Amelia de Vitoria Gasteiz did a ten day stint of work experience

with us in May. Apart from learning how to make cheese she

helped out with milking and checking on the heifers.

On May 1st a family from Algorta visited the dairy and farm and two

families from Bilbao spent some time with us on the 7^th.

Two couples from Catalunya visited on the 11^th and were particularly

interested in visiting an organic dairy farm with dairy as their son and

daughter run an organic chicken and cereal farm and they wished to

compare information concerning aspects such as organic rules, inspec-

tions, or health checks.

On May 6th the Basque Seed Network celebrated its 20th anniversary

in Olarizu (Gasteiz) with workshops and a small farmers’ market we

went to. We were invited to summarize how we perceive and work

towards promoting ecofeminism on the Vista Alegre Farm and partici-

pate in the following debate.

On May 25th a Basque Government official came to check the subsi-

dized investments we have undertaken between 2016 and 2017 in

the dairy (milk bagging machine and new pasteurizer) as part of their

monitoring process.

This month we have added a new article about our product labels to

our website. In this article we explain the information that legislation

currently requires us to offer to consumers on the labels of our dairy

produce. However, rather than just listing this information, we also

assess the usefulness of each bit of data, the cost generated by

incorporating new information on labels following new legal require-

ments and how the veracity of the information offered to consumers

is guaranteed.

We still regularly attend the weekly farmers’ market in the Arenal

(Bilbao). Unfortunately, this market is beginning to suffer as the

Bilbao Town Council wishes to use the space for other uses. Thus

one week the market was cancelled a few days before it was due

to take place and we were left with products we couldn’t sell and

no possible way to inform our regular customers that we wouldn’t

be there. They have already announced that the market will not

take place at least on other week in June. This is obviously not

the best way to maintain a farmers’ market and we are trying to

meet with Town Council officials to explain our views and, from a

positive point of view,  how to improve the market

Towards the end of the month we spotted a beech marten (Martes

foina) in one of the old cherry trees. We presume the marten was

trying to catch one of the many birds but it is quite unusual to see

one during the day, the martens being nighttime predators. We also

saw this tiny toad.

The long-eared owl (Asio Otus) was released in mid-May in the

exact location we had found it in April. The wildlife rescue orga-

nization grafted on 7 new wingtip feathers and made sure the owl

could fly properly before considering release. The feathers came

from another long-eared owl that had been handed in around the

same time but died. Curing the long-eared owl and releasing it in

exactly the same location in which it was found was doubly impor-

tant given that this species of owl is quite rare in this area.

This is apparently one of the most common orchids in the Mediterranean

basin but due to its size and rather dull colouring is not often spotted.

(It was identified on the south Cornish coast in the 1990s). This orchid

crosses with other serapias. It is found on the farm on a lawn next to

a meadow and very occasionally we have seen one or two along the

fence line between two meadows. As with other orchids, it does not

always in the same place every year.

220g plain flour
Teaspoon baking powder
55g butter
110g grated cheese (we recommend quite a flavoursome cheese)
1 egg
Anchovy paste
Optional:
Cayenne pepper
Mustard powder
Curry powder

Tomato puree

Olive paté

Add baking powder to flour, rub in fat. Add half cheese and the

egg. Knead to dough. Roll out to approx 14"×7". Spread with an-

chovy paste (or tomato puree or olive paté) and sprinkle on rest

of cheese. Roll up and cut into 1cm slices. Bake for 20 minutes

at 180 C.

Olive paté or tomato puree can be used instead of anchovy paste

and the biscuit mixture can be varied with cayenne pepper, mus-

tard powder or curry powder, for example.

The most notable characteristic this month were some unusually

high day time temperatures which reached 32ºC on one occasion.

 We  collected 85 litres of rainfall in the rain gauge, but most of this

fell during three thunderstorms. At least this raingfall this meant

the cows could graze and the next grass crop has been assured.

However, there is no doubt that the weather is unusually dry

and we urgently need more rain.

Despite the heat, the rain we had meant there was some grass to

graze and the cows were in the fields most days. We also gave

them freshly mown grass and a little feedstuff.

Three bull calves were born in May and these have already been

sold. As we have mentioned before we do not usually keep bull

calves but sell them on for fattening.