Why Buellton’s Winfield Farm Will Stop Raising Mangalitsa Pigs in Favor of Sheer Survival
By Matt Kettman | Photos by Macduff Everton January 9, 2025
At a time when supporting honestly raised, regionally grown, sustainably minded food is on the lips of every self-respecting restaurant lover, why is it essentially impossible to make a stable living off working the land? One Buellton farm, known for its gourmet Mangalitsa pork, is making a shift towards subsistence farming due to regulatory complexities and economic pressures.
As Bruce Steele, owner of Winfield Farm, stated, ‘This is not just my story. It’s all of us.’ The farm has been a significant player in raising the country’s largest registered breeding herd of swallow-belly Mangalitsa pigs for over a decade but will now be winding down operations and transitioning to growing a variety of crops to support sustainable living.
Alongside their transition, Winfield Farm is joined by other producers across California who are facing similar issues. Marko Alexandrou from Motley Crew Ranch noted, ‘Until we have a legal slaughter facility in Santa Barbara County, I refuse to continue raising large animals.’ Bruce added, ‘Nothing you can do will ever work…in California.’
The farming challenges for Bruce Steele trace back to the 1860s, when his family was engaged in agriculture near Moorpark. Despite his affinity for farming, Bruce’s path initially led him away from agriculture to marine biology, which he pursued until about a decade ago.
In 2000, using his earnings as an urchin diver, Bruce purchased Winfield Farm and began planting crops while utilizing pigs for waste composting. These Mangalitsa pigs, akin to the famous Ibérico breed, are known for their flavorful meat. Unfortunately, regulatory standards imposed due to past food safety incidents hindered their combined vegetable and pig farming practice
‘What has happened is that human technological and physical infrastructures for regional food systems have essentially disappeared,’ said Shakira Miracle from the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network. Hope remains with plans to open a meat processing site by 2026, although that is too late for Winfield Farm.
Despite the bleak landscape, the Steeles are embracing subsistence farming and learning to cultivate hearty vegetables and grains from their land. Their vision focuses on sustainability and discovering new ways to utilize every aspect of their crops.
Bruce concluded, ‘We’re on the verge of doing it right now,’ emphasizing their commitment to adapting farming practices for human sustenance amidst evolving challenges.
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