PORKtober Feature: Heidi Flory, The Princess and the Pig Farmer
From scrubs to a ballgown, this wife, mother and boots-on-the-ground co-owner of a swine nursery operation, Heidi Flory, is neither a stranger to the stage nor a stranger in the pig barn.
Flory has championed the name, agricultural ambassador, in a number of suits. From meeting with legislators to speaking at professional events for producers and young ag professionals to being a pork industry social media influencer, Flory shares her story and encourages others in the industry. She also spends time as a biomedical research professional working in cardiac surgery research, and animal welfare officer and advocate.
Her brand, The Princess and the Pig Farmer, grew popular during the pandemic, as a tool to voice her opinions and stance as a producer, as well as educate consumers on modern production practices.
The Princess
Named the 2021 Pennsylvania Elite Ms. United States Agriculture and 2021 PA Miss Agriculture Advocacy Ambassador, Flory has a national platform to share her story for modern agriculture and the pork industry.
The Pig Farmer
Along with her husband, Steve, the Florys strive to do their best in every aspect of their operation and maintain the health and welfare of their animals. She is also focused on making sure the public image of animal agriculture is positive and accurate.
“We want to be an example for other growers and encourage them to take the necessary time with their livestock in order to achieve better outcomes, including lower mortality, higher feed conversion, and greater average daily gain,” she says.
In addition to her daily activities being a wife, mother and pig farmer, she is available to serve as a speaker or panelist on a number of topics, including but not limited to:
• Changes in consumer trends through the pandemic
• Animal care and well-being
• Livestock operations
• Food labeling and safety
• Best management practices
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) compliance
• USDA, Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and FDA regulations
• Pre-clinical trials management
• Animals in biomedical research
• Women in agriculture
• Careers in agriscience
Furthering her passion for educating and connecting producers with their consumers, Flory founded PA Farm to Family Table, which grew to 6,000-plus members in a Facebook group during the pandemic , and will be launching an eCommerce business that facilitates the connection between local producers and consumers in the near future.
Flory’s commitment and leadership in the industry has also led her to be selected to participate in the 2022 Pork Leadership Institute (PLI) program, conducted jointly by the National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board.
This princess and pig farmer strives every day to share her experience and be a transparent, public voice for the industry.
Be sure to check out more from Flory on her The Princess and the Pig Farmer website. Also, follow her Facebook and Instagram pages to stay up to date on the work she is doing across all platforms.
Thank you, Heidi Flory, for your positivity and dedication to the pork industry!