Arrived in Andalucía
Almond tree in bloom outside the finca
A sleepy Sunday in the Alupjarran town of Orgiva, about 40k from Granada. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Orgiva is the region’s largest town, but you wouldn’t know it today. Just about all the shops are closed. Families stroll through the streets, pushing toddlers on tricycles, stopping in the small parks fo chat with friends. I arrived yesterday evening after a long bus ride from Madrid, passing thousands and thousands of hectares of olive groves along the road. Olives as far as the eye could see in both directions. The harvest is just concluding and everywhere along the road you could see workers, in classic bright blue Spanish work pants, pruning the trees after a productive season, forming piles in the fields which they let burn slowly. Olive country is also almond country and the trees are just coming into bloom (floreciendo, one of my favorite Spanish words). Almond blossoms are a beautifully blushed white with bright pink centers. The trees dot the hillsides, bringing the dry landscape to life.
I am staying at Finca La Nueva Tierra, a small farm just outside of Orgiva. The owners, a Spanish & Swiss couple named Jordi and Laure, are quite nice. Meeting me in the town center yesterday, I arrived at the farm at dusk. I settled into my accomodations, a little caravan at the edge of the property (I know, I feel like such a hippy, but I’m trying to get over that. It really is quite cozy, with a stove, running water, and separate eating and sleeping areas). We shared a tasty meal last night of bread, queso de cabra, homegown olives and olive oil and some warming cabbage and potato soup. We’ll eat lunch together during the week, but I’m on my own for breakfast and dinner. That feels about right, since it’s really hard for me to give up cooking, even for just the two weeks that I’ll be here. There’s plenty of fresh baked bread and homemade marmalades to go around, and a big veggie garden to pick from. I conveniently arrived on the weekend, so I haven’t actually done any work yet. But tomorrow that will begin. There are still some oranges to be harvested, and it looks like a lot of beds to prepare for the spring plantings.
Jordi and Laure have only been on this property for three years, having farmed previously just down the road. We began to talk about how they sell their crops last night and I am eager to learn more. The primary commericial crops are olives and oranges. The olves are brought to the community molina (mill) to be pressed into oil. The oranges are sold to a local cooperative of other small, ecological (organic) farmers which then distributes the fruit to area stores. They are really attracted by the idea of Community Supported Agriculture (which in the UK they call “box schemes” and which doesn’t seem to have caught on enough in Spain to have it’s own name). They didn’t know of any farmers operating under a CSA model and were skeptical that local consumers, used to being very selective about produce, would be interested in receiving a box each week with a share of whatever was ready to be harvested. Similarly, they are not that close to a major urban center and worry about demand. However, Granada is under an hour away, and the area is apparently teaming with British expats, so I wonder whether there might be a hidden demand. At least enough for a small group to form. I happen to have brought along a book I’m reading all about organizing CSAs, the history behind them, different models, various challenges and opportunities that they pose etc. so it’s all at the front of my mind at the moment.
I’ll write more as I settle in and actually start doing some work. But so far, it’s pretty beautiful here in Andalucia–sunny, crisp air and a wonderful change from the harsh New England winter.
