Noticias en ‘Farming’
May 13th, 2008
The Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos is organising a work camp in July with volunteers in the village of Bejes, Cantabria. The camp is centred on helping the maintenance of traditional livestock farming in the Picos de Europa as an essential element in the conservation of the biodiversity and the recovery of the lammergeyer in the Cantabrian Mountains. Volunteers will help in sheering the sheep which are taken up to the high pastures in the summer. The camp involves three days working with the shepherds, two days learning about the fauna and flora of the Picos and one day’s rest. Knowledge of some Spanish is highly recommendable. More information from FCQ.
Cantabria, Cantabrian mountains, Farming, Livestock, Picos de Europa, lammergeyer, voluntary conservation work in Spain | Tags: Bejes, sheep|
This article from the latest Environment and History makes fascinating reading.
Spanish Wood Pasture: Origin and Durability of an Historical Wooded Landscape in Mediterranean Europe
Spanish dehesas, the most extensive wood pastures in Mediterranean Europe, are a vivid example for demonstrating that the impact of rural communities on forests has not always been a bad thing. Environmental history is vital for understanding this cultural landscape. This article first analyses the origin of the dehesa. The border logic and the medieval Reconquest are elements that undoubtedly played a decisive part in its genesis; but, for the significance of Roman influence in Spain, it is necessary to consider the question of the possible existence of dehesas in Antiquity. The second aspect concerns the spreading of this landscape from the Middle Ages onwards. Dehesas are usually linked to the large properties owned by military orders, but most of all the spreading of the dehesa was favoured by the rise of transhumance from the thirteenth century onwards. Finally, the article emphasises that the durability of the Spanish wood pasture can be explained by a combination of several factors: insecurity along the border, the fact that transhumance was the most important industry in Spain for many centuries, and the protective laws adopted by the rural communities in order to protect their dehesas. Vincent Clément See also dehesa
Farming, Landscape, On Spain, dehesa, history | Tags: Environmental history, Spanish wood pasture, transhumance|
It is increasingly difficult for shepherds to make a living these days, and without them the landscape and biodiversity they help to produce would be seriously affected. Ways must be found to increase the earnings of shepherds and to compensate them for the work they do. In Catalonia for instance there is a pilot scheme which pays shepherds to graze forests thus cutting down the undergrowth and reducing the risk of fire. They are also employed to detect and warn about fires.
Another way forward is the great initiative by a group of Aragonese shepherds in the Medinaceli and Calatayud area. Ser Pastor por un Día, offers you the chance to go out for a morning or afternoon with a shepherd and a biologist and learn about the different skills involved in shepherding, mastiff dogs, local sheep breeds, shearing, lambing and the landscape they help to create. Knowledge of some Spanish is probably a must. Tel: 659 834 121 or visit Ser Pastor por un Día. I intend to sign up one of these days.
Aragon, Farming, Livestock, Rural Spain, Rural tourism | Tags: sheep, shepherd tourism, shepherds|
Electric fences stop 97% of attacks by wolves on livestock according to this article from EFE. In an experiment in 30 sheep farms in Spain, only three attacks occurred with the death of just one sheep during a year. Mastiffs are effective, though less so, with a 69% reduction in livestock injuries and deaths. The results were presented at the meeting Conviviendo con el lobo: Prevención de daños en Europa Meridional held in Segovia this February.
Farming, Livestock, On Spain, Wolves | Tags: Livestock, mastiffs, sheep|
Interesting artcle by Benigno Varillas, founder of Quercus. ”The rural as we know it is coming to an end. It needs reconversion… Nature conservation stands at a crossroads… As the rural population grows older and EU money dries up, the rural world must change…”(Fapas/LNE). I’ll be writing a full article soon on RUNA, a massive project, which aims to find a convergence between the rural world and nature conservation in Spain, and which I’ve been asked to help with. More soon.
