Only a vacation was planned
A village in the Castellón region
A trip to Spain led us in the autumn of 2017 to a small mountain village in northeastern Spain that instantly enchanted us. Just 25 minutes from the popular holiday resort of Peñíscola and the coast,
it was peaceful here, with wonderfully open and friendly people. We had just finished our studies (B.Sc. Conservation) and asked ourselves: If we don't dare to do something now, when then?
So we moved there in 2018, with our one-year-old daughter.
This is where we can grow
There is a shortage of young people
Olive and almond groves surround the village. They were one of the reasons we enjoyed it here so much. But we soon discovered that this landscape is under threat, as there are few young people entering the farming industry. Untended trees are dying, and wild nature is reclaiming its place.
Julien has always preferred working outdoors to working in an office. He knows his way around nature and is not afraid of hard work. So we thought: Why not start a farm and produce olive oil, with a focus on soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability?
The locals' reaction:
"Why do you do this to yourselves?"
In early 2019, we leased the first groves. They were completely overgrown with scrub and wild vegetation. We wanted to reanimate these groves (which is also where our name "fincas reanimadas" comes from). The groves had to be cleared, the old olive and almond trees pruned, and brought back to life. For the first two years, we worked without a tractor and with hardly any machinery. Honestly: It was very hard work.
Many farmers in the area were skeptical and asked us: "Why are you doing this to yourselves?" Our vision of farming the land organically also met with skepticism. We kept going anyway, with time and confidence, and with the vision of delicious olive oil from healthy trees, living soil, and a biodiverse grove.
Ecological, sustainable and delicious
We’re staying on it
Today we cultivate 23 hectares of organic groves, and have arrived at our vision. We promote (and celebrate) healthy fincas, high biodiversity and good soil.
Our trees diligently collect hours of sunshine, and we bring their produce to your kitchen: three delicious olive oils, buttery Marcona almonds and, brand new, Hanni and Joe from carob.
There are still weeks in which we doubt, get upset about the endless bureaucracy and our expenses exceed our income. But in a world where profit continues to exploit the planet's resources, we stand against it with our small-scale farming.
And you, as customers, supporters, have for now eight years been helping to ensure that "fincas reanimadas" can exist in this form. Thank you for your enthusiasm for our products, your trust in our work and your support of our project!
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If you’d like to read more about harvesting, olives, and agriculture in Spain, come along to our mountain village!
@fincasreanimadas