The View From Flatonia: My American Dream in Photos

When my business partner Manuel Murga and I flew 150 black Iberian pigs from Spain to Flatonia, Texas in 2014, I had no idea what we were getting into. I had no idea that by now we’d have nearly 2,000 Acornseekers hogs. I had no idea the Acornseekers culture would fit so seamlessly with that of our Central Texas home, and that’d we’d be so warmly embraced by the locals.

I only knew that I wanted to bring the finest meat and ham in the world, Spain’s very own jamón ibérico, to the American people. I dreamed of starting a new generation of American-grown culinary excellence.

That was my American Dream, and when it comes to something as personal and complex and inexpressible as one’s American Dream, sometimes pictures speak volumes louder than words.

Manuel (left) and I relax in the shade of a Flatonian oak tree on a beautiful November afternoon. Oak trees are a staple on the grazing grounds, as they provide shade in the hot Texan summer, and acorns — our hogs’ favorite snack.

In late November, the montanera begins. The montanera is the season when a hog gains up to a third of their body weight, consuming up to fifteen pounds of acorns per day.

As the Acornseekers name suggests, acorns are a crucial part in the making of meat and jamón ibérico. Acorns have a type of unsaturated fat that are converted to oleic acids once eaten. This oleic acid, the same kind you find in olives, gives the cured ham its signature buttery texture and nutty flavor.

The pigs on our farm in Flatonia are descendants of the original 150 that were flown from Spain. The first of these piglets — a breed we call Ibericus pigs — were born on February 3, 2015. We hold this date very near and dear to our hearts.

Our pigs have 300 acres to roam. The reason that we chose Central Texas as our home for the farm is because of its similarity in climate to the Spanish dehesa, an ecosystem known for its plentiful live oak trees.

It didn’t take very long for Manuel and I to find our favorite road in Flatonia. I think you can see why…

Every farm tail must come to an end!

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Sergio Marsal Colom, President & CEO Acornseekers