Echoes of Lozoya: Organic Farming in the North of Madrid

2024-09-04 11:37:31

It is a perfect setting for one of the days of the weekend. Visit the farm Echoes of Lozoyain the city of the same name, located in the north of the Madrid Region, in the valley that also bears the name. It is a agroecological project what they carry Anneleen y Jorge (in photos). With the help of a third person, they planted two hectares of a large farm in certified organic agriculture at the foot of the Pinilla reservoir and two minutes walk from the center of Lozoya.

I knew about the work but only by word of mouth, so last Saturday, I went to see it with a friend. on site. Jorge and Anneleen welcome every Saturday (all day) and Sunday (in the morning) those who want to visit the farm and get some red variety or wild fruit that they publish. From early summer to late autumn. You do not need a reservation in advance.

When entering the farm, Jorge always welcomes visitors and gives them brief instructions on how to harvest so as not to damage the plant and to continue production, of course. Among others, it can be there blueberries, currants, black berries, strawberries, red and yellow raspberriesand so on. Those who want to take the lands prepared for this at the entrance of the farm and walk around it, filling them with what they want. Then measure and charge. It’s that simple.

A small stall offers also of vegetable season made by themselves: tomatoes (pear, salad and cherry), potatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, zucchini and pumpkins of different varieties, etc. Everything 100% organic. They do not use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and are certified by the Organic Agriculture Council of the Province of Madrid.

And they have a house with excellent property and a top of the air with very marked seasons (the farm is almost 1,200 meters high), which gives its fruits a sweet flavor. I can see it on the ground.

Ecological mission

At Ecos del Lozoya they are praised action:

“Cultivar healthy foods without destroying the future of our planet.

Jorge and Anneleen (with their two daughters) make a living out of this ecology and economic activity. Living in the countryside can and must be profitable for producers. In fact, they sell part of their production to Organic Spacea project too 100% certified organic which has two beautiful large supermarkets, in Alcobendas and Majadahonda, an ecological restaurant in the first place and rooms for treatments or conferences in the field of health and ecology.

Jorge is the brother of Nachowho is the manager of Espacio Orgánico, and I, I have not told you yet, I am the manager of Communication for the project. The mission of Ecos del Lozoya and Espacio Orgánico is shared:

The philosophy of our production method is based on a renewable approach to the home, we eat at home and it is a house that feeds the plants, which we only use for natural manure and organic fertilizers and living organisms in organic farming,” the farmer explained.

On the farm they try to respect the ecology and biodiversityso they maintain the original hedgerow and little by little they finish with more native plants: brambles, hawthorns, blackthorns, guillomos, elderberries, oak, ash trees and many others. With these skills, among others, they manage to not even know what a bug is, luckily.

As they like to explain in Ecos del Lozoya: Eating is a agricultural events. So now you know, you can come with children or paint them Vegetable shopping basket – some of you get through it- for the whole week, and in the instructions take a good walk through the valleys and eat in one of the restaurants in the region. What is not a good plan?