Marvin Ross
FARMER OF THE SOUTH
At the age of seven, Marvin Ross was given his first pig. His grandfather, a farmer, helped him feed and care for it, and along the way, he taught Ross valuable lessons he would someday need to run a farm of his own.
In addition to working a full-time job, Ross’ grandfather, Thomas Henry Ross, farmed more than 100 acres of land in Dorchester, South Carolina. With 11 children to help, Thomas and his wife grew row crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton, in addition to vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers.
Ross remembers visiting his grandparents’ farm after school and on weekends, where he gravitated to the livestock—cows, goats, chicken, guinea hens and a horse named Sadie. But it was the hogs to which Ross was most drawn, enamored by their squeals, large ears and flat snouts.
When he left for college, Ross considered studying forestry, but decided on business management instead. A couple of years into his studies, his grandfather died. Ross returned to the old land, which had gone untended for years, after graduating.
In 2009, Ross founded Peculiar Pig Farm, named for the way he remembers watching his grandfather’s hogs shuffle around. He started taking pigs to the market, following the path his grandfather had shown him, and has gradually grown his practices from there.
Today, Ross raises Yorkshire, Hampshire and Red Duroc hogs, which he rotates through the woodlots and pastures before spreading seeds, as well as chickens and ducks.