A Farm with a Purpose

How it began

• How did Boots and Barns begin?

  Boots and Barns grew out of my family’s love of agriculture. Growing up, my sister and I watched our parents grow crops and raise chickens and catfish. Farming was always part of our lives.

  After our parents retired and returned to Ikot-Ekpene, they saw needs in the community and began thinking about how they could help. My father decided to start a pig farm that could provide food and create jobs in the village.

  We lost him while the farm was still taking shape. My sister, Sifon-Glory, and I decided to continue what he had started. She manages the farm’s finances, and I oversee day-to-day operations on the ground. We hope the farm will continue to grow and, one day, become one of many resources under the Nkereuwem Foundation.

  We didn’t have everything figured out then, and we’re still learning. But we knew we wanted to build something tangible: a place that could serve the community and make our dad proud.

  Senyie Benson

• Why did your family choose pigs?

  We saw an opportunity to raise pigs and build a breeding operation, rather than simply buy and sell animals. There is demand for pork and piglets, but seeing an opportunity and building a successful farm are very different things.

  The work takes attention and consistency. We’ve had to learn about feeding, breeding, disease prevention and managing costs. There’s always something new to figure out.

  Senyie Benson

• What did the farm look like at first?

  It was mostly bush. My father had owned the land for years before deciding to turn it into a farm. My sister and I helped him plan the construction and imagine what it could become.

  When I look around today, I sometimes have to remind myself where we started. There’s still a lot we want to do, but seeing how far we’ve come makes the work worth it.

  Senyie Benson

Life on the farm

• What does a normal day look like?

  We feed the pigs, clean the pens, check their water and look for anything unusual. We pay close attention to pregnant sows and piglets. It isn’t glamorous work, but doing those things well, every day, is what keeps the farm going.

  Senyie Benson

• What’s your favorite part?

  The piglets. Seeing a new litter arrive can make all the stress disappear for a moment.

  Senyie Benson

• What have your first litters taught you?

  To pay attention. A small problem with a piglet can become a serious one quickly, so I’ve learned to observe the animals, notice changes in their behavior and respond promptly. When something seems wrong, I talk it through with the family so we can decide what to do next. Running the farm has taught us to work together in a new way.

  Senyie Benson

• What’s the hardest part of running the farm?

  Money, honestly. The farm has been funded by our family from the beginning, especially by Sifon-Glory. She has sacrificed a lot to help build it and keep it running.

  People see the pigs. They don’t always see the cost of feed, veterinary care, labor, fuel, water, repairs and all the unexpected expenses. Feed is one of our biggest challenges. Its price can rise without the price we receive for our pigs rising at the same pace, but the animals still need to eat every day.

  Senyie Benson

• What has farming taught you about growth?

  Growth doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it means making it through a difficult month, welcoming a healthy litter, improving a pen or reinvesting the money from a sale. You keep moving.

  Senyie Benson

• What does farming mean to you personally?

  It has taught me patience. You can’t tell a piglet to grow faster because you need money, and you can’t tell a crop to mature because your bills are due. Things happen on their own timeline. Your job is to keep showing up and doing the work.

  Senyie Benson

Family and community

• Who are you outside Boots and Barns?

  I’m someone who likes building things. I’ve worked in design, branding, printing, food and hospitality, and now agriculture. Those fields might look different, but I’m drawn to the same thing in each: making something useful where there wasn’t something before.

  For me, it isn’t only about making money. It’s about creating value, whether that means providing a service, creating jobs or feeding people.

  Senyie Benson

• What does the name Boots and Barns mean to you?

  It represents something our family began out of love for our community. My father loved his village and Akwa Ibom. He used to say, “Akwa Ibom ado okay.” That love for home was one reason he returned and wanted to build something there.

  The farm already employs local people, and we’ve shared food with neighbors and women in the church during the festive season. We hope to grow enough to support more people and, through the Nkereuwem Foundation, contribute to healthcare and other community needs.

  It began with our boots on the ground, a piece of land and an idea. We’re working to make it something that can keep growing beyond us.

  Senyie Benson

• What has building Boots and Barns cost you?

  Time, money, sleep and, sometimes, peace of mind. I’ve put money into the farm that I could have spent on myself. Building something for the future often means making sacrifices today.

  Senyie Benson

• Have you ever come close to giving up?

  There have been difficult periods, but I’m stubborn about things I believe in. I might rethink a plan, change direction or start again. I don’t easily walk away.

  Senyie Benson

• What failure are you grateful for?

  The mistakes that forced me to understand the business better. You can read about farming all day, but losing money teaches you quickly why planning matters. My first year taught me a lot, and I’m still learning.

  Senyie Benson

Looking ahead

• Will Boots and Barns always be primarily a pig farm?

  Pigs are central to what we do now, but I see a broader future for the farm. I’d like to bring together crops and, eventually, other kinds of livestock in a way that makes good use of our resources. For now, our focus is on caring for the pigs and growing the crops we already cultivate.

  Senyie Benson

• Where do you hope to take the farm?

  I want Boots and Barns to become an agricultural brand people know and trust. Over time, I hope we can produce, process, package and distribute our own products, perhaps even beyond Nigeria. To get there, we need strong systems and a farm that can operate well without depending on me being physically present every day.

  Senyie Benson

• What do you think Nigeria needs to do differently in agriculture?

  We often talk about agriculture as if it only means putting people on farms. It’s a whole business ecosystem: production, processing, storage, logistics, financing, technology and marketing all matter. We need to think beyond “Let’s farm” and ask what value chains we can build around what we grow.

  Senyie Benson

• What would success mean to you?

  Success would mean building something that lasts. If our children can look at the farm and know what their family built, that would mean a lot. So would hearing that someone’s work here changed their life. Creating food, jobs and opportunities is the measure that matters most to me.

  Senyie Benson

• If you could go back to the beginning, would you still start?

  Yes. I’d plan better and make some decisions differently, especially with our finances. But I’d still begin. This journey has challenged and frustrated me, and it has taught me more than I expected. Boots and Barns isn’t a finished story. We’re still writing it.

  Senyie Benson