MAUPIN, OR—Peter O’Hanley loves working with pigs. He started working closely with the animals when he was a professor researching vaccines at Stanford University. Today, the medical doctor, drug researcher, and rancher raises heritage hogs, goats, and Tibetan yaks at
Hangbelly Ranch, his 750-acre property on Juniper Flats, near Maupin.
The ranch has been in continuous operation since 1876. Today, O’Hanley has 500 acres in wheat, and plenty of room for his herds to roam around (something animals raised on commercial hog farms are not free to do). He is focused on raising heritage hogs, largely to help maintain the breeds for future generations. Hangbelly Ranch is home to American Mulefoots, Red Wattles, and Berkshires—all breeds with unique traits that help them survive in austere environments.
Hangbelly’s hogs are all fed a high quality diet, which results in a much higher quality cut of meat. “We feed them cut alfalfa, spent beer grains from Hood River, apples from Odell, and crushed grains without any antibiotics.” By adding hazelnuts to their diet before the hogs are sacrificed, the richer, redder meat has also has a distinctly nutty quality to it.
“The business side of the ranch can be very difficult,” admits O’Hanley. Thankfully, his ranch is located near farm-to-table Portland restaurants like Higgins and Trifecta, plus Sheridan Market, who all buy directly from him. Hangbelly Ranch also sells about 45 to 50 hogs per month to local ranchers interested in raising these heritage breeds to mature weight. “I’ve been fortunate that people believe in the quality of the food product,” says O’Hanley.