Compart Family Farms in Minnesota: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Compart Family Farms of Nicollet, Minnesota, is a fully integrated Duroc pork and swine genetics business whose roots go back to a 1949 4-H project. Compeer Financial describes it as one of the largest family-owned swine genetics businesses in the Midwest, and the family has been named the Minnesota Pork Board's Farm Family of the Year. Its branded Duroc pork has reached restaurant menus from Manhattan to Waikiki.
| Location | Nicollet, Nicollet County, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949, when Richard Compart showed Duroc pigs as a 4-H project |
| Sectors | Duroc breeding stock; artificial insemination; branded pork; online and restaurant sales |
| Scale | Reported at more than 1,500 animals harvested per week and a 600-sow breeding farm under construction near St. Cloud (Mankato Free Press, 2017) |
| Why it is elite | Named Minnesota Pork Board Farm Family of the Year; described as one of the Midwest's largest family-owned swine genetics businesses |
| Ownership | Family-owned; three sons lead and the next generation is involved |
| Official website | Compart Family Farms official site |
History of Compart Family Farms
The Compart story begins in 1949, when teenager Richard Compart showed three Duroc pigs at the Minnesota State Fair as a 4-H project. He married Bonnie in 1955, and they later took over his family's farm in Nicollet, where they specialized in Duroc breeding stock and raised five children.
Richard died in 2012. Today three of the children run the business: Dean leads breeding, Jim leads the branded meat program and Chris handles performance testing and the online store. Compeer Financial notes that the next generation, including Robert, Dan and Kyle, is also involved, which makes this a multi-generation succession story.
What Compart Family Farms Grows and Raises
The farm raises Duroc hogs and has built its identity on pork quality. The family says Duroc genetics and a proprietary feeding program deliver pinker, more tender and juicier meat, and it uses artificial insemination and ultrasound to select for marbling. It sells breeding boars and gilts, runs an artificial insemination business and markets finished pork under its own brand.
The business is fully integrated, overseeing production from birth to grocery store. In 2017 the Mankato Free Press reported that the operation contracts with about a dozen independent farmers who use its genetics and feeding system. Compeer Financial reports that the operation spans multiple Minnesota locations and a presence in central Iowa.
How Compart Family Farms Makes Money
Breeding stock and genetics
Selling boars, gilts and artificial insemination services lets the family earn from its Duroc genetics rather than from commodity hogs alone. This line connects the business to other hog farms that want better carcass quality.
Branded pork sales
The family sells pork to restaurants and grocery stores and through online direct sales. Compeer Financial names chefs at venues such as Tavern on the Green in New York and Duke's Waikiki in Hawaii among the customers.
Direct retail
The Compart Boar Store ships products year-round, and the Minnesota Grown directory lists sausage, gift baskets and specialty meats, with farm pickup on Tuesdays or by appointment. Selling directly captures a larger share of the consumer price.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Compart Family Farms
The Compart model shows that a farm does not have to be the largest to be elite. By choosing a breed, measuring marbling and telling a clear quality story, the family earns a premium that standard commodity hogs do not get.
A second lesson is dividing roles by strength. One brother leads breeding, another runs branding and a third handles testing and online sales, so each part of the business has an owner. Families planning succession can borrow this approach.
Few farm stories begin with three Duroc pigs at the Minnesota State Fair and end with pork on a menu in Manhattan, and that deserves a standing ovation from the whole show barn. If you want a lighter break between sorting gilts and checking ultrasound scans, visit farm.FM for farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, including affectionate teasing about 4-H fair ribbons and the mystery of the missing show stick.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact Compart Family Farms
Website: http://www.compartduroc.com
Only the official website address is listed here. Check the operation's own website for current phone, email, store hours and ordering, November 2026, and confirm before visiting the farm.
Compart Family Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Compart Family Farms official site - Products, online store and farm information
- Compeer Financial profile - Farm credit lender's story on Compart genetics and innovation
- Mankato Free Press coverage - News report on the family's Farm Family of the Year honor
- Minnesota Grown directory listing - State directory page for Compart Family Farms
- USDA Census of Agriculture - National hog and farm statistics from NASS
Compart Family Farms FAQ
Where is Compart Family Farms?
The farm is based in Nicollet, Minnesota, and Compeer Financial reports multiple Minnesota locations and a presence in central Iowa.
What does Compart Family Farms raise?
It raises Duroc hogs for breeding stock and branded pork, and it runs an artificial insemination business.
Has the family won awards?
The Mankato Free Press reported that the family was named the Minnesota Pork Board's Farm Family of the Year.
Can I buy Compart pork?
The Minnesota Grown directory lists online and mail order, and the Boar Store ships year-round. Check the official site for current ordering.
Compart Family Farms turned a 1949 4-H project into a branded Duroc pork and genetics business that reaches restaurants nationwide. For the wider picture of Minnesota agriculture and the other profiled operations, read the Minnesota farms guide.