Meet Catherine Topel | Ranch Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Topel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, how do you think about risk?
I have always embraced change and risk. I am not saying it doesn’t make me nervous and cause sleepless nights, but I have always embraced it. I have enjoyed many pursuits regardless of what restrictions or constraints may have been involved. At 26 I decided I wanted to be a golf professional and even though I had not played very often, I succeeded in turning pro within two years and was relatively successful as a mini-tour professional. At age 34 I decided to pursue a captain’s license and elevated to a USCG 1600 ton Master license operating private yachts out of Ft. Lauderdale. My most recent pursuit was to move to western NC onto our 100 acre ranch. We raise the prized heritage Hungarian Mangalitsa pig and have found amazing success with sales including being showcased at the Michelin Star gala reveal dinner at The Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes. The downturn forced us to diversify into offering primitive camping on the ranch. A pivot that has been so fun, rewarding and lucrative. But oh, definitely a lot of sleepless nights but I would not have it any other way.

What should our readers know about your business?
My husband and I left south FL in 2017 to pursue a more agrarian lifestyle and personal freedom. Thinking we had found the perfect pig to raise, our dream of selling to restaurants was dashed by the downturn in 2020. Diversifying into offering camping on our land led to a rewarding and lucrative business that instantly provided us an outlet for sales of our ranch raised pork. Starting and running your own business is never easy but what contributes to the difficulty is one’s unwillingness to be flexible and roll with change. My greatest lesson to share is always answer your phone and say ‘yes’ most of the time. There are doors opening for you all the time but you have to make the decision to walk through them. Another bit of advice is to use what you have and pursue what you enjoy and are willing to maintain. We restored our land into a beautiful setting and we had experience in luxury hospitality so expanding into hosting, camping and events was a natural for us. I am most proud that we live by the mantra “there’s a last time for everything” which means to enjoy where you are because it probably won’t be too long that you have moved on to something or someplace else and the present opportunity is behind you.

Our brand is Smoky Mtn River Ranch, a stunning tract that we restored from a derelict dairy farm. We understand the importance of preserving farmland in this country and work to balance saving the recently threatened Mangalitsa and sharing the ranch experience with others. The ranch is open for camping, filming and other projects.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live between Asheville and Waynesville so we have a bit of city and country town to enjoy. Asheville offers excellent dining and breweries, rooftops and festivals. All of western NC offers hiking, tours, adventure experiences, fishing and festivals.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My tenacity comes from my parents; they guided gently and supported my eagerness to pursue my interests. Abraham-Hicks philosoophy has had the greatest impact on me as an adult. The message resonates with me and dissolves any resistance I might have about any part of my life. To experience freedom of mind is what I think all of us desire. It is our judgement about a ‘thing’ that causes us stress or grief. Let all that go as best you can and life becomes oh so fun!

Website: https://www.smokymtnriverranch.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokymtnriverranch

Image Credits
Catherine Topel