Customers of FNBO Sassy Sisters Swine

Customers of FNBO – Sassy Sisters Swine

We are proud to feature Sassy Sisters Swine, a direct-to-consumer pork business owned and operated by two young Nebraska women, Mekenzie and Mattie Beattie. Their story is one of passion, entrepreneurship and family legacy.

Mekenzie was in college when she approached her sister, Mattie, about starting a business together. At the time, Mattie was just a high school sophomore. Their father, Bart Beattie, ran a hog farm as part of Beattie Family Farms in Sumner, Nebraska, and locals were always asking about purchasing fresh pork directly from the farm.

While Bart was happy to sell whole or half hogs, it added extra work to his already full schedule. His primary focus was sending hogs to a packing plant at market-ready weight, so sorting a few for individual customers and delivering them to the butcher became a significant task.

"Mekenzie and I saw the opportunity to take this burden off our dad’s hands and create a business out of it," Mattie said. "This was the perfect way for us to solve a problem; provide high-quality, delicious pork for local consumers; and allow us to share our agriculture story and explain how we raise our livestock."

Sassy Sisters Swine was born in 2020, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a surge in demand for locally sourced, fresh and healthy pork, the timing couldn’t have been better.

"This was the perfect time to start providing families in our community and state with a high-quality pork product," Mattie said. "Our local consumers are our driving force and the reason we do what we do. It’s so rewarding to hear the positive feedback and encouragement from our supportive, returning customers."

The Beattie sisters have seen an 85% increase in hog processing requests in three years, and the biggest factor in that growth has been the unconditional support of family and friends.

"We have two helpful little brothers that are always willing to assist with a pork delivery or a pig drop off," she said. "We are also very blessed to have the best parents who have pushed us to become better each step of the way."

The sisters are sixth-generation farmers, and the passion they have for agriculture and hogs is a driving force for Sassy Sisters Swine. That passion for your product or service is key for anyone interested in starting a business, Mattie said.

"Without a story or mission behind your business, there will be no true reward or satisfaction," she said. "Knowing that you are positively impacting someone's day with your business, is the beauty of entrepreneurship."

She also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs not to fear failure but to embrace it as a learning experience. She advises seeking guidance from mentors and peers, particularly those within the agricultural community.

Support for agriculture is what connected the Beattie family with FNBO. With both their parents and grandparents banking with FNBO, Mekenzie and Mattie saw firsthand the benefits of that relationship.

"Choosing FNBO for our bank was never a question for us," Mattie said. "We appreciate the way FNBO prioritizes agriculture, and start-up companies with potential to shape the future in our industry. Without FNBO, we would simply not have Sassy Sisters Swine."

Interested in making FNBO your business banking partner? Discover how we help businesses of all sizes thrive.