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The Diputación de Málaga, promotes the work of the Mountain and Development Association of Benalauría, an entity that is recovering agricultural spaces of the Vega del Guadiario to create orchards in which to recover crops and develop agroecology courses that bring together young entrepreneurs and older farmers in the region of the Serranía de Ronda.
The deputy of the Major and Third Sector, Francisco José Martín, together with the mayor of Benalauría, Eugenio Márquez, visited today this association that has received, for the second year, one of the grants with which the Provincial finances the activities of the associative fabric of the province. In this regard, Martin has highlighted the importance of associations in the search for new employment niches to combat depopulation, and congratulated those responsible for Mountain and Development for a project that encourages rural entrepreneurship while recovering crops and implies to the elders of the region, who are responsible for transmitting their knowledge and experience with young entrepreneurs in the area.
The association focuses its activity on the municipal terms of Benalauría and Cortes de la Frontera, territories that form the Vega del Guadiario, but its activities are open to people throughout the province. Thus, in the districts of Estacion de Cortes de la Frontera and Las Vegas, agricultural spaces have been recovered to create orchards in which the agroecology course is being developed, whose new edition will begin in March with 20 participants. Through this theoretical and practical course, not only a niche of employment is opened to entrepreneurs, but traditional crops of the region, such as apple trees, are recovered, as well as promoting other crops such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or asparagus.
Another outstanding activity is the Fiesta de los Huertos, a fruit and vegetable market held in Las Vegas in August. More than 500 people visited the market in its latest edition to acquire agricultural products directly from its producers and participate in the workshops of old trades, peasant labor or bread and cheese making, among other recreational activities.
The association develops other activities throughout the year, such as workshops for the conservation and recovery of seeds or recreational agriculture for children to create their own garden with the help of the elders of the municipality. In addition, talks are given on agricultural legislation and visits are organized to the orchards of the Guadalhorce Valley, where agriculture has undergone significant growth in the last decade and whose orchards serve as an example of good practices for new farmers.
The association plans its activities according to the existing demand at all times and is open to include new subjects and themes. To develop its work, it collaborates with municipalities and public and private entities, with other associations and with educational centres such as the IES Andrés Pérez Serrano de Cortes de la Frontera, which has an Agroecology Module.
