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Local community:
The Farm was once an epicenter of local activity but due to economic pressures over the past 20 years it was slowly abandoned & left to diminish. Seven years ago we began our epic adventure to set about the enormous task to restore and breathe new life into this once glorious farm. Employing local skilled workers and relatives of the previous owners from the villages Genalguacil & Benarraba, the project commenced with passion, renovating various ruins, utilizing local timber, materials and traditional techniques to restore the buildings and out houses.
We have ongoing projects and we are far from finished, this will again be a working farm employing local hands & local techniques to pass on to guests. We invite guests to get involved in projects, dry stone walling, earth & lime building and these will be activities we feature in the future as part of our ongoing commitment to educate & pass on ancient skills to the young.
We continue to employ local workers for land clearing, tree grafting, pruning, harvesting etc. This is a working farm of 17 acres and impossible to manage without help. All produce that is bought in, is grown locally by our neighbours, from vegetables, to meat, cheese, milk, eggs and wine.
We actively encourage guests to visit the villages and sample a unique way of life in this remote part of Spain. Our village Mayor Miguel, a good friend and possibly the youngest Mayor in Spain owns a fabulous restaurant that sells organic food from the area.
We have set up a sponsorship scheme with SOS Childrens Charity in Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa. From each nightly rental fee we donate 5 euros to the charity, supporting orphaned children and their school. We have dedicated a page to this on our site and have a downloadable PDF that can advise interested people of how to get involved.
Environment:
Set within 17 acres of a mountainous forest of cork oak, chestnut & olive the farm provides ample renewable wood fuel to fire the wood burning range in the farm house. The range in turn heats the house, allows food to be cooked & also heats the water. We have tried to minimize our non renewable carbon foot print and only rely on gas as a backup. The Farm in 100% off grid, an array of PV solar panels provide power to run all our electrical equipment. The yurt is also tied into this system.
Fresh water is gravity fed from the farms natural spring while storage tanks and rainwater harvesters help sustain the gardens throughout the summer. Wastewater is processed through a twin chamber septic tank and filtered through a gravel soak away. All grey water is recycled to feed plants, while our guests can enjoy using our outdoor eco loo, a compost toilet boasting spectacular views of the mountains across the valley.
We are currently applying for Organic status, our vegetable garden is only fertilized by using our neighbours goat manure (rocket fuel!), and we will not allow the use of any non natural cleaning product as it drains directly onto the Farm. All organic food waste is composted for use in the garden. Chicken manure is also utilized.
Half of the farm (some 10 acres) is left wild to encourage wildlife, offering a home to Iberian wild boar, deer, foxes, wild cats, kestrels, wood peckers, bea eaters & golden orioles to name but a few.
We encourage people to arrive by train from either Ronda or Cortez de la Frontera. Its possible to get a bus from Ronda to our local village Genalguacil or Benarraba from where we can arrange a pick up. Its possible to walk or ride to the farm once in the valley.
The adventure started with 2, Dan a product designer and Justine an English teacher both from the UK, and its now become a family affair with the arrival of our two sons Fredy & Teo. The self-build project commenced with passion, renovating various ruins, utilizing local timber, materials and traditional techniques. Ecological principles were adopted, 100% off grid solar panels provide electrical power while firewood from the farms forest fuels the wood burning range and stoves for cooking and heating. We set out to prove that the "good life" could be enjoyed without sacrificing on comfort.
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