Pender family raising unique breed of pigs

PENDER, Neb. - A unique breed of pigs with an ice age look is getting attention in northeast Nebraska. Since 2014, Leon and Tami Svoboda have been raising Mangalitsa pigs, or woolly pigs for how they resemble a wooly mammoth.  

Mangalitsa pigs were developed in the mid-19th century by crossbreeding Hungarian breeds with the European wild boar and the Serbian Šumadija breed 

“When the babies are born, they still have stripes, like wild pigs,” Leon Svoboda said. “That is unusual, and they are the only breed that has a curly hair coat like that.” 

Their looks aren’t the only thing that makes them stand out.  

“We love the breed,” Svoboda said. “They are so docile, good motherly instincts. I think have some natural immunity to disease.” 

In 2014, the Svobodas decided to make a change and add Mangalitsas to their farm outside Pender. They considered it a way to control the price of goods and the product. 

“It was a little scary at first,” Svoboda said. “It has been a real learning process, but a huge opportunity for us.” 

Mangalitsas have only been in the United States since 2007, and farmers are still learning how to raise them. The Svobodas admit it was not an easy path, but they say the real test has been getting people to buy in. 

When asked the biggest challenges faced raising Mangalitsas, Svoboda said, “Marketing for one. Definitely Marketing.” 

It’s the meat that matters. Mangalitsa pork typically trades at 10-20 times the market premium over the pork typically bought at grocery stores.  

There is a tradeoff. The pigs take longer to reach maturity and have smaller litters compared to commercial pigs. But the Svoboda’s know the rewards are worth the journey.  

“Worthwhile things are not always easy,” Svoboda said. “So, stick with it. It will probably take a large amount of time, but it is worthwhile.”