Legan-Tharp family farm recognized at Indiana State Fair

Tuesday, August 7, 2018
In an organization that is truly a family affair, Legan Livestock and Grain may have been started by Mark and Phyllis Legan (second from right and far right), but the operation also includes (from left) son-in-law Nick Tharp, daughter Beth Tharp and granddaughters Kate and Hannah. The Legans and Tharps were the featured farmers at the Indiana State Fair on Friday, Aug. 3.
Courtesy photo

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Legan and Tharp families are well-known as exemplary figures in the farming industry. They have been recognized for their service on agricultural boards at the state level, and for promoting a culture of sustainability on their large operation near Fillmore.

They were recognized Friday, Aug. 3 for those efforts at the Indiana State Fair through the Featured Farmers program, which names 17 Indiana farming families, one for each day of the fair. This recognition highlighted the practices that they employ at Legan Livestock and Grain.

Mark and Phyllis Legan have been farming since 1989, when they started as first-generation farmers. Their farm has grown to include raising hogs, corn and soybeans, and it truly became a family affair when their daughter Beth and son-in-law Nick Tharp joined the business in 2010.

Speaking on the Featured Farmers program itself, Phyllis Legan said that it is meant to speak to the efforts of farmers from across the state.

For its part, the Legan farm weans 54,000 hogs a year, in addition to its corn and soybean output.

“It’s an effort to get agriculture in front of the public, to show where their food is coming from, and that our practices are sustainable,” Legan said.

Recognized on the first day of the fair, Friday, Aug. 3, the Legans were featured for their core values, which guide their operations and on the farm and their commitment to the welfare of their animals and their employees.

“Relationships are what got us here,” Legan said.

She described how others had taken a chance on them at the beginning, and that maintaining those connections have allowed them to continuously learn how to best manage their farm.

Another core tenet is conservation, which applies to how they take care of the land in general.

“We want the land to be better than when we left it,” Legan said.

This has prompted the Legans to adopt environmentally-friendly practices to retain the quality of the soil, and to keep the water clean.

Stewardship follows what they physically do to keep the farm sustainable, but it is not limited to conservation of the land. Legan believes that it extends to both the livestock and their employees, as well as the land.

“We take care of them and they take care of us,” she said.

When it all comes down to it, the farm and the families are motivated to maintain integrity in everything they do.

“Integrity to us is doing the right thing when no one is looking,” Legan said.

When speaking on the recognition they received at the State Fair, Legan said pride plays a big part in how they maintain these practices, and being aware that consumers care about the work that goes into the farm.

“Putting faith with our name is important for us,” she added. “We consider it an honor to be farmers, and to know that others can depend on us tells us that we are doing something right.”

The Indiana State Fair will run until Aug. 19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

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