Stillwater Farms is building a breeding program around health, flavor, sound structure, and the long-term strength of the herd.  We are not trying to produce pork as fast as possible. We are trying to raise animals that are well suited to our Texas land and worthy of the table they will eventually serve.

Our breeding decisions begin with respect for the Iberian breed itself.  Spanish explorers brought Iberico pigs to the Americas in the late 1400s. Many escaped or were crossbred, and their lineage nearly vanished from U.S. soil, until a few small importations from Spain and Portugal between 2014–2017 reintroduced the breed. Today, there are only a few thousand Iberico pigs in the United States. 

These pigs are known for marbling, deep flavor, foraging ability, and a calm strength that fits pasture-based life. Those traits matter to us because they connect animal care directly to eating quality. A good breeding program should serve the animal, the land, and the person who will one day cook the meat.

We look for pigs that can thrive outdoors, carry the right kind of fat, move well, mother with care, and have a people-friendly disposition.  All of these features contribute to a herd that grows stronger over time.   The goal of Stillwater Farm s not only a beautiful pork chop, or presa that makes people know why this pork has such a stellar reputation.  The goal is a farm that can keep improving for the next generation and the one after that.

The Iberian (or Iberico) pig is a 2,000-year-old heritage breed from Spain and Portugal. For centuries, it’s been raised in open oak savannas, foraging on grasses, herbs, and—most famously—acorns. Those acorns give Iberico meat its unmatched flavor and rich, healthy fat profile. When cured, the hams age for months or years without turning rancid, developing the deep, nutty flavor that made them world-renowned delicacies.

There is still more of this story for us to tell as the program grows. Bloodlines, breeding selections, and herd development deserve careful explanation.  But the heart of the program is already clear: we are raising Iberian pigs with patience, standards, and a commitment to flavor that begins long before the meat reaches a kitchen.  Stillwater Farm is committed to seeing more of this excellent, nutritious, carefully raised on regenerative pastures and woods pork, reaching more and more American tables.