The word MIES comes from the term in Latin Messis , which can be translated as harvest.

To be able to harvest, you have to analyze the land, treat it, sow it, take care of it and, then, collect the harvested.

verb to : harvest , perfectly represents everything that we live

Two weeks ago we 'landed' in Arroyomolinos de León (Huelva), main headquarters of Almanatura. What happened there deserves to be counted calmly and carefully, because you can rarely feel the energy, passion and feeling that a group of people put to what they do.

The beginning of the trip

End of November 2023. While I was returning from a facilitation session in Ordesa I received a call on my mobile phone, it was from Sofia Quinta (Project Manager in Almanatura), it called me to propose the participation of remote peoples in a 'training' program called: Mies program.

At that time, walking quite quickly through the Atocha station, in order to get a plane back to Tenerife, he did not have his head at all: we still had to start Pr Ull - Garachico , close the year 2023 , prepare 2024 and we came/came from a quite 'loaded' season of work.

My behind.'

I hope that this, 'brief', introduction serves as a reflection so that you consider yourself well to say that 'yes', or that 'no', to a project after having meditated calmly and not because of the situation you are living in the moment in which they propose it (especially if that situation is of a certain level of stress)

Sowing (knowing the projects involved)

Returning at the beginning: analyze the terrain, treat it and sow it.

In these terms, curiosity initially came due to the work methodology that was going to be used: Exwedo .

Among many of the things I have done (and what I do) in my life, training has always been (and is) one of the main ones, so knowing new training methods is something that catches my attention. In addition, if behind that formation was the team of Terra da Auga (which I present a little below) because that curiosity was more increased. Without a doubt, this was one of the incentives to participate in the program.

But, and if you know what we do in remote villages you will understand it fast, it was not the only one, or the most important. In fact, I remember that one of the first things I asked Sofia was if I could tell me some of the projects that were going to participate. Thus, he told me that I already knew (although he had not coincided with them physically): like a goat , he sponsored an olive tree , Baku Barrikupel or glasses , were projects that already sounded to me, that I knew the The Break or that they had aroused curiosity.

Another of the key moments 'Pre-Experience', was the coordination video call we had before traveling to the Serranía de Huelva. When many of the people presented and presented their projects, some energy could already be felt in the environment, the sensations were good and the motivation to attend increased as the date approached.

Everything was analyzed (well, here I will admit that partially), treated and sown so that we could go to harvest.

Care (connected to people)

It is curious as the logistics of an event like this can make four people together in a completely random way and that this is the beginning of a small trip and interesting conversations.

Arroyomolinos de León is a beautiful town, but getting there from Tenerife is a trip of a few hours, the easy thing is to reach Seville, but the connections between Seville and the town are somewhat 'limited'. Luckily, we were able to coordinate and thanks to the kindness of Jacobo ( Regeneration Academy ) that offered to pick us up in Seville to Sira ( sponsor an olive tree ), a thousand ( fresh and sea one hour. In the middle, some conversations about the landscape we saw, of our projects, of the areas from which we came and a long more.

The arrival to the town was one of those experiences that particularly flip me: to put face, and body, to the people who are behind each of the projects, because when you get there, the projects stop having only commercial name, for have personal names:

• Almanatura: Conce, Juanjo, Israel, Sofía, Juanan and Elena

• Terra da Auga: Laura, María, Ramón and Olatz

• MUULHOA : MARÍA

• Baku Barrikupel: Amaia and Jesús (His father)

• Entresetas : Nazareth (Naza) and Pablo

• Carqueixa : Roman

• Babel Nature : Daniel Calleja

• Glasses: Daniel Paniagua

• Like a goat: María and Cristina

To Jacobo, Sira and Milucho , I already introduced them to you before.

Knowing us in person, at the same time knowing the 'basis of operations' of almanatura: Almanartura Lab . Entering a whole cultural event loaded with symbolism in what was (and is) the restoration of an old mill in a multifunctional space where all kinds of things happen: formations (such as ours), exhibitions, plays, music concerts , hackatones , entrepreneurship experiences and a thousand more adventures.

