Antonio Marín

At La Umbría, we believe that good farming begins with respect — for the land, for the animals and for the natural rhythms that connect them. My father, Manuel, began raising a handful of purebred Iberian pigs here in 1995, driven by his passion for rural life. After years working as a veterinarian in a clinic, I eventually returned to my roots to continue the work he had started. Today, together with my whole family, I am proud to carry that story forward.

On our 100-hectare farm we raise just 40 animals each year, carefully selecting slender, hardy pigs that can make the most of what our land provides. Their daily exercise across the steep slopes develops strong, healthy animals and gives their meat its distinctive character: darker, more mineralised and wonderfully deep in flavour. For much of the year, they find their food directly on the farm: acorns, grasses, almonds, figs, olives and other native plants. Growing at their own pace in the demanding terrain of La Umbría they reach at least 15 months of age. Because there are so few of them, we know almost every animal and can care for each one individually.

My desire to care for animals and their health led me to become a veterinarian, which is now reflected in the way we raise our pigs: their wellbeing always come first. At La Umbría, we combine scientific understanding with regenerative agriculture and the experience passed down through my family. For us, raising Iberian pigs is not simply about producing exceptional meat; it is about caring for a piece of land that our family has cherished for generations and preserving a way of farming for those still to come.

Since 2017, everything we make — from our Iberico hams to salchichón, chorizo and sobrasada — comes exclusively from our own pigs. The charcuterie is traditionally crafted in a small, generations-old family factory in the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, where it is allowed to mature naturally.

This is the way I learned to farm, and the way I want to continue: with animals free to follow their natural instincts, roaming through a living landscape, with patience rather than haste, and with respect for the rhythms of nature.

Because I believe exceptional food begins with healthy land, thriving animals and the commitment to care for both.