She grew up in a small rural community, but as a child Vanessa Freixa Ripa (Realp, Leda, 1977) She was not much interested in country life: she used to hide when her father asked her to help with the sheep and she did not want to know anything about stables or mowing. Life led her to study fine arts and Cultural management He explains that it was in Barcelona, where he began to build his career, developing “very local projects that were very innovative, drawing on traditional knowledge.” That, and the work of his mentor biology – who made sure to learn about her surroundings through the elderly people who lived there – made her realize the legacy she left behind in her hometown, and the importance of reclaiming it. It is becoming clearer every day that in a world at risk from overconsumption and the destruction of ecosystems, decisions must be made. And that these involve giving value to area In order to restore a decent place for life ruralWhich distanced it from the fragility that accompanied the mass exodus to cities in the middle of the last century. In his words, it is a matter of choosing between “ruralism and barbarism.” For her, the choice is clear, and that’s why her situation today is so different from what that troubled girl was supposed to be: she’s back townBut far from staying there, he chose a more isolated life, in an old hut in the Pyrenees BordaIt is a difficult to reach area in the north of Lleida.
There, far from the world, he, his two children and his partner, have bought seven sheep and run their farm in a sustainable and respectful way. “My partner, Professor V Open University of Catalonia, He is not of this world, but he respects it and is at ease here; He followed me without hesitation. “He’s satisfied that we have this, that we live in this place, but he doesn’t feel the way I do,” Vanessa explains. She belongs to a generation of young people who, in this vast region of Catalonia He left home to study thinking they would never return to the city, but against all odds, almost everyone returned. They are a rare bird. “In our district, 90% of students who go to the city during… secondary They do it so they don’t come back. From my surroundings we all returned. “It is strange, although it is true, that tourism has revitalized many places in this region.”
Vanessa Freixa Ripa.
Since choosing to retire, Vanessa has been trying to answer questions she’s been asking herself for years: “How do we reinvent a new system? the countryside For a twenty-first century that guarantees a livable and just future for all? How to disrupt the old opposition that has always linked the countryside to it Instability And the city is progressing and doing well?” He did that in a book, “rural” (Editor Errata Naturae), which, halfway between an article and a memoir, immerses us in his interesting daily life and generates deep reflection on the need to achieve a goal decent rural life, It is also necessary to take care of the planet and face the times ahead, including climate change.
Back to the countryside exists
Vanessa Freixa is proof that going back to the country exists. In 2009 it was launched Shepherds’ School of Catalonia, Which he directed for almost 10 years and who in this time has trained nearly 400 people. “Of them, 60% devote themselves to this activity. We started it because they complained in the cities about the lack generational change, What we found was a lot of young people who, without being born in a rural environment, wanted to devote themselves to this profession. We just opened the door for them so they could try it and see if this was really their goal. The result was amazing,” he says.
He is pastor Today it is a sought-after profession in its region, especially before slimmajority in recent school appeals by 60% – 40%. But it is not immune to its shadow: “It costs a lot to charge a fair price for the work you do, and it is very difficult to find land where you can do this activity,” he says. The irony is that in a country Spain is empty As the countryside was depopulated, it became difficult to purchase land. “Fertile areas or areas of high agricultural value fall into the hands of a few owners, because you can only continue to operate by producing large quantities. Agricultural policy He prefers the concentration of lands, because it is the means of receiving aid and without it the numbers would not appear. Therefore, there is little land left, and it is poor and very expensive. The saddest thing is that there are young people who want to live outside the countryside, but they cannot. They are not Hippies Nor marginalized people. I’m talking about small, viable family businesses, ones that add value to the region. commerce Proximity and Services He adds: “It contributes to biodiversity and maintains forest mass so that it is easier to control fires, and this is talking about a modern problem.”
Vanessa also puts excessive bureaucracy on the table: “No matter how much help you receive from… European UnionThe amount of business they require from you is so large that it is difficult to realize a viable project. There is no clear commitment to helping farmers and family businesses. This world is being dismantled, making way for Solar panels and Mills from the wind; It is devastating that nothing can be grown on such fertile land, and that companies are abandoned in favor of green energy that also needs to plunder the land to obtain the minerals with which it is manufactured. What happens is that we have a rural world with very low self-esteem and very little disobedience; I would like to do that foam Much more.” Their request also includes achieving more natural spaces in Cities. “Why are they designed for cars?” he asks. “We have normalized an unhealthy lifestyle and we have to change it; now we are throwing a large portion of our resources into the trash.”
It was never Vanessa’s intention to have her own flock“It came over time, of course,” he explains. “I was fulfilled, very happy with my work, but I was searching for myself. Going to La Borda was like that RebornI find the peace of mind I needed. If my mental health is good it’s because I take care of it sheep And I worry about my immediate environment. The fact that I have this land makes me even more excited, because I know very well what I’m talking about. Sheep are a giftGreat start to learn“, he adds. Are you thinking about increasing the herd? I ask him. “Not now. It is a self-sufficient flock, suitable for the surface of the land and barn that we have. “Living off of them is not the path I have chosen at this moment,” Vanessa answers. Then how do you make a living? “I continue to do development projects rural For two years we created an open art workshop space so teens could learn alongside teachers. In cities there is no Arts schools Nor are places where young people can develop activities other than football or sports. The alternative does not exist,” he says.
Vanessa Freixa Ripa, author of Ruralism: The Struggle for a Better Life.
Vanessa’s day includes being with him flockTake him out to pasture when his two kids go to school and pick him up before nightfall. The owner of her watches, on that day finds a space to work on them books And their cultural projects, and the cultivation of their small projects Vegetable patch. “It’s simple, but it satisfies me,” he says. “I had to learn not to feel bad about caring about these little things. At first I thought I was wasting my time, that I wasn’t really working.” Now, he is fully integrated: “I know how to value myself. This is the mission as well important Like others, such as writing books, opinion articles, or developing projects. Taking care of these animals is my job too. And she is beautiful. However, I am older in my home food “Which we eat during part of the year,” he says.
Vanessa doesn’t think about changing her life or moving out of her lost cabin mountain. “When you are so connected to the land and love where you live so much, you don’t need anything else, and you won’t be drawn to big things. TripsBecause you have everything you want and that makes you happy where you are, why go somewhere else? I have a good life, and I feel like I’m really contributing He deserves“And your children? Do you think they will want to follow in your footsteps?” he confirms. “I am clear that they will leave, for sure, they will want to experience city life. Violetta, who is seven years old, is like her mother and follows in my footsteps without thinking about it. She tends to be around animals and take care of them. My son, Oliver, 12, looks more at his father and isn’t as interested in him, he doesn’t have that passion. Whether they come back or not, I know that starts in Adolescence In this way, this will be very important in their future.”
He does not particularly care: “I will not be forced into anything, because everything that has come to me has been done in a way natural. And so it should be. I don’t know how my life will develop, but I know that I will be connected to the Earth, and even more intertwined. Someday one will come too A cash cowIn addition sheepAnd even the calves…we’ll see when the time is right. “Everything that happened was to establish itself very well, and so it will continue that way.”