From the Chairman's Desk

Date Stamp: Wed Dec 17 2025 10 pm

Input: Member Inquiry Regarding DNA testing, meeting and membership dues are $35 and 'what do I get for that price?

First and foremost, your eligible American Mulefoot Hogs are entered into the first breeder organized Registry or Herdbook, recognized by The Livestock Conservancy.  

Keeping accurate records as well as using science to gauge the output of stock ensures that future breeders will know what they are buying, know what is expected of their stock and knowing their farm name is counted with The Livestock Conservancy in order to accurately count this critically endangered breed of hog.

Secondly, your farm name and your lines are promoted to the public, prospective buyers, prospective breeders, and prospective members each and every time an email or phone call or message comes in.  In the past, we have honored previous members' information and shared that to prospects, but we would like to see full member participation as those dues or fees are what keeps the website up, the herdbook active and information disseminated throughout the website, facebook or one-on-one contacts.

AMBA gives you the full resources of what we have to promote your breeding program for only $35 per year. This is less than the sales price of three pounds of American Mulefoot pork to your retail buyer.  In the last seven days, there were over 90 website contacts.  In the past three months, there were over 639 new visitors to our website. Three conversations started, and today we have a minimum of three families/farms looking for pigs to breed - NOW.

We have under-utilized member ads - so you could be the first to publish an ad on the website for 2026. Ads do work.  Each member that placed an ad in the past sold out their stock.

Where else can you get a knowledgeable pig person to sell your potential stock, to make the contact calls, to connect you with prospective buyers?  We have gotten pigs on the USPS Commemorative stamps. We have pigs at three different zoos.  We have had pork served at the Governor's Mansion in Virginia.  AMBA pigs have competed in Cochin555 and SlowFoods Ark of Taste.  AMBA roasters were the key feature at a national NRA event.  

One of the biggest concerns with buying stock that is not registered is finding boars in one state to pair with a sow in another state, but the issue only comes when there are unexplained birth defects, attributable to inbreeding. This is what happens when the gene pool is so tragically small.  Papers are important!  Accurate papers and DNA testing is invaluable.

I think the question should be:  Why not support AMBA and become a member or renew today?

    ~~~ Chairman

To date, we have added new member breeders already this year and just this week have worked on connecting one young man and his sons with a long time Active (Breeder Member).  Instead of seeking one breeding pair, he purchased three pairs!  Another 2024  supporter upgraded to full membership by the end of 2024 when getting their first stock on their farm!  This is another Pennsylvania breeder!  Some breeder prospects are still sourcing breeding stock, tonight I have been tasked with finding another boar for a breeder prospect and past breeder in Virginia.   

Pigs have gone from New York to Georgia, and we have a breeder contemplating cloning!  I hope before anything happens, he decides to have his boar DNA tested and collects him for a/i if he is unable to breed naturally due to a transport injury. ( Will try to keep you up to date, if he keeps us in the loop.)   Washington state has a breeder, member prospect, wanting to see if their pigs qualify for our new registration program, and no sooner did I get information to them, but a long time Facebook group follower mentioned something about her non-lineage pig(s) further west than Texas, and I was excited to inform her of our "Qualifier" program rolled out to membership at our January member meeting.        2/25/2025

On the negative side, our membership ended 2024 with a loss of some breeders due to various reasons:   retirement, employment changes,  health and financial.   We send our best wishes to those who have left the AMBA family, left breeding the America Mulefoot Hog, quit homesteading and “farmsteading“, or are rebounding to rebuild and start again.

We are still working on getting our final numbers together for the upcoming Membership Meeting, date, time and platform to be announced. We  plan to work on and roll out the DNA & Diversity Program meeting, hopefully in March.  We hope all invited past, current and prospect members will attend.  The Livestock Conservancy is asking for this information, and I am working on a tight schedule to get everything done ... (help) ...                                                                                       

Thank you to our Breeder Members for supporting this great work on behalf of such a marvelous pig!  

Will add a link or PDF of the Membership Roll as soon as that is available.  That should also be emailed and mailed to Active (Breeder Members) at the same time.           2/25/2025 gc