Manuel Peláez, a Cordovan who has been living in Lanzarote for more than 30 years, is the owner of the Tres Peñas Ecological Farm. During the celebration of the I Volcanic Cuisine Festival, he told us his vision of agriculture in Lanzarote and the problem of water on the island, among other aspects.
How does a Cordovan open an ecological farm in Lanzarote?
The profession grew from a young age since, being born and raised in the countryside, all the activities, livestock, agriculture... In the end, they are activities that are carried out for survival.
Where is Finca Tres Peñas located? What can we find in it?
It is located in the municipality of Tías, between Tías and Mácher. It is a natural place where a local family was formerly settled and the brothers left, people were not interested, so I bought that farm. There you can find everything from a wild asparagus to a pitaya, passing through all the legumes and fruits.
You might spend 40,000 euros on a car and then go to a market and say a tomato is expensive
Being the sector to which you dedicate yourself so complicated in these times, in which traditional agriculture is in danger of extinction, how does someone like you emerge?
Let's say that the sector is in danger because there is no new trend of youth who want to contribute to this sector, but I am convinced that this will change. In fact, agriculture in Lanzarote was previously an unknown asset. Today it can be seen in any municipality on the island. Therefore, I believe that young people will begin to take up that path again.
We are in a project of the Government of the Canary Islands where children receive organic food in the dining rooms. In Lanzarote there are two projects of this type underway, in the Canary Islands there are about 60 dining rooms. That means a lot. In the end, we have to think that it is the children to whom we have to give those learnings and that love for our roots.
Really, our roots are being lost as a result of our abandonment, since we are not capable of instilling in our children the true reason for what we are: we are nature and we must fight for it, not destroy it as we are doing.
What do you think of that stigma that organic food has received that it is always more expensive?
It is a bad recognition that exists in the citizenry in general. You might spend 40,000 euros on a car and then go to a market and say a tomato is expensive. For me, it is not only a lack of principles but also of respect. At the end of everything, we are going to a dead end. We agree that we have to have a car, but we also have to be modest and see reality. Organic food is not more expensive than conventional food. I want to go to health, which is the main thing a human being has in life.
How was the experience at this festival? Is this the first time in events of this type?
I have been to Saborea, at the Fiesta de Los Dolores... Each time I see them as more interesting but I also notice that there is a lack of that point of connection between the restaurateurs and our primary sector. Our mouths are filled with kilometer 0 or healthy products, but the conventional product is not always the best. The product has to be close but healthy.
How does Finca Tres Peñas handle the issue of water with all the problems in Lanzarote?
I can tell you that in that regard Finca Tres Peñas is not the best, but at least it has water. It is not recycled water that other producers use. You have to be very careful with the water because it goes directly to our food. Regarding the difficulty of cultivating in Lanzarote, I do not agree. It is the most fertile land that I have touched with my hands, and I have touched many lands. It is a small amount but it does much more than the lands of other places. It is not that difficult, it is a matter of professionalizing the sector, which in Lanzarote it is not, that is the problem.
Does the inspection work the same in the fishing field as in the agricultural field?
We all know that a person cannot work without being insured. When I have been with my children, I have not thought that an inspection is coming and if something happens, I talk to the authorities because in the end families are schools.
Has your passion for agriculture rubbed off on your children?
In something yes, they help me especially in the aspect of advertising.
How do you get those luxury pitayas?
The lands of Lanzarote are conducive to giving those products. I cultivate approximately 60 varieties of products. The pitayas are very good for me; it is not very demanding, it needs its irrigation, its care, its manure so that it arises and has its food.
