Our team of Baussitges
the dream team we have here
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A family out of the ordinary
All this would not be possible without a team of people who believe in the project and enjoy the environment - we are lucky that our office is almost touching the sky! The soul of the project is Marta - who fell in love with these mountains since she was a child and has already made her home and her life project here 25 years ago. Marta is one of those people that transmits thE peace and serenity of the place. The rest of the team is made up of colorful characters - from a Bolivian field worker to a city girl who transforms when arriving to these mountains!
Here you can meet us all!
Luis and Johny "Los todos terreno"
Two Bolivian brothers with the Albera´s cows. The eldest, Luis, learned the cowboy trade in these mountains; today, with the help of his dogs, he is the Albera´s cow-herd. He runs like a gazelle, he is strong and a very good person. Always with an eye on everything. And a bit younger, Jhony, deals mainly with the olive grove and is the expert in dry stone constructions. He also forms a team with Luis for any of the fieldwork. Like a gazelle in the mountains after the cows, he is determined and alert.
Puri "The pointer"
From Vilajuïga, a little village in the Albera´s mountanins, Puri is our administrative. Like an ant she is methodical, without hurry but without pause, ordered. Always with her agenda in hand - keep writing down day by day with a pen. She manages all meat orders efficiently and control our numbers.
Joan and Miquel "Los mimadores"
Joan Dalmau and Miquel Juncà are the callers of the calves: the fattening would not be the same without them. They take care of the happiest animals in the project. Without their mimes we would never have got the beautiful calves of our breed, future and amazement for other breeders of the same breed. The quality of the meat has improved markedly with their work and dedication.
The dog team Swing, Gipsy, Rondi, Diana, Browny and Swing
Without their collaboration, work in these mountains would be impossible.
Gipseta - the most active, clever and smart. Alert to a gesture, a single glance to get into action and direct the cows, chickens or any animal that moves. Written in their genes, her delirium is to direct, move, carry a herd from here to there, no matter how small. Tireless runner, her most precious prize is a job well done.
Browny - the most faithful companion of Marta, calm, serene, affectionate. Vigilant and attentive to any movement of his mistress - ready to accompany her to the end of the world.
Diana - the grandmother of the dog team. With his nine years old, he still has trouble controlling his hunting instinct between the tender calfs. Always alert with her when we work between cows and calves.
Swing - inseparable from Luis. Strong, obedient, hardworking. He finds the cows even if they hide in dens forests or garrigales. Guide them home when they come down from the mountains.
Rondi - from "Rondinaire" - although still a puppy, she makes her own place in the canine group as a promising individual. Ready to work-play, like her mother Gipsy, brilliant, agile in her movements, she learns easily from her teachers.
On the left with his unmistakable smile, Gipsy. On the right side of top to bottom: Rondi, with the face of not having broken a plate, Diana, worried about her tan and Browny ... good brown handler.
Banyetes
Purebred male of the Albera breed, black variety, lost his mother two weeks after birth. We were lucky to find him among the herd, although already very weakened. We took him to the "rehabilitation center for weak animals" of Mas de la Llosa and there we fed him with milk. Shifts of baby bottles every two hours, thanks to the help of friends lodged in the rural house "el Corralet" during those days, we managed to return him the energy and after two weeks, recovered, he ran and played with Rondi, our dog. Well conformed, strong, calm, we thought we could take it to exhibitions as a nice representant of the Albera´s breed.
Clara "the Ying side"
Clara has the ability to solve everything with a smile. Overflows energy, sympathy and efficiency at work (when she leaves her bikinis aside). Skillful with the endless cow files, she knows almost all of them for their "earring-number" but forget their first names.
As a good "big shot", she wants also the cows obey her, forgetting that they (the Albera cows) have their own rules and do not attend to human reasons. She likes talking and when I do not listen to her, she talks up to the cows! and the best thing is that they listen to her, although they are surprised by his language! Will they understand her? I always keep the doubt ...
María "Mum's motorcito"
Marta's daughter
Marta "the Yang side"
Never stopping genuine smile. Hummingbird's attention. Earthly in extremis.
If you search for "Peace" in the wikipedia you will see her photo. Marta transmits that inner peace and tranquility - that only a few achieve and that everyone feels in their first meeting. The enthusiasm she explains her project indicates that she is one of the (few) people that has been lucky to make of her life what she likes. When you listen toher - (almost) everyone wants to participate in her project. Very hardworker, very perfectionist and with very human values - ah! and very stubborn! Her capacity for effort is such that she is able to run half marathon with a preparation of just 2 races of 4km. In one side innocence - as if she hadn't been contaminated by the big city - but in another side "hard to peel" - a consequence of the environment (the tramontana wind and the mountains) and life in solitude apart from the people.
The first thing for her is her daughter - then her dogs, her cows and then her mountains - the rest afterwards - in that order
A person worth knowing.
Thanks
We have to mention all those people who in one way or another have collaborated and made possible this project:
To my family, to my parents for giving me the opportunity to live in these lands and take care of them; to them also and to my brother for having taken care of the Albera´s cows herd during so many years of difficulties and to make possible that this breed has survived until our days; to all the farmers who take care of the Albera´s cow out of Baussitges, in Catalonia, for all their efforts; to the PEIN (Paratge d'Especial Interes Natural) of the Park of the Albera and the public organizations, Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca y Alimentación (DARP) and the Ministry of Agriculture, for making the project viable; to all the veterinarians from the Autonomous University of Barcelona involved in this project, especially to Dr. Piedrafita team, for their involvement in the project and their knowledge; to the media and audiovisual media, who have visited us to talk about this project and have helped us to make it known and have given us their material.
To all the volunteers - tireless workers without whose help and good humor many jobs we would have been incapable of makeing them.
And finally, to all our friends that with their visits, the endless talks and discussions in the impressive porch of Mas de la Llosa or around the fire, their ideas, their company in the numerous excursions in search of cows, have always supported us both in difficult times and in the most fun.
Thanks to all of you to contribute to save this so special Albera’s cow breed.