Good morning!
Surprise!
I know I usually write to you on Thursdays, but since Friday is a holiday and I'll be spending tomorrow in the countryside, this Thursday newsletter will, for once, be a Wednesday newsletter.
It's been an atypical year, hasn't it? In the countryside, we're used to facing all sorts of challenges, but this 2024... phew, we've had to deal with more than one.
A few months ago, around mid-year, during one of my visits to my fellow farmer Vicent's field, we talked about two topics I'm passionate about: one, of course, agriculture and our work with the land. And the other, potatoes.
Vicent has been working the land for over 40 years, a tradition he inherited from his family: his great-grandfather already cultivated these lands, then his father, and now him.
Something quite similar to my story. Have I ever told you that, before we dedicated ourselves to oranges, rice was grown in my family's fields? 🤔 That's right, but let me first tell you what we talked about being farmers.
With the year coming to an end, I've started reminiscing about that afternoon under the sun in the Huerta de Valencia.
The love for the land is something that is inherited. It's difficult to choose this path without feeling a deep connection, because, as I always tell you, it's a hard life.
That afternoon, Vicent confessed one of his concerns to me: not having anyone to pass on this passion for the countryside to.
And you know what? It's not just something he's worried about. Many of my fellow farmers feel the same way: there are fewer and fewer young people interested in continuing agricultural work.
It's a shame, especially because we're talking about something as essential as growing our food.
That's why it's so important that we continue to support each other as farmers to move forward.
Oh, and going back to what I was telling you before... yes, rice used to be grown in my fields.
My great-grandparents already owned these lands at the beginning of the 20th century. Here, having both low and mountain areas, they first planted rice in the lower part, which was very fertile and yielded large harvests.
In the higher areas there were olive trees, but over time they devised a system to bring up water with old engines and began planting orange trees.
Orange trees gradually gained ground, and now the landscape is full of them and persimmons. And, in fact, I'm thinking of incorporating another crop. We've planted some trees recently, but I'll tell you about that another time.
Time changes everything, both here and everywhere else. Let's hope it also helps us to have more and more people committed to preserving the best of the Spanish countryside.
For today I bid farewell, but not without recommending this article about potatoes. Because, although it is now common in our dishes, it came from far away and experienced thousands of adventures to become an essential in our kitchen.
See you next week,
A big hug!
