The Waldo Farms Story

After serving in the US Civil War, Harmon Waldo moved to Lincoln, NE and established its first blacksmith shop in 1868. Harm moved to DeWitt in 1871 and was deeded a 26-acre farm in 1882. His youngest of four sons, also named Harmon, was born just a week after his death. Their mother died seven years later, leaving the four boys orphans. To survive on their farm on the edge of DeWitt, the Waldo boys operated horse, livery, dray and other businesses.

In 1895, the brothers purchased their first Duroc sow. She farrowed 51 pigs and raised 36 in her first three litters. The Waldo family has been in the red pig business ever since. They have exhibited at the Nebraska State Fair every year since 1903. After 1910, brothers Cliff and Harmon each maintained separate Duroc herds. In 1934, Harmon’s son Willard graduated from the University of Nebraska. By 1937, Waldo Farms had built a very good reputation and a lot of good will, had not accumulated much. So, a goal was set to have the best Duroc herd in the world and to either make the business profitable, or quit farming. 

While working as a Vo-Ag instructor and County Extension Agent, Willard Waldo established his own Duroc herd using selected, Waldo-raised foundation stock. Willard strongly believed in using the principles of agricultural science to improve swine breeding stock. He put his beliefs into practice by being the first or one of the first to weigh pigs at birth, weaning and marketing time. He recorded the days required to reach market weight and also developed a simple, but effective ear notching system to identify each pig.

In 1946, the Willard moved his family to the present farm, located two miles south of DeWitt. Waldo Durocs were tops in a 1948 University of Nebraska test comparing all breeds and crossbreds. In 1956, Waldo Farms was the first US herd to have an extension agent probe the entire herd for backfat and then use the results in a selection program designed to reduce carcass fat levels in the entire population. Over the years, Waldo Farms has established a tradition of using independent evaluators and industry-wide trials to measure the performance of Waldo Farms pigs. 

Willard’s son Max graduated from University of Nebraska and became a full partner in 1960. Under Max’s leadership, an SPF herd was established and an intensive, whole-herd performance testing and selection program was started at that time. Expansion of the operation over the next four decades has been on-going in order to maintain a competitive edge in the swine industry. Since 1970, Waldo Farms has been home to the world’s oldest and largest performance-tested registered Duroc herd. Landrace and Yorkshire herds were added in 1976. Over the years, new genetic lines have been evaluated and some selected individual sires have been used to develop lines to meet the needs of a growing customer base. Since 1983, computer-based Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) have been used to accelerate the genetic improvement of Waldo pigs. The latest pig health and genetics technologies continue to be incorporated into Waldo products.