Q&A with High Desert Hogs owner, Claudia
We got the chance to get to know Claudia Gutierrez, founder and owner of High Desert Hogs. High Desert Hogs is a 100% woman-owned, 100% Latina-owned pasture-raised pork business. Ethically raising local, delicious, heritage pigs for your consumption. In celebration of International Women's Equality Day on August 26th, we wanted to hear from a female farmer and rancher in Central Oregon. Read the full interview below!You can find Claudia and her hog-wild family at her ranch in Redmond, where she is happy to give a tour and introduce you to her porky-pals (call ahead to schedule a time to visit). Stay up-to-date with her hog-ranching adventures through her Instagram @high_desert_hogs. Claudia posts equally educational and entertaining content daily!
Q: What do you love about being a rancher? Claudia: I would have to say the fact that farming/ranching/being a food producer isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle and one that fits my personality well.I worked in the corporate world for just over a decade and never really understood the need to be in an office at a desk for 40 hours of my week. Nowadays I probably work about the same amount time wise, but it's physical, it's outdoors, and it's on my own schedule. Plus, this kind of work really challenges me to face my weaknesses/opportunities, which inspires me to find long-term solutions for these problems. This helps me grow both as a business owner and as a person.
Q: What drew you to Central Oregon? Claudia: I came to Central Oregon in May of 2020 to complete a farming internship through Rogue Farm Corps. Having lived in Seattle for 8 years prior to moving out here, it was a complete change of scenery for me. I was drawn to the mountains, the fresh air, the clearly defined seasons, and especially the sun! I love how much vitamin D I can get over the summer and that helps carry me through the gloomy months of winter.... but I also lived in Canada for a few years growing up, so I love the snow too.In addition to the weather and the views, I fell in love with the farming community out here. So many farmers I've met have been warm and welcoming and have shared their stories, successes, and friendships with me. It feels like many of us are rooting for each other and I appreciate the support that I have gotten from fellow farmers in the year that I have been raising pigs![/mk_title_box][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][mk_blockquote font_family="none" font_size_combat="true" text_size="20"]"...There are struggles that women [farmers] and trans-people [who farm] will come up against that men [farmers] will take for granted..."
Q: What are you looking forward to this year? Claudia: I'm really excited that this year I will be breeding four gilts (first time mothers) that were born and raised on my farm! This is a pretty big deal because all of my initial breeding stock were purchased from farms across Oregon, so that I could start my own herd. Now, the first four ladies that were born from my initial stock are old enough to be bred and I will officially have a second generation closed herd.Another thing I'm excited about is continuing to work on soap making! Last year I partnered with Cultivate Farms to make this lovely brand of soap using lard that we called "Hogwash" and I'm excited to expand our scent offerings! (Go check out our soaps on their website!
Q: What is something that excites you that people might not know?[/mk_title_box][mk_title_box size="16" font_family="none"]Claudia: Figure skating. I love the costumes, I love the sound of skates gliding on the ice, I love love love the choreography, and don't even get me started on how fun it is to watch the Zamboni clean the ice. When I was younger, and lived in Canada, I actually took figure skating lessons. By the time I was 7 I was learning to do some pretty fancy jumps. Unfortunately, that career ended when we moved to Caracas... turns out ice skating is not that big in Venezuela, go figure.