Heather's Family Farm

My name is Heather Rudolph. I was raised in Baker City and started raising pigs in high school as my FFA project. I moved to Wyoming and returned about 30 years later, and started raising pigs again.

My two heritage breed pigs include an Old Spot named Pearl and a Large Black/Guinea Hog/Mulefoot named Mama Pig. Their litters are born outside and they spend their whole lives in a pasture. All of the pigs have shelter to get out of the weather, but come and go as they please. They seem to prefer making their own nest to sleep in from straw or vegetation in their pastures, rather than sleeping in a wooden shelter. They have full time access to pasture grasses and various vegetation and a custom mixed hog ration of barley, wheat, and peas with a protein supplement, as well. Their hog ration is non-corn and non-GMO, custom made by Wallowa County Grain Growers with all locally grown grain and peas.

Regenerative farming practices are important for me so in the spring, I will plant a hardy mix of dryland grasses to increase the forage available to them. The pasture they spend most of their time on is unirrigated and grows mostly sagebrush, thistles, and bunchgrass. The seed comes from Oregon Trail Seeds in North Powder. I believe in supporting local businesses and therefore local families.