Mas Casas Regenerative Farm: Meet the Family, Discover their Values
The article you are about to read was written following a visit to Mas Casas’ farm in Cruïlles, Catalunya, in 2022. Our long discussion with Anna and Salvi is the main source of information. Once again, we would like to thank them for their time and passion!
Anna and Salvi, a welcoming couple in their forties, inherited land and a farm from Salvi’s father, who owned a small conventional farm in the 20th century. In the post-war period (1955), profit was on the upsurge and allowed stable growth over the 60 acres of farmland. When Salvi’s father died of cancer, the couple had three options: selling the land, renting it, or changing their life from Barcelona city center to the countryside in Cruïlles, 30 kilometers from Girona, Catalunya, Spain. They went for the third option and founded Mas Casas in 2020.
The farm originally dedicated itself to raising sheep for meat; however, seeing that the price of sheep by-products was on the rise, Anna and Salvi decided to switch their production to milk, yogurt, cheese, cosmetics, and wool products. Today, Mas Casas raises 80 sheep, 50 chickens (for their eggs), an orchard, wines, and olive trees. The family developed its farm around 4 core values:
- The family dimension: Family is at the heart of Mas Casas’ values, as is the case for most small farmers.
- The local community: Building strong relationships and supporting the community by promoting a different kind of consumption. Gradually increasing community awareness of consumer choices and their impact.
- Mother Earth: Appreciating the land and the quality of the soil in the region is also fundamental to Mas Casas. The farm is a project that is shared with those who want to care for the land and the soil.
- Being a viable business: The profitability of the farm is the most difficult aspect but is essential to the survival of the family business.
Rapidly, Mas Casas became an ecologically certified regenerative farm. Anna and Salvi, conscious that climate change is the challenge of our century, decided to do their part by rationalizing grazing, removing the use of chemicals, and by soil carbon storage. The farmers perform direct seeding, produce compost, and practice no-tillage to protect the 30 cm of topsoil which are full of nutrients. Rotating pastures and having permanent vegetation cover helps to hold water when it rains, mitigating excess heat and cold. This in turn leads to good quality soil and seeds which grow more easily and more vigorously. Artificial pasture rotation (using movable barriers) is practiced to let animals fertilize the land naturally over different periods (circular model).
The impact of regenerative agriculture on the soil takes time, 5 to 10 years are required to regenerate the soil (60 days minimum of rest between each grazing period), and earlier years are therefore challenging but the outcome is worth it; producing healthy food while fighting climate change simultaneously, giving back to the land. For farmers, the first year is critical. Two viable options are available to them: capitalize or ask for a loan; however, in their own experience, loan accessibility and public administration are targeted to large farms but are inefficient for smaller farmers who wish to expand their activity and increase their income. Small farmers face costly processes along the way to convert their model to a green and regenerative one. Hence, the EU subsidies provided by the new CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) of 2023 will be essential to the farm’s profitability, especially during the first years of conversion. In a previous article, “From Green Revolution to Sustainable revolution”, TheFutureCircle highlighted new positive signs pointing to government subsidies targeted to a broader spectrum of farms (small and medium-sized) to foment the ecological transition.
For Anna and Salvi, having control over the price of their production to final consumers is fundamental. For that reason, Mas Casas’ products are sold directly to consumers on the farm and at their shop in La Bisbal (the closest town, representing 75% of sales) or in partnerships with local organizations such as restaurants. The couple spontaneously implemented a just-in-time make-to-order system where customer feedback was directly integrated into the production decisions (producing cheese on demand, and adjusting the recipes or portion sizes based on customer feedback). The perishable characteristics of their products mean that selling surplus production is a constant worry which can be supported using digital tools such as Too-Good-To-Go for example. Wool products and cosmetics could be sold online in the future however, as part of the “Local Sales Guide” (“Guía para la venta de proximidad”), they make sure no more than 70% of their products are not sold too far. Moreover, selling locally is central to the farm’s values of Community and Mother Earth where greenhouse gas emissions are limited in all phases of the supply chain. Mas Casas follows the French concept of “Bienvenue à la ferme” where local productions are put forward to all consumers.
Anna and Salvi also organize visits to the farm for locals and tourists to share their knowledge and their values. Regenerative farming is still rather unknown and the amount of training on the subject remains limited. The couple is a pioneer in this space and hopes to see more and more farmers convert to this practice, ensuring we all eat better on a healthy planet.
For more information or to visit Mas Casas, visit the website: https://mascasascruilles.cat/
References
Bac Fertilizers (2018). “Quelle est la différence entre l’agriculture biologique et écologique?”. Available at: URL link
Berthelot, A. (2022). “New Farming Methods to Sustainably Feed the Growing Population | Part 2”. Available at: URL link
Berthelot, A., Bagué, A. (2023). Regenerative Farming (II): From Green Revolution to Sustainable Revolution. Available at: URL link
Bio Emprendedores (2019). “¿Sabes la diferencia entre orgánico, ecológico, biológico y sostenible?”. Available at: URL link
Corwin D.L., Scudiero, E. (2019). “Review of soil salinity assessment for agriculture across multiple scales using proximal and/or remote sensors”. Available at: URL link
European Environment Agency (2020). “Agriculture — Organic farming”. Available at: URL link
Gobierno de España. Ministerio de la Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (2021). “Historia de la PAC”. Available at: URL link
Innaturale (2021). “Diferencia entre la agricultura órganica y la regenerativa”. Available at: URL link
Panhwar, Q.A, Ali, A., Naher, U.A., Memon, M.Y. (2019). “Fertilizer Management Strategies for Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency and Sustainable Wheat Production”. Available at: URL link
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Land is a Critical Resource, IPCC report says — IPCC
