THE RENAISSANCE

When it comes to studying the historical period of the Renaissance at school, there is a concept that teachers constantly repeat: “It was not a copy of the classical styles but a reinterpretation.” That is the key that has allowed some agricultural projects in Cantabria to achieve success.

Nostalgia is an emotion as strong as it is tricky that makes us yearn and long for the return of times and customs that did not exist. Equally dangerous is thinking that the world began with us.

Neither the wheels of before were better nor the wheel we have invented.

Vallucas.

According to historical records, potatoes began to be cultivated in Valderredible 500 years ago. They have had time to learn the trade. As any farmer knows, it is not enough to know the job because times change and in the agricultural sector we live in turbulent times.

That’s what David Fernández thought that together with his brother he founded Vallucas. The idea was very simple: harvest a traditional crop in his town and prepare it to compete in the 21st century. The idea of ​​reaching the consumer directly and receiving quality recognition is a good start, but not enough to get a business off the ground.

The idea is very simple: you have to fry the potatoes.

A quality gourmet product, different and with references to the local. The ending -uco and -uca is of local use and has an affectionate and friendly tone. Valderredible potatoes already enjoyed recognition, turning them into snacks has facilitated their consumption and has allowed them to reach a much wider audience. Today they are already the most consumed potatoes in Cantabria and their sales do not stop growing.

These CC Potatoes (Controlled Quality) come in four varieties: sour -the most planted-, baraka, spunta and jaerla. The favorite for frying is the sour one, which is one of the most popular, and it is a potato of the year. This variety of potato takes longer to make, and it is harvested four or five months after cultivation. They are sown in February and March (late March at the latest), and harvested in July or August. It is a fairly late potato that is grown in May and harvested in October, with the arrival of autumn.

The high temperatures and the long period of cultivation favor a high volume of this product, with an average of 30,000 kg of potatoes per hectare of irrigated land.

The thing is going, because David and other colleagues are embarking on obtaining the Protected Geographical Indication (the IGP) for the potatoes of the valley, special, different, which should not be washed because they do not remove the earth and the brown spots that they carry . “They are not washed because they have the controlled quality seal”, adds the eldest of the Fernández, who is president of the PGI Association and defines the characteristics of this tuber “so special here, due to its climate, on the banks of the Ebro , with changes in altitude and extreme temperatures. They make the potatoes infiltrate the necessary minerals ”, presumes the president of this association that he is going to take the special denomination for the product to the European Union.

Today the Vallucas are the main buyer of farmers’ potatoes, thus generating an alliance that goes beyond the commercial because it allows them to fight for the future of their own land.

If you want to know more https://patatasvallucas.com/

Blueberries La Casona

Walking through the mountains of Cantabria is a good way to eat wild blueberries. These fruits have always been part of the diet of animals and humans in these mountains. Using domesticated and productive blueberry varieties to create a business was a logical step. The blueberry does not require a large investment and its cultivation can be carried out even in difficult terrain, so it seems an ideal solution for mountain agriculture.

The Government of Cantabria promoted the cultivation of blueberries and the most suitable varieties for the different valleys. It was all a success. Too successful.

The production of blueberries was so high that the market could not afford it and many producers saw how their entire harvest was lost, which led them to abandon agriculture.

Others tried to find a solution. The case at hand is one of them.

The Valles Pasiegos are a region of Cantabria that occupies 599 square kilometers. The axis is the river Pas and its tributaries the Miera, the Pisueña and the Magdalena. During the Middle Ages numerous monasteries were created in the lower part of the valleys and the poorest people were relegated to the highest part: mountains with a very pronounced slope and very closed vegetation. The new inhabitants staged an industrial proto-revolution converting all the valleys into grazing areas and developing a system of exploitation through transhumant and transhumant huts. Its main product was cow’s milk. However, due to the difficult terrain, the transport of surplus of milk was impossible since they spoiled. The solution was to use that milk, very rich in fat, to make products that over time became authentic gastronomic treasures recognized throughout Spain: sobaos, quesada and even ice cream.

Already in the 21st century and with numerous commercial brands launching products from Pas on the market, the time has come to open new commercial lines and innovate without losing the essence. This is how the farm of Blueberries Las Casona joins Sobaso El Macho to launch sobaos with blueberries. Both companies are located in the town of Selaya, so we have local, local products that generate economy and wealth where they are born. In addition, in the network of El Macho establishments, fresh blueberries and blueberry jam from La Casona begin to be sold.

The La Casona blueberry project began with various varieties of blueberries, opting for the sweetest, and today it has a stable production. Their main problem is labor since there is no tradition of temporary agricultural work in a livestock area. However, the continuity and stability of the project is giving it fame at the local level and there are not a few young people who see the possibility of getting extra income at different times of the year.

If you want to know more La Casona

The solution is at the doors of the house.

We chose these two projects because you are born in remote and difficult valleys of Cantabria, which adds merit to them. But they are not the only ones who pick up a tradition and renew it, obtaining commercial success.

Resorting to traditions in agriculture has two clear benefits: you know that what you are going to grow grows in that place and you can collect the accumulated knowledge of the local people. But the market and the circumstances have changed enough to make it necessary to refocus the product that usually goes from being a basic consumer good to a gourmet product.