The Hardestys are always working. The family, parents Glenn and Terrie, and son Justin, 14, works together on their farm, Working H, raising cattle, pigs, and poultry. Glenn and Terrie moved from Florida to West Virginia 15 years ago, seeking a different life. They did not plan to become farmers. Working H Farms grew from their desire to have better food for their family. The farm has recently expanded to include a slaughterhouse and butcher shop, and Glenn and Terrie quit their jobs to run the businesses full-time.

Justin is also spending more time at the farm and butcher shop. This fall, he began homeschooling, in order to devote more time to the family businesses. Unlike his parents, Justin has grown up farming, and despite the long hours, he enjoys the work. Days are often hectic, with new problems and challenges arising frequently. However, the Hardestys view the struggle of maintaining the farm and launching the butcher shop as something that they are all in together, and there is always someone there to lend a hand.

To learn more about West Virginia farming, visit Hope & Hard Work: Farming in the Mountain State.