The Beginnings of CAFOs: Murphy Family Farms
- Date Range
- 1990 – 1995
- Title
- The Beginnings of CAFOs: Murphy Family Farms
- What occurred
- In the early 1990s, Mr. Murphy adapted his already successful hog farming enterprise, Murphy Family Farms, to a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) model. Being one of the first farmers to do so, his hog-fattening technique set a nation-wide standard, with the number of hogs per farm increasing by 60% across the United States from 1989-1994. Murphy Family Farms worked to perfect hog raising, and by the late 1990s the farming operation was more efficient than any in the country. They produced 22 piglets per sow annually— compared to the national average of 15— and they were able to feed their pigs substantially less than other farms while obtaining the same amount of fat.
- Location
- 4134 US-117, Rose Hill, NC 28458, United States
- Image Citation
- Image Citation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/waterkeeperalliance/12662849753/ - https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/61/Murphy-Family-Farms-Inc.html http://www.riverlaw.us/industry-history/
- Student name(s)
- Hailey Stoltenberg