Catherine Topel is — brace yourselves — a once Olympics-bound equestrian turned architecture school graduate … turned professional golfer … turned yacht captain … turned rare pig farmer. Catherine and her husband, Rick, opened Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa in 2017, a unique Western North Carolina farm dedicated to raising heritage Mangalitsa pigs, a hairy breed renowned for its rich, marbled meat and high-quality lard.
In addition to selling pork online and to your favorite Southern restaurants, Catherine added to her résumé once more when she built a well-awarded Airbnb and primitive riverside campsites on the farm, making it an immersive agrotourism destination.
Get to know this multi-faceted FACE of the South!
How are you doing in the wake of Hurricane Helene?
Well, everybody’s alive! We have a half-mile of the Pigeon River and it rose 26 feet. We had animals swimming and chickens on top of the stalls. The storm annihilated many of our livestock shelters, fencing, and primitive camping along the river and deposited tons of debris and mud. Unfortunately, we closed that down during our most profitable months when the fall leaves turn. We’re reopening some spots, and the cabin is still running.
Where did you grow up, and what led you to this particular stretch of land?
I was born and raised in Winter Park, Florida, with deep family roots there — seven generations in Gainesville. Growing up, I was a competitive equestrian, ranked fourth nationally with Olympic ambitions, until a terrible crash at 21 forced me to pivot. I completed an architecture degree in Florida but felt that competitive urge again at 26, so I took up golf and turned pro within two years. While I had some success, my petite frame limited me.
At 35, I missed the water, so I enrolled at Chapman’s School of Seamanship to become a yacht captain, a passion my parents later told me I’d had since childhood. That’s where I met my husband. We just celebrated 20 years together. We both hold Coast Guard 1,600-ton master licenses and worked in the high-stress, dynamic world of yachting, managing everything from hospitality to crew and chefs.
Eventually, we decided to leave the industry and bought a farm near my family’s home in Waynesville, NC, about 12 minutes from where my mom still lives. We love the area for its festivals and energy. It’s a more vibrant lifestyle than Fort Lauderdale.
Why Mangalitsa pigs?
The chefs on the boats made exceptional food, and the best thing I ever ate was this one bite of pork chop. I asked the chef the difference, and he said these pigs haven’t had the fat bred out of them. This is not your typical American pink pig. When we bought the farm, I thought, What will we do with 100 acres? We chose the Mangalitsa pig and brought the first animals on in 2018. We’re so happy we did.
God doesn’t give you everything in one critter, I say. The Mangalitsa is a Hungarian breed over 200 years old, originally developed for Austro-Hungarian royalty. Its dark red meat and silky white fat are exceptional and luxurious — unlike the dry country ham many of us are used to.
By 1997, the breed was threatened, with only about 200 registered animals. Thankfully, traditional foods like this are making a comeback, and we aren’t as fat-phobic in our eating. Mangalitsas take over two years to grow to a profitable ratio of meat to fat. Because the fat is so essential, if you can’t sell or use it, this isn’t the breed for you.
What’s a typical workday like for you?
I thought, “I’m going to be a farmer. It’ll be chill!” When COVID hit, we had more than a hundred animals eating twice a day, and we were sinking like a rock. We diversified into primitive camping and opened up the short-term rental cabin, which took off, thank goodness. So, a typical day might be feeding the animals in the morning, making a food delivery, and corralling the donkeys and horses.
If guests checking out want to buy meat, I need to be home to manage those sales, which are so vital to us. And if people are checking in, we like to greet them. People are more considerate of the land and more likely to purchase and become loyal to the farm if I meet them. It’s this neat Kumbaya moment.
There are some immersive ways to stay on your property. What can guests expect?
We have 100 acres and three stands of forest. So it’s mostly rolling pasture land and some hilltops at about 2,600 feet of elevation. The cabin has massive, sweeping views. We do many weddings there and offer primitive camping along the river below. We didn’t expect it to endure after COVID, but it’s been so fun for us. I have met some of my best friends this way. I just had a gentleman come in from Alabama to spend his 45th night on the farm!
What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?
They’re surprised I’m a yacht captain, an equestrian, and a golfer and that I went to architecture school. I think all of that is a testament to my dad. Many people worry that if they give their children permission to stop playing an instrument or to change their minds, they’re going to create a wishy-washy person, but I don’t think that’s true.
I learned there are consequences to every decision, but you can always change your mind. That’s why I was fearless. I picked up golf at 26. I thought, “Well, the ball doesn’t know I haven’t played since I was six! What could go wrong?” Anything that ever went wrong ultimately evolved into something extraordinary.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My father said, “Make the decision, see how you feel, and if you want to change your mind, change your mind.”
Where can we find you on your days off?
The beach. I miss the ocean. We love spending time down in Exuma in the Bahamas. But I don’t screen my calls. I recently sold two pigs to the Michelin guide gala reveal dinner in Florida. They used our animals for a 14-course dinner for 450 people. I took the phone call while standing in the water in the Bahamas, and within a week, two pigs were headed to the Ritz Carlton in Orlando.
Name three things you can’t live without.
Soup, the land/this farm, my animals (we have two dogs, two cats, nine equines, five chickens, six goats, and 30 pigs)
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Who’s inspiring you right now? Abraham Hicks
Favorite “hidden gem” of the South? Folly Beach, SC
Bucket list vacation? Scotland and Austria
Book/podcast you’ve recently loved? Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza
Go-to birthday present to give? Consumables. Massages, theater tickets, wine, that kind of thing
Thank you for this wonderful chat, Catherine! You can shop the pork products and learn more about the pigs, the farm, and the cabin at SmokyMangaPig.com.
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