
Hugh and his son, Gerald (pictured here), co-manage their family’s farm. As third and fourth generation farmers, respectively, this father-son team is doing what it can to maintain its farming heritage.
Hugh and his son, Gerald (pictured here), co-manage their family’s farm. As third and fourth generation farmers, respectively, this father-son team is doing what it can to maintain its farming heritage.
Both have full-time, off-farm jobs. Hugh is an electrical engineer and works as a vocational educator teaching robotics. Gerald graduated from NC Agricultural & Technical University with a degree in political science. “I had aspirations of becoming a lawyer but decided I’d rather find a job closer to home and be a part of our farming operation,” says Gerald. Today he works with a regional office of the NC Department of Commerce.
The Millers own 30 acres and lease another 75, raising corn, which they use partially as feed for their hogs, as well as soybeans and wheat. They raise hogs in fenced paddocks on open pasture, providing English-style huts for warmth or shade, depending on the season. They raise a hybrid mix, including Landrace, Poland China, Chesterwhite and, most recently, Berkshire breeds.