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On Oct. 4, the San Benito County Junior Auction concludes with bidding on Harriet the Heritage Hog, a key fundraiser for the San Benito County Heritage Foundation. Nora Ehn, who raised Harriet, hopes to surpass last year’s total of $107,000, which was the combined bid from more than 90 businesses and individuals.
That’s a lot of pressure to be under for a 17-year-old, not to mention a Berkshire pig that would rather be sleeping or taking a bath.
“She loves water,” Ehn said, “which is really cute. I’ll open her pen and she’ll run straight to the wash rack. And she’s just so friendly. She’ll lie on me and get scratches all day if she could. She’s been a really nice pig.”
Ehn said she has been exhibiting and showing animals at the fair with 4-H since she was nine, starting with a dairy heifer named Sue and a lamb named Carl.
“My mom had always shown,” she said, “so she introduced me and my brother Fisk to it. At that age, you need a lot of help from your parents and your leaders because you don’t really know anything.”
For the past six years, Ehn has been raising goats and the occasional lamb. When chosen by the Heritage board to raise the Heritage animal for her final 4-H project, she opted for a pig, though she could have chosen any kind of farm animal.
“I wish I had known about hogs before,” she said. “Goats are harder to halter break every single time. Hogs just have good personalities. They’re fun to be around and not as stubborn.”
Ehn said that while raising the hog has been rewarding, it also presents some serious challenges.
“You just have to be on top of things all the time,” she said. “You have to be really aware of managing their weight because if you are one pound over or under the limits, you can’t show. It can be really stressful.
Grace Erickson, who serves on the Heritage board, suggested to Ehn that she apply to raise the Heritage Hog. The foundation covers all expenses, including feed and medical care, and Ehn will receive a $1,000 scholarship upon completion of the auction.
“Nora has been a great representative of all that our FFA program has to offer,” Erickson said. “She also has a family history with the FFA, which is pretty cool. Her grandmother was actually the first female member in California.”
Erickson is also Ehn’s Ag teacher at Hollister High, a program that includes more than 500 students. Erickson said she recommended Ehn for the program because she has been impressed with Ehn’s drive, both on and off campus.
“She’s super involved in many aspects of our campus,” she said. “She is in a lot of campus clubs and is a varsity cheerleader. She’s attended our chapter and section FFA activities and I think she has shown every species but a steer with us.”
One of Ehn’s responsibilities, Erickson said, is to be an ambassador for the foundation and to promote the work it does at Bolado Park, which includes planned upgrades to the water system, the livestock wash racks, the RV hookups and the South Campground.
“As a 501(c)(3),” Erickson said, “we can connect with larger nontraditional funding sources to make capital improvements at the fairgrounds. It’s a joint effort across the board to identify ways we can make Bolado Park better for everyone.”
As part of promoting the auction of her pig, Ehn had to prepare a letter to send to prospective bidders and encourage “add-ons,” a pledged amount that is incorporated into the total bid that is available as an option for people who want to contribute but cannot afford to buy a whole animal.
“People will add on because they can’t be at the auction,” she said, “or they’re just appreciative of your efforts. For example, I’ll add $50 onto some of my friends just because they’ve helped me a lot with my animals, just to say thank you.”
Even after a decade of exhibiting animals at the fair and earning the honor of raising the Heritage Hog, Ehn still feels a bit anxious heading into the auction.
It never gets easier,” she said. “It’s always just as scary every single time. But it’s also really fun, and once you’re in there, everything’s okay. It’s good to hear the feedback, and it helps every single year to get better and learn more.”
The Heritage Hog auction is held as the last event of the Oct. 4 Junior Livestock Auction at Bolado Park. The auction begins at 9:30 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. or when all the animals are sold. Add-ons may be submitted at any time before, during, or up to one week after the auction ends. For information, call (831) 637-1669 or email sbcheritagefoundation@gmail.com.
Homemade lasagna at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Grilling steaks at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Garlic bread at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Trimming steaks at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Salads at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Jalapeno poppers at the Heritage Dinner. Photo by Robert Eliason.
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