Agricultural advicer - do you know any?

[MrsViking]

Hi!
We are a couple from Norway, that has bought a cortijo near Casarabonela (Malaga). We need to find someone that can help us with advice of what to produce, and what to keep at the farm and in the existing garden. Do any of you have any experience in how to find such a professional person/company?

[Sandramay]

Perhaps not very helpful, but I have found my Spanish neighbour to be an excellent guide who enjoys sharing his local knowledge. My bible is Lorraine Cavanagh's Mediterranean Garden plants, bought from a local viveros (garden centre) enjoy the challenge and delight.

[wollie]

I wish you well with your new project, I would go with the other post who suggested a neighbor as unless you are applying for one of the many payment incentive you will have to pay and these planners at least in the UK will need to be paid.

I have had a bad experience in the UK with a small project as a relative advised me to do something and I bought animals on the basis of his advice, the idea was after it was up and running we would work together and though we did not talk it through as it had not developed to that stage the other person lost interest in my project. I spent about 10,000€ am now left with animals that I really do not know how to look after and also the reason I did it the way I did was because of my trips to Spain he would tend my animals when I was away. I will now likely sell at a big loss and this relative is not happy about that but I recognize I am out of my comfort zone with the project

The only reason I tell you all of this is this has being a very stressful experience and I am really not bothered about losing the money but the whole thing did not work, your situation may be totally different and you may have knowledge of what you are doing.
I do love the idea of what you are doing and I wish you well with it but unfortunately it did not work for me, out of interest is it a garden or a proper working farm if you do not mind me asking?

Good luck with it.

[MrsViking]

Thank you for your replay.

It is (going to be) a working farm of a little more than 100.000m2 that has had no activity the last ten years. Also quite a big garden that the nature has taken over completely.

So I think it is worth to hire and pay a professional to get the right advices since we plan for it to become an income in a few years.
Since we are just starting/struggling to learn Spanish, we have not yet come to "agricultural advisor" and need someone that can speak English...

Do any of you know how to find such a person in Andalucia?

[Buffy]

What about trying the people at Trapiche? I think they have a small holding type of place. Perhaps they could point you in the right direction.
I will pm you

[wollie]

I know a few people that are messing around but they would not ask them for advise as they are just "winging it" because I would not ask them for advise myself.
I think your best bet is get an interpreter to ask some of the local farmers to ask them for advise as to what best, the Spanish I have met are very helpful and they will tell you straight up if what you are thinking will not work.
If I think of anything I will post, I actually love the idea but just be careful it is very easy to get bad advise.

[Sandramay]

Hi Mrs.Viking We started with a lump of hillside, partly terraced, overgrown with plenty of stubborn weeds and no garden or flowers........
Now I call it my little oasis ......... flowers, shrubs and colour. We now have 22 varieties of fruit and nut trees and the main crop, avocados, go to the co-operative. Yes, there have been some failures but our policy was " try it and see". A keen gardener in England, I have loved the challenge and learning to garden in the Mediterranean sun. Enjoy, it's an excellent way to get to know your Spanish neighbours, language is not a barrier to gardeners

[GerryinCajiz]

Hi!
near Casarabonela (Malaga). We need to find someone that can help us with advice of what to produce?

I would suggest looking at what your neighbours are producing, they will not waste time and money on non productive enterprises. I think that you are to high (altitude) to grow mango and avocadoes. though I may be mistaken. Avocadoes need a lot of water on a daily basis in the dry season (expensive) mango much less so once established. I am slowly changing my avocado orchard over to mango but even though I sell my fruit to the fruit market it is more hobby than business. I would actually be better off if I let it all return to nature! But there is no fun in that. Good luck with whatever you decide to produce.

[martinf]

Hi all, im new to the board-so greetings to everyone.
im kind of in the same boat as Mrs Viking. we finally completed on our farm up by Velez Rubio-in December. I agree with what has been said, in that, look at what the locals are growing (successfully) and go with that. If you have room & time to try a few other crops on a small scale basis as a trial and error way-thats what i/we plan to do anyhow.
But also, like Mrs viking-it would be nice to have some agricultural advice from a tried & trusted proffessional-at a fair price. i have very basic Spanish at the mo and there are an awful lot of forms/grants/licences which i could do with some agriculural advice with!

[Martin Page]

I know a 100.000 sq m is quite a lot if its all useable land ....do you have a local co-operative somewhere near ... or a farm suppliers'. Id be tempted to ask in there. if they don't know .. they will know someone that you can approach

[martinf]

cheers Martin. i have made contact with the local farmers etc and hope to join the co-operative when i go over next. still in UK at the mo. i am trying to get my hand around the grants and assistance. Was in touch with the EU, who sent me a pretty unhelpful link.
does anyone know much about the single farm payment? is this affected if you join the co-operative?

[von1068]

Watching this ....

WHEN we finally get over I will have a fair amount of land. Although much of it will be used as grazing for horses (possibly with olive trees on it) I will also probably have enough to grow various crops/fruits..... especially if I buy the extra 5 hectares!!

I'll be looking to experiment with some of the exotic fruits on a small scale so am interested in what other people have managed/failed with

Y.

[jhonie99]

Hi!
We are a couple from Norway, that has bought a cortijo near Casarabonela (Malaga). We need to find someone that can help us with advice of what to produce, and what to keep at the farm and in the existing garden. Do any of you have any experience in how to find such a professional person/company?

This is where I would start......

1. check the catastro. I nthe content section, select "agricultura y ganaderia". Then select "usos agricola". This will tell u what the land's current use. It may not be accurate but it gives a good indication.

2. Speak with an Ingeniero Agronomo or Perito Agricola as they are the only people qualified to assess rural land.

3. forget about the locals. they can be set in their ways and only do what was done 100 years previous. e.g. We were told we couldn't grow citrus trees......guess what, we now have a lovely citrus grove. It transpires that they meant......it's too much hard work!!

4. Can't understand why u would buy land without firstly knowing what u were going to do with it?!!

good luck.

[MrsViking]

Thank you, all!

I have, by your help, searched the Internet and found links to a couple of professional English speaking advisors. They are Ingeniero agronomo and one is a technical advisor in ecological production. I have not yet met them, but will let you know later how it went.

To everyone that wonders how we can buy land without having a plan for what to grow: We bought a very old charming property that was big enough to become a hotel or Casa Rural without the need of an expansion, and with land enough to keep some horses. The main project is to run a hotel, and we would like to grow our own vegetables, herbs and fruit as well.
When we found this property within 30 minutes from Malaga airport, we had to buy a lot more abandoned land than we needed. And now we are farmers with absolutely no experience in farming, but willing to learn how to make some of the land productive again.

So thank you again for ideas and suggestions!

[Buffy]

I think you are very brave but I love it! You will have loads of ups and downs on your journey but that great positive attitude that you have will take you far, I'm sure. What a marvellous adventure. Hope the farming side goes well. At least you will always be able to eat