Conservation, Farming, On Spain, RUNA | |
The increasing demand for cereals in Spain and the EU is threatening birds associated with farming habitats. This has been heightened by the Ministry of Agriculture following the decision of the EU to eliminate temporarily the rule requiring EU farmers to leave 10% of their land fallow. Fallow land plays an essential role in preserving bird biodiversity. Much of the rise in prices is due to the demand for biofuels, bad weather and soaring demand. SEO/BirdLife has asked national and regional authorities to respect fallow areas at least in the high value natural areas such as those of Red Natura 2000. (SEO)
Red partridge in wheat stubble from here
Farming, birds | |
The annual protest calling for the protection of the Cañadas Reales, the traditional grazing routes, brought 1,000 sheep to the Spanish capital on Sunday. Some of Madrid’s streets are still part of the cañada system, including La Castellana, and these sheep drives across the modern city is a reminder of the old practice. The cañadas are, in theory at least, legally protected from occupation and barring, but many of these routes have been devoured by property speculation.
This year, alongside farmers from across Spain shepherds from 40 countries took part, including Mongolia, India, Kenya and Mali. They have come to Spain to take part in the The World Gathering of Nomads and Transhumant Herders, which is meeting in Segovia this September, 8th - 16th
The Guardian noted ”The environment ministry has warned that one-third of Spain risks being turned into desert because of over-grazing, modern farming techniques and property development….They came with a universal message - that their land and livelihoods are in the hands of governments and developers intent on modernisation at any cost. The farmers argue that as populations become more sedentary and pastoral farming dies out, so does the land, causing desertification and dwindling food supplies”.
Farming, Livestock, Madrid | |
Eurostat, the EU statistics body, states that 3.2% of farming area in Spain in 2007 is devoted to organic farming, representing just over 807,569 ha in total. Less than 1% of food bought in Spain is organic and much of this produce is air-freighted to Northern Europe. This figure includes 40% which is under conversion. More here from the Spanish government figures.
Farming | |
The explosion of the population of Common vole (microtus arvalis, topillo campesino), estimated at some 500 million individuals, in Castilla-Leon this year has devastated some 400,000 ha of crops. The origins of the population boom are in this year’s mild winter temperature, the cyclical nature of vole populations, and in the long term in its move into the cereal plains where now “there are few natural predators.” Until 20 years ago, the common vole was only found at medium and high altitude meadows in the Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and the Sistema Central. Juan José Luque from the Universidad de Valladolid notes here «We are not entirely sure why, but we can say that the agricultural changes in the cereal steppes from dry farming to irrigated crops has helped their expansion”
Collecting voles in Valladolid
Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and environmental groups recommend the use of predators, parasites and natural pathogens, but farmers are up in arms demanding and indeed using toxic chemicals, with all the consequent dangers for humans and wildlife (see below). Similar vole explosions occurred in 1988-89 and 1993-94, which then subsided due to natural causes. More here from Consumer
Photo of a common vole
Read Dave’s post on Castilian voles on the Forum. This is first hand experience on the ground and is frankly more interesting than my above piece” This year has been a very mild year in Castilla and Leon, and so the common or garden field vole, has survived in large numbers, something that occurs fairly often, in a similar way to Lemmings. The area south of Leon is called the Tierras de Campo, and covers the provinces of Palencia, Leon Vallodolid and Zamora, and it is called the breadbasket of Spain for obvious reasons, for this is Cereal country. Voles like the young shoots of Cereal crops, and were posing a significant threat to this years crop, and the farmers were worried, and approached the Junta of Castilla and Leon for a solution to the problem, threatening street protest if no action was taken. Continue reading
Wikipedia notes “The population density of Common Vole, Microtus arvalis varies seasonally and exhibits a considerable long-term fluctuation that shows typically three-year or five-year cycles. Densities can range from 100 individuals per ha (very low level) over 500 individuals per ha (medium level) up to 2000 individuals per ha in some years.
Castilla y León, Farming, Mammals, Spanish rodents | |
I’ve put together these two articles on transhumance in Spain:
Las Cañadas Reales (The network of drovers’ roads covering 125,000 km)
La Mesta (The medieval association of sheep holders which helped form the network of paths)
La Venta del Lobo. Impossibly bleak and ruined resthouse along the Cañada Real through the Sierra de la Culebra. A cherry tree is often the sign of old human habitation.
Farming, Livestock, history | |
