Baxley Family Farms

Lloyd and Connie Baxley have owned and operated Baxley Family Farms since the beginning. Lloyd’s passion for farming began at an early age as he spent most of his free time working and helping on his grandparents' farm. He continued with that interest by being an active member of his school’s FFA team and even tended to his own tobacco crop while still a teenager. After high school he attended Francis Marion University but his passion was farming so it wasn’t long before he traded his pencil for a plow and began a new journey to pursue his dream His wife, Connie, was a school teacher and would work on the farm during weekends and school breaks. After her retirement from teaching, she became the full-time bookkeeper and office manager. More recently, she added managing and directing the operations of the family’s produce market, Black Mingo Produce. The two sons, Joshua and Jesse, grew up working and helping on the farm while in school. After high school graduation, they both went to college and upon completion, were both employed in the public sector...but like their father...made the decision to become integral parts of Baxley Family Farms. Their contributions both in “sweat equity” and decision making have been crucial as the farm has expanded and diversified over the years. Now, helping to sustain and looking towards the future, Joshua’s family...his wife, Annie and their two children, Halle and Cully have joined the Baxley Family Farms operation and help out when school is not in session. Some farming folks are fortunate enough to have, inherit, or buy family farms/land to help kick start their operations...other folks...such as Lloyd Baxley falls somewhere in the middle. While it is true that he is farming land that has been in his family since the early 1800’s, it wasn’t just handed to him. His early days of farming had him working farms almost 50 miles from where Baxley Family Farms operates today because that’s where he could afford to rent land. Over time, he has scratched and clawed to piece together like patchwork the land that they call home today. It would have been easy to have given up, become disillusioned and throw in the towel...but that would have been a different story. Instead, Lloyd rented, bartered, and bought land as it became available and kept his dream alive. Tobacco was the cash crop that kept the lights on and the engine running in addition to row crops of corn and soybeans. Always asking himself...what’s next... Lloyd kept the farming operation going but also diversified into hog production. From farrow to finish, the Baxleys grew their operation to over 800 hogs at any given time. Along the way, Lloyd kept his mind open to new opportunities and gaining operational efficiencies. With an ever-present mind on conservation practices, he found an environmentally friendly way to dispose of lagoon waste by converting it to pasture fertilizer. Fields of lush green grass soon covered parts of the farm and with that...an entry into now what is a very successful cattle production. After purchasing a small herd of cows from a retiring producer, Lloyd’s research and discussions with other producers helped him to realize the value of Sim Angus females. By 1980 he began AI breeding with Cornerstone Simmental and Angus Genetics such as: Mr Beef/X399U/600U/Black Mick/Ext/Traveler DHD 6807. This was the genesis of the Baxley’s Sim Angus herd. Fast forward through an intensive AI program breeding to top bulls in the Simmental and Angus breeds to today...where the Baxleys specialize in breeding the highest quality Simmental, Sim Angus, and Angus cattle focusing on: If you have the opportunity to spend time with Lloyd, it doesn’t take long to realize he is passionate about what he does...as most true farmers are...but his passion is complimented by his thirst for the power of data and understanding information. He is almost a renaissance man when it comes to this. Mix an old school farmer with a new age, data d