Today we’d like to introduce you to John And Tiffany Cassidy.
Hi John and Tiffany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Prairie Grove Farm is a first-generation family farm located in North Texas. What began as a family dream has grown into something we’re incredibly proud of—a place where our animals thrive, the land becomes healthier every year, and we can provide local families with pork they’re excited to serve at their table.
We—John and Tiffany—met at Texas A&M University (Whoop!), where we both majored in Electrical Engineering. After graduating, we got married and moved into a small house on one acre in eastern Collin County. Ten years and five kids later, we purchased our farm just outside Farmersville, Texas.
Getting started was rough. We had no farming experience, and the land was completely unimproved. We were drowning in mud and our family of 7 was living in a camper. Our first year was spent creating a small living space in a metal building so we wouldn’t lose our minds. Once we had indoor plumbing and four solid walls around us, we turned our attention to the farm.
We knew we wanted to use our land to feed our family, but we didn’t know where to begin. The property had no fences or ponds and was covered in weeds. We quickly realized our soil was terrible – almost no nitrogen or organic matter. Since we didn’t want to rely heavily on chemicals, we began researching regenerative farming practices.
John talked to a neighbor about pigs. He said they are easy to raise and they never get out. Spoiler alert: They aren’t, and they do. We installed electric fencing and purchased our first twelve piglets in the spring of 2022.
At first, we focused on breeding pigs and selling the piglets. Over time, we decided to raise pigs for meat for our family—and that’s when Prairie Grove Farm really found its direction. We wanted to know and feel good about where our food came from—where the animal was born and raised, how it lived, what it ate, where it was processed, and exactly what ingredients were added along the way. As we talked with other families, we realized how many other people wanted the same peace of mind. That’s when we decided to expand beyond our own table and bring naturally raised, pasture pork to our community. We believe good food brings people together, and nothing makes us happier than gathering around the table and sharing a meal we’re proud to serve.
Today, we have a thriving herd of heritage-breed pigs living the way they were meant to live—outdoors on pasture and foraging in the woods. We raise our pigs from farrow to finish, meaning they’re born and raised entirely on our farm. Our pork is available by the cut at several local markets, including Reeves Family Farm in Princeton, The Rockwall Farmers Co-op, and Wylie Urban Farm & Market. Bulk wholesale pork can also be purchased by ordering custom-processed whole or half hogs through our website. (www.prairiegrovefarmtx.com) We created an online form to guide customers through selecting their cuts. This simplifies the process and helps families get the cuts they love most. Our butcher in Detroit, Texas does an incredible job, especially with gourmet sausage and naturally cured bacon and ham.
Every day on the farm is a mix of hard work, joy, and a little chaos—and we wouldn’t trade it for anything. Over the past four years, we’ve had plenty of laughs and frustrations, but we’re always learning and improving. Our soil is steadily becoming more fertile and grass is replacing weeds. Nothing beats watching piglets run through the pasture, filling our table with fresh vegetables from our garden, or hearing customers say they’ll never buy store-bought pork again.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Our biggest challenge has been just how much there was to learn. Beyond learning how to raise pigs, we also had to figure out the business and marketing side of things—building a website, managing social media, and working with local markets to sell our pork.
Time management has been another major hurdle. John has a full-time engineering job, so most of our farm work happens on the weekends. During the week, the kids are a huge help in keeping things running smoothly. Tiffany manages all the digital and administrative work, including record keeping, customer communication, photography, and online marketing.
We’ve also learned that raising animals always comes with surprises. If something can go wrong, it usually will. Electric fencing doesn’t work well during a drought, and the pigs will get out. A pig will get stuck in a feed bucket while we’re on vacation. Sows will decide to have piglets as soon as it starts to snow. The tractor gets a flat tire on the perfect day for planting.
We’ve learned to approach these moments with a good attitude and a sense of humor. We like to joke that our life motto is, “It’s going to be fine…”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We raise heritage-breed pigs on pasture. Texas is known for beef, so there aren’t many pork producers in our area. Most grocery-store pork comes from fast-growing pigs raised in confinement, but we do things a little differently.
Our pigs are a mix of heritage breeds we’ve chosen because they do really well outdoors and produce incredible-tasting pork. Berkshires are known for sweet, well-marbled meat. Gloucestershire Old Spots are calm-natured and farrow well without intervention. They make some of the best pork chops and bacon. Red Wattles are an East Texas breed that thrive in the woods and on pasture and produce dark red, flavorful pork.
This mix allows our pigs to live entirely on pasture, lets them raise their piglets naturally, and produces pork that tastes nothing like what you’ll find at the grocery store. That’s what we’re most proud of—pork that’s better for the animals, the land, and the families who eat it.
Our butcher is also a big part of what makes our products special. Detroit Processing Plant is one of the few local butchers offering natural curing options and is known for their gourmet sausage. All the products we offer are made without MSG or artificial food dyes, so the quality of the pork really shines through.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
This whole farming business was a pretty big risk. We moved our family of 7 from a comfortable home and traditional lifestyle into a camper and onto a farm that didn’t really exist yet. We are both engineers and people of faith, so we approach all risks with a healthy balance of prayer and excel spreadsheets. John sets the vision and Tiffany runs the numbers, so we make a good team. It felt like a huge leap of faith to buy the land and start the farm, but it has been really neat to see how God has taken care of us along the way. We’ve grown closer as a family, the kids spend a ton of time outside, and we work together to put food on the table (literally!)
Pricing:
- Bulk Custom Processed Pork (whole or half): $4/lb on hang weight + processing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.prairiegrovefarmtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/PrairieGroveFarm/
- Facebook: instagram.com/prairiegrovefarm
Image Credits
Tiffany Cassidy Photography
