In a time where family farms and property are sold due to tax burdens or other reasons, Keegan-Filion Farm is a true example of a fully functional family farm. It is hard work, but Jesse and Amy Filion and the Marc and Annie Filion are committed to making it work and providing quality product to their customers local and far and wide.
Marc and Annie Filion had been farming since the late ’80’s. Mrs. Annie’s grandfather had the current farm and upon his death the land went to his five brothers. Marc and Annie began buying the land for farming and now have 170 acres, and at the time raised a few cows and hogs.
In the early 2000’s the market went bad, and everything went corporate with contract hog farming. In 2005, the Keegan-Filion made the decision to start selling to the public and restaurants. They found their niche and made it work.
It’s not an easy task, however. Before deciding to sell directly to the public, selling their meat commodity and selling through the stockyards, you’re allowing someone else to make a profit, according to Marc. Now they are raising the animal, taking it for processing, pack the orders, and deliver the orders. They also make the sales calls and do the marketing and advertising as well. From beginning to end, none of this is going to happen for free. “You have to take the job of what other people do in order to make that revenue.” I asked if that allows them to set the prices. Jesse Filion, Marc’s son and head of The Market with his wife Amy, agreed. However, he pointed out that means they assume all the risk. There is inventory, refrigeration equipment, maintaining the farm, and everything that comes with running a business.
Then CoVid-19 came and made everything that much more difficult. While delivering orders in downtown Charleston, Jesse was getting calls the restaurants were closing and the employees were being sent home. Jesse had to have his deliveries to these restaurants, or they wouldn’t accept them “and that was going to be the end.” Despite that they were lucky. With stores and stockyards closing people started coming to Keegan-Filion to buy from them. Then the grocery stores opened back up and they found themselves in a situation where they could not complete.
Around this time, Jesse and Amy Filion were taking the farm over and came to Marc and Annie with an idea of The Market. Marc was unsure about the idea, because he commented at the time “we have a market that is not working.” Jesse persisted though and laid out his plan. “We want to have a butcher shop in it, and we want to do a lot of our own meat cutting.” Marc felt this idea would be supported in Walterboro due to a lack of meat cutters and in March of 2024 The Market opened.
They cut their meat on site, they make sausage in different flavor profiles, and the customer can buy fresh or frozen.
Jesse points out that they are the only place in Walterboro, and maybe Colleton County that dry ages their meats, beef and pork. Jesse explains that “dry aging allows the enzymes to break down some of the muscle tissue. This concentrates the flavor and makes it bolder, but it is also going to make it a lot more tender.” What also contributes to the quality of these cuts of meats is they are high choice to prime. You are already starting with good meat selection and then the way it is cut, aged, and flavored just takes it further in caliber.
If Jesse is cutting meat and taking deliveries and dropping off deliveries, who is running The Market and taking care of customers? That would be Amy Filion, Jesse’s wife. When I arrived to talk to Marc, she was stocking coolers, arranging produce, and helping and attending to customers. You might think at 9:00 am there would not be that many customers there, but there were plenty, and she was there to greet them with a smile and some by name.
As for the customer base, of course there are the locals, but you may be surprised at how far that base reaches. Marc recounts a story of a couple from Canada who somehow found them and now when they come down to visit the area, one of their first stops is Keegan-Filion Farm to stock up on meats for their vacation.
The Press and Standard holds “The Best of…” every year and for the past two years Keegan-Filion Farm has won best butcher shop two years in a row. So go out and see them, buy a piece of meat, and test the waters. The Filions will wager you will probably be back.