As welcome to the people, we were also able to enjoy a typical back of Huelva (yes, ham of the rich) in the Juanito bar, which is actually Paquito ... well, those people of town that have so much charm. The important thing about dinner, once again, was not the menu, if not the conversations. Know more of the projects more thoroughly, talk with Juanjo about the evolution of almanatura, update ourselves on the projects of the Spanish rural and all those issues that serve as intense, but very productive days.

Obviously, after dinner he had to rest, which the next day touched 'cane of the good.'

(Dawn in Arroyomolinos de León: Day 1 (Left) vs Dia 2 (Right)

(*) As an anecdote prior to the second day, I will say that I had a somewhat 'revealing' experience with a 'gorrino' somewhat misunderstood 'when I went to run early. Which I suppose it is normal, if you see you an uncle everything dressed in black and with a front running in front of your farm at 7:00 in the morning, hahaha.

The harvest (collecting the sown)

After a rich breakfast all together in El Molino, which are fundamental are those meeting points, and the occasional 'codazo' for taking the first morning coffee, we started with a day loaded with intensity.

Much of the first day of the program consisted of two main things: identify what our value and what our type of role within it is.

exwedo method as a backdrop , from which we take some very interesting models, such as the one you can see in the photo below (after forty years, I go and find out that I am a snake, look you )

These exercises were always accompanied by what I consider that it was the best of the work sessions: the debates and the exchanges of impressions about how each one is identified and felt with their role, and especially with the values ​​of their projects.

Those moments of exchange, to realize what you do and especially why you do it, are the best thing that can be given when you connect with other people.

Listening to how María Álvarez (Muullhoa) turned to the rural one to undertake with 50 years, along with her sister and two other companions of similar ages, to launch cosmetic products using cow's milk. Or as a father and a daughter ( Jesús and Amaia, from Baku ) they are working side by side to make authentic works of art in the form of lamps.

Knowing projects such as Entresetas in Naza's mouth and Pablo , its founders, which in addition to trade with this rich food, have a great project for forest reforestation. Jacobo carries out , and its partners in Regeneration Academy , to bring education in regenerative agriculture to a small village of the Murcia highlands: the Junquera.

of of and shellfish seafood 'put glasses' to all retirees in Castilla y León with glasses .

Listen to all the vocabulary that can come out of understanding and look at nature calmly in the words of Daniel Calleja Babel Nature project . Feel the feeling that unites Sira to Oliete, the people where an olive tree .

Know, from Román (Carqueixa) how a farmers' cooperative and the importance of it are managed to sell local and quality meat products from a town in Lugo. Understand the needs of women who undertake from the rural with the experience of María and Cristina (such as a goat) and everything they are doing to help them.

And there, in the middle (and without taking value) we were (well, me) the only one who raised his hand when they asked , projects that have been born in the urban and help rural from the urban? The 'urbanites' of the premises, come on.

It was a joy to be able to talk openly, to know these stories, which the next day (day two of training) we could shape what we wanted to convey in the closing videos of Merche and Laura's hand. To see how we gave those 'pitch', which in the end were not so 'pitch' and became more in 'how to have passion the value of what we do and what we leave.'

And once, the value of sitting in a patio to share, to say closely and honest to a partner who is doing is very important, because surely the world and the life of many people are changing.

It was an opportunity to remove 'labels', 'branding' and 'concepts' of impact, to go down to earth and be aware that the thread we have all is to leave the world better than we find. Each with his prism, with his reality and with his way of understanding things.

And all that happened for something we call 'rurality connected' , because when you connect to people, incredible things happen.

Well, and when you pick up the harvest, you also have to eat it

If I have to stay with some of this, apart from the harvest , it is with the casual conversations and the 'fun' moments: that joke in a timely man Said, the locals gave us a good review, hahaha), those talks before going to sleep in the room, talking about our places, in short, all that makes us human.

Before arriving, I was curious to know what Arroyomolinos de León would be, how will that small town like I have heard? And the truth is that being able to discover it within this frame, it was a joy.

Now I wonder how will many of the sites that I have not stopped to hear these days? Walls, Estela, La Junquera, Oliete or the Sierra de la Culebra. And in response, I get a one who knows, the visits before what you think?

Meanwhile, it's time to continue connecting, sharing what you have learned, looking for moments of connection with each and every one of these projects. But above all, it is time to be proud, proud of what we are building and having projects, which first, have a clear value to continue contributing to and pushes the rural world.