time in 2012, and we’ve since been blessed with our daughter, Abby (2013), and our son, Noah (2016). They are the “why” behind every fence we build and every pasture rotation we perform.

2020: A New Era of Freedom

The year 2020 marked a massive milestone: we officially terminated our contract with the turkey integrator. Today, every animal at Watson Farms is raised where they belong—on high-quality pasture.

We’ve traded the industrial barns for fresh air and sunshine. This transition hasn’t been easy—it required miles of water lines, new fencing, and a complete shift in how we think about the soil. But seeing our 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured pork, and pastured chicken enterprises thrive because of customers like you makes every bit of effort worth it.

To ensure this land stays a farm forever, we recently placed our 350 acres into a permanent conservation easement. We aren’t just farming for today; we’re preserving this Piedmont soil for generations to come.

Your Partner in Local Protein

Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or you’re just now looking for a meat source you can trust, we are honored to serve you. Because of customers like you, we are able to ship our proteins via UPS directly to doorsteps across the eastern U.S. and welcome neighbors into our on-farm store.

Thank you for being part of the Watson Farms story.

Sincerely,
Matt Watson & The Watson Farms Team