Respect, animal welfare, and environment
For us, continuing to practice this profession as our ancestors did is a source of pride. We were born and raised surrounded by cows, sheep, and pigs in a privileged natural environment, the Sierra de Aracena and southern Extremadura. And it is precisely this that makes us love and feel deep respect for animals and for the environment we inhabit and share.
As livestock farmers, we feel that as part of the ecosystem we have a responsibility to maintain a natural and sustainable balance. That is why, thanks to the dehesas (wooded pastures) that rural people have been creating, we are able to continue raising and caring for our pigs with the respect they deserve.
Ensuring them a dignified, happy life, and of course, in freedom. While also generating the least possible environmental impact.
At Quinta-R, we have been working for over a century and a half with the desire to preserve and live off the noble and ancient profession of livestock farming: creating a healthy and respectful relationship of coexistence between humans, animals, and the environment.
In 2008, we decided to go a step further than raising and caring for pigs, and make the leap to manufacturing and marketing our own products.
After thorough project development, we finally dared to launch our exclusive brand onto the market.
Quinta-R was born from extensive industry experience and the fruit of much "trial and error" with different producers, processes, drying facilities, seasonings, and curing times.
Perhaps it's our family history, or perhaps it's our desire to grow. Perhaps it's our knowledge of the sector, or maybe our commitment and presence at all stages of production.
Or maybe it's because, above all, we are livestock farmers who love our pigs, the Iberian breed, and who protect our pastures by stocking them with small numbers of animals (much lower than those indicated by certification bodies), at a proportion of less than 20,000m2 per animal.
We are certain that it is all these factors that make us a unique brand that produces exclusive, 100% natural, and top-quality Iberian products, in a sustainable and very limited way.
Our Dehesa
Sierra de Aracena, Biosphere Reserve
We have the privilege of working in the Sierra de Aracena, within the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. This location is part of the Sierra Morena Dehesas Biosphere Reserve, which also offers us rich orchards, fresh riverbeds, beautiful wild mountains, and mystical chestnut groves.
Our dehesa is a clear example of how humans are not only capable of intervening in nature but, through their actions, can transform an area into a rich and sustainable agroecosystem from which both people and animals can benefit without harming the environment.
“At Quinta-R, we live for the countryside and the animals. The positive impact we contribute to this balanced ecosystem allows us to raise, care for, and feed pigs in a unique, healthy, and respectful environment. This creates an exclusive, healthy, and sustainably sourced product for you too.”
The dehesa is the result of how livestock farmers utilize the Mediterranean forest. By clearing undergrowth and scrub, we obtain firewood and timber, but we also allow sunlight to reach the ground, which helps the grass grow and allows the holm oak and cork oak to develop, providing the acorns our pigs enjoy.
Montanera, the golden age of the dehesa
Between the months of October and February, acorns ripen and fall to the ground. This is known as "montanera."
Although our Iberian pigs feed on this rich fruit, they are not the only animals that enjoy acorns. During this season, the rest of the mountain livestock and wild animals benefit from this food-rich period. It improves their appearance and coats, and enriches the milk of cows, goats, and sheep, as well as horses.
The montanera is the epicenter of life in the mountains and determines the future of the species for the rest of the year.
This traditional process and our way of working the land allow us to produce exclusive and high-quality Iberian products.
Because we respect the dehesa, natural processes, and the wildlife we coexist with.
This is how we manage to obtain high-quality, artisanal products, made naturally. In the old-fashioned way. Free of preservatives and colorings and carefully cured in natural cellars in the heart of the Sierra de Aracena.
The life cycle of our Iberian pig
Our pigs are true globetrotters. After almost 4 months of gestation, Iberian sows give birth to between 6 and 8 piglets during March and April. These piglets will become young pigs, which will then grow into yearlings, and these yearlings will eventually become our admired purebred Iberian pigs.
After almost 2 years enjoying a free and comfortable life in the dehesa, these pigs are ready to pass the baton to the next generation. Thus, at the end of their lives, they provide us with a product full of unique and 100% natural flavors, textures, and nuances.
And we are proud to contribute to a beautiful life cycle that respects our origins and our animals, as it should be.
Our commitment
Our lifestyle and the way we relate to food and our environment have a direct impact on our planet.
All of us, consumers and producers, are responsible for our decisions. It is up to us to choose what we eat and how often, but also to be interested in how many of the products we bring to the table have been produced in a sustainable way that respects our flora and fauna.
We believe it is necessary to use critical thinking and reflect on how we want our actions to impact our environment.
The production of our products is the result of a controlled, traditional, and sustainable quality process at all levels: from the breeding and feeding of the animals, to the obtaining and preparation of the products.
Our commitment to the environment and animal welfare continues with the consumer, as we produce healthy products in a completely natural and artisanal way.
Our pigs are not given any antibiotics at any stage of their lives, unless a veterinarian deems it strictly necessary on an individual basis.
The Iberian pigs on our farms have been fed exclusively on acorns during the montanera, and with the fruits, dehesa grasses, and natural cereals the rest of the year.
Our products come from animals always raised free-range, naturally, and without livestock overcrowding on the farms. We champion and pursue a lasting and realistic improvement of our environment.
We cure our products artisanally, in natural drying rooms and only with salt. In the old-fashioned way; thanks to the microclimate that the Sierra de Aracena gives us.
The nutritional value of our Iberico Bellota pork products reflects the animals' diet.
They are notable for their unsaturated fatty acid content, especially oleic acid, which helps to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) while raising HDL levels (good cholesterol).