Patton Farms in Ohio: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Patton Farms is a fifth-generation family farm in Utica, central Ohio, where brothers Brad and Jeff Patton farm about 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. Hogs are the main business: a Mount Vernon News profile says the farm began with one 1,100-pig barn in 1997 and now feeds about 32,000 hogs a year under contract for Heimerl Farms, with pigs at five sites.
| Location | Utica, central Ohio |
|---|---|
| Founded | Family arrived in the region in 1835; hog barn added in 1997 (as published) |
| Sectors | Contract hog finishing; corn, soybeans, wheat |
| Scale | About 3,000 acres; about 32,000 hogs a year at five sites; 13 to 14 semi loads per week |
| Why it is notable | Multi-generation family farm that built a large contract hog business next to a grain operation |
| Ownership | Brothers Brad and Jeff Patton are equal partners; two nephews and one hired hand also work there |
| Official website | Mount Vernon News: Patton Farms, a family legacy in central Ohio agriculture |
History of Patton Farms
The Mount Vernon News reports that the Patton family's great-great-grandfather arrived in the region in 1835, making Brad Patton a fifth-generation farmer. The farm grew by adding livestock to its crop base. In 1997 the family built a single barn holding 1,100 pigs, which became the start of the hog business.
Over the years the operation expanded to five sites. Brad and his brother Jeff are equal partners, and two nephews, Caleb and Jason, work on the farm along with one hired hand. That small team handles about 3,000 acres of crops and tens of thousands of hogs a year, which is a good example of how a family business can scale through contracts instead of a large payroll.
What Patton Farms Grows and Raises
Hogs are the main business at Patton Farms. According to the profile, the family contracts to feed about 32,000 hogs a year for Heimerl Farms in Johnstown and has pigs at five sites. Under that model the contracting company supplies the pigs and the farm provides barns, labor and management, then ships finished hogs for processing.
Marketing is a steady logistics job. The report says pigs go to slaughter at destinations including Philadelphia and Michigan, and loading typically involves 13 to 14 semi loads per week. The farm also grows corn, beans and wheat on about 3,000 acres. Crop work and hog work share the same equipment, labor and land base, which also gives the family a place to use livestock nutrients.
How Patton Farms Makes Money
Contract hog finishing
The farm's largest revenue stream is feeding pigs for Heimerl Farms under contract. The family does not describe pork prices or margins in the profile, but contract finishing generally reduces exposure to swings in hog and feed prices because the owner of the pigs carries market risk.
Grain sales
Corn, soybeans and wheat from about 3,000 acres add a second income stream. The profile does not say how much grain is sold or fed, so no split is stated here.
Family labor and shared assets
The farm is run mostly by two brothers and their nephews, so labor stays in the family. Using one set of tractors, land and people across crops and hogs is how the operation keeps overhead manageable.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Patton Farms
Contract production can be a path to scale. The Pattons grew from one 1,100-pig barn to five sites by working with an established company, which supplies the animals and market access. Farmers weighing contracts should read the terms, length and barn requirements carefully, and talk with their lender.
Pair livestock with crops on purpose. Having hogs next to corn, soybeans and wheat means one farm can manage nutrients, labor and equipment together. Families planning a next generation can bring nephews or children in as the hog sites grow.
Thirteen or fourteen semis a week is a lot of bacon on wheels, and a family that started with one barn of 1,100 pigs deserves a toast with a Licking County sunrise. For farm satire about hog trucks, loading schedules and which brother gets the early shift, farm.FM has the farm humor ready. The ranch humor and farm jokes there are friendly, and nobody should be teased about work this steady.
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 Patton Farms
No Patton Farms website was found; this page is a local news profile. No address, phone or email was verified. It is a working farm with biosecurity needs, so do not visit without an invitation.
Patton Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Mount Vernon News profile - Local news profile of the family and hog operation
- Ohio State ATI swine facility - Land-grant swine teaching and research facility page
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Hog and farm statistics for Ohio
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Look up Ohio hog inventory and crop data
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal loans and conservation programs for farmers
Patton Farms FAQ
Where is Patton Farms?
In Utica, central Ohio.
What does Patton Farms produce?
Hogs raised under contract, plus corn, soybeans and wheat on about 3,000 acres.
How many hogs does it feed?
About 32,000 a year for Heimerl Farms, with pigs at five sites, according to the Mount Vernon News.
Who runs it?
Brothers Brad and Jeff Patton, with two nephews and a hired hand.
Patton Farms shows how a fifth-generation family can grow from one pig barn to a major contract hog business while still farming thousands of acres. For more on the state's livestock sector and other profiled operations, read the Ohio state guide.