Business Spotlight: Four Oaks Farm

F.T. Mathias, Sr. owns several stores in Lexington during the 1930’s and early 40’s and runs a local farm. (Since 1929, members of the Mathias family have run the Four Oaks Farm in one form or another).

F. T. Mathias, Sr. and his three sons, Francis, Fred, and Donald (Pete) Mathias continue to operate several businesses during the 40’s, and 50’s including Four Oaks Farm, which specializes in the production of registered Berkshire hogs. The Berkshire breed is known for a very high quality of pork and the demand for breeding stock for the breed is high.

Four Oaks Farm is one of the nation’s most successful hog farms during this time. Annual auction sales of registered Berkshires are held at the farm and customers come from all over the nation to purchase breeding stock from the Mathias family. In the 1958 sale catalog, Four Oaks Farm reports satisfied customers in 24 states and Cuba.

Four Oaks Farm enters Berkshires in major shows throughout the country and wins top awards at many State Fairs and regional & national shows. In 1959, the National Champion Berkshire Boar is bred and exhibited by Four Oaks Farm.

During the late 1950’s, Donald (Pete) Mathias begins curing hams and bacon and making pure pork sausage for sale to the public. F.T. Mathias & Sons continues to operate a feed and seed store and continues the livestock farming operation. Farming operations are expanded to include row crops and fresh vegetable production. A new generation of the Mathias family including Tillman Mathias, III (son of Francis), Fred, Jr. and David (sons of Fred) become more involved in the family business as they grow older.

During the early 1970’s, the Mathias family decides to convert one of the old barns on the farm into a country store as an outlet for meats and vegetables grown on the farm. 

As demand for its products continues to grow, the family starts buying products from neighbor farmers to sell at the farm store. Other items are added to the store and the business continues to grow.

Many businesses in the area discover that the quality products from the farm are ideal holiday gifts for business associates, employees, and friends & family. This is the beginning of the gift business that thrives at Four Oaks Farm today.

In January 1973, the Mathias family forms a corporation called Four Oaks Farm, Inc. The corporation is formed with six stockholders … the three sons of F.T. Mathias, Sr. — Francis T. Mathias, Jr., Fred Mathias and Donald (Pete) Mathias — along with Fred Mathias, Jr., David Mathias and Tillman Mathias, III.

Four Oaks Farm, Inc. now operates the Country Store and the Packing & Shipping Warehouse that supports the Country Store and Mail Order Division of the corporation. Fred Mathias, Jr., David Mathias, Tillman Mathias, III and Michael Mathias along with a group of trusted employees, continue to operate the business, and continue to place high priorities on quality and customer service.

In 2003, the company decides to create an all new, innovative website in an effort to better serve its growing base of local and national customers. The website is just one of the ways that Four Oaks continues its 80 plus year tradition of placing the customer first in its businesses.