Meet Tanya Griffin | Organic Farming

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanya Griffin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanya, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
‘Who you are is where you were when’ Everyone comes from different backgrounds and generations, and all their little quirks and personality traits are based on this, I always try to keep this in mind, and have since I first heard it in 1984.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I will be 60 this year, and my husband will be 76, with ranch life and age comes back, neck, knee issues. I discovered Kunekune pigs because a friend gave me a piglet and she was so different than any of the pet pigs we had had over the years, super friendly, cute little scrunched up face and cuddly. We were on a cruise through the Panama Canal in February 2022, and we discussed it, studied them, spoke to a few friends that are chefs, and they were all familiar with this pork, the ‘Wagyuu’ of pork. By the end of the trip I had purchased my first three, with my goal to sell to restaurants ‘farm to table’ and butcher shops. I named it Hobbit Hoggit, I cold not get the name out of my head, they are short, squatty, round with an underbite, they look like hobbits. They are a New Zealand breed, and the name kunekune means fat and round. I invested in good pedigreed breeding stock and gradually added more until I had a heard of about 40. My first butchered pigs went to my friend and Chef John Tesar, owner of Knife and several other restaurants around the country.. In September, 2022, I immediately noticed a new butcher shop in my instagram feed Custom Meats Dallas on Lovers Lane in University Park. They caught my eye because of their culture and belief in using locally sourced product. They got the next pig, and then started carrying my free range eggs. The use of social media and networking has connected me to so many sources of information, networking and business. I’m the kind of person that keeps my word and deliver on time. You have to be responsive to your interactions to maintain credibility.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Sixth Floor, The Bush Library, Knife Dallas, Campisis on Mockingbird, The State Fair of Texas, Cathy’s Critters in Princeton and concerts. My other business BlingIsTheNewBlack works extensively with the music industry, so we see many live shows, The Star In Frisco

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I married my husband in 1997, we used to visit the family farm he grew up milking cows on. My children were 8 & 10 at the time and they loved coming up here. As an only child, milking cows 24/7/365 he could not wait to get off the farm and joined the Marines and served in Viet Nam, earning three purple hearts. I convinced him we should move to the farm and his reaction was shock and surprise. He did not think his new ‘North Dallas Socialite’ wife would last six months up here. Twenty six years later here we are. His name is Don Griffin, well regarded as an international boxing judge and former VP of Taylor/Balfour. He is an amazing man, father and my best friend. When I brought up the idea of switching to Kunekune pork from beef cattle, he was skeptical, but always has believed in my and had my back.

Website: www.hobbithoggit.com

Instagram: @hobbithoggit

Facebook: @hobbithoggit

Youtube: @hobbithoggit

Image Credits
Hobbit Hoggit