SW Farms Ltd.: Expansion Opportunities

In late 2021, Steve and Emily Wideman, co-owners of SW Farms Ltd., were presented with a rare opportunity to acquire a 2,500-sow farrowing operation in Lambton County, Ontario. While potentially attractive, the expansion posed significant financial and operational challenges. Already managing a multi-site hog and crop operation, the Widemans faced constraints on both capital and management capacity. To pursue the opportunity, they would need to make major changes to their existing business—either by selling a farm property or by repurposing their current sow facility. The case invites analysis of strategic decision-making under uncertainty and the volatility of the agriculture industry.