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Special BBQ

written by

Eileen Napier

posted on

July 21, 2022

I want to share a story with you today about a special group of pigs that lived at Ramstead Ranch this summer. Spoiler alert—it ends with a delicious BBQ pig roast at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, WA this Monday, July 4th and you are invited! 


This year, we got to take part in an exciting pilot project with our neighbors, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. This project helped them reduce food waste from the kitchen side of their nearby Kalispel Casino, just down the road in our beautiful Pend Oreille County.



The goal was to feed pigs using the excess veggies from the pre-customer side of their kitchen, thereby recapturing valuable food calories that didn’t make it to the salad bar.  Instead, the scraps were enjoyed by a group of hungry, happy pigs. 


The Tribe was able to greatly reduce food waste and simultaneously raise premium pork in this Food-to-Pigs, Pigs-to-Food program.


For us, feeding this group of pigs daily was an especially exciting chore. They enjoyed their usual pig feed, but they also waited (not very patiently) for their daily helping of leftover kitchen veggies from the Kalispel Casino. It was a daily extravaganza.


As with all pigs that live here at Ramstead Ranch, this special group of pigs lived the good life. They spent their days roaming free among their own area of trees and glades of the ranch.



These special pigs not only helped reduce the wasted food from the tribe, but they also helped enhance the pasture health of some wooded areas of the ranch.  Plus, we loved being facilitators, making sure the pigs had the nutrition and space necessary to thrive. 


The Kalispel Tribe of Indians showcased this amazing pilot project at their annual 4th of July celebration at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights. 


Special BBQ pits were built just for this event, and amazing food was served! The pig roasting takes all day, and food is served when it's ready. Next year, we recommend you try to be first in line! 


Each year, music, magic shows, and a grand display of fireworks are all on the schedule, too.  


Your Farmer,


-Eileen & the team at Ramstead Ranch

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Ramstead Ranch

  • PO Box 470 990 Dennis Rd.
    Ione WA 99139
  • 509-442-4725