A life dedicated
to organic farming
The farm’s name comes from the its location in the region called “Pozuelo”
The attached map shows the area of Jabugo around the year 1898. In that same map you can see the old paths used by smugglers, local neighbours and “bandoleros” alike in centuries gone by, many of which are still in use now.
The Farm
The entire property is 40 hectors that are divided into parcels for ease of maintenance and movement of our 50 or so sheep whose main purpose is eating the shrubs and weeds on the farm and therefore lowering the chance of forest fires.
On El Pozuelo farm, as well as tourism, we produce organic Walnuts and Chestnuts.
Our walnut trees take up 5 hectors of the land, the trees are both delicate and imposing get to be up to 20 meters tall. The variety we grow is “Franquette” it has a pale colour and characteristically sweet flavour.
Every May since 1980, we start digging pozas (small pools) by the base of the trees, so that the well water we use to water the trees is most efficiently used. In the middle of October we begin to harvest the valued walnuts, with help from the first winds and rains of Autumn.
We pick the nuts directly from the ground just as it has been done since time immemorial, after washing and then drying them we go on to select the walnuts that are that are at their best when they have reached 5 degrees of humidity.
It was, with our walnuts, that we began in 1991 (the year of the founding of CAAE) to work alongside the Andalusian Comity of Organic Agriculture (CAAE). They certify after and inspection that our trees have never been sprayed with products that may influence the natural growth of our trees and the nuts they bare. Many of our clients have delighted in eating our walnuts and can go on to buy them in shops like La Ortiga in Seville.
Due to the fact that we are a restless family, in 2014 we decided to buy the farm neighbouring El Pozuelo, that farm Finca Castillo, is mostly formed of chestnut groves and an old “Zarzo”, after 6 years we managed to clear then farm of unwanted shrubs and weeds, prune and graft our new chestnut trees and divide it into parcels for easier rotation of our sheep herd. Since then as well as the walnuts, chestnut production takes up much of our time. Then we also restored the “Zarzo” which we also use as accommodation for rural tourism. You will be able to see it in another section of our website.
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Propietario // Owner
Jesús C.
Tourism degree from Seville University 2012
Three year dual training Hotel Management course in Postdam (Germany)
Andalusian tour guide since 2018 (English and German)
My native tongue is Spanish although having lived in both Scotland and Germany I have acquired a high level in both their languages: C1 English and B2 German. I also have some knowledge of French and Italian.
My working life has been short but intense, having worked in various 4* hotels where I learnt many of the skills I now use in my current job.
I have worked in hotels in Seville, Ibiza, Rangsdorf (Germany), Potsdam (Germany) and finally in Marbella.
I also worked as a sales assistant in Edinburgh where I learnt English.
Currently I run the tourism side of the farm business as well as helping with the different farm tasks, that are varied and interesting to do.
As well as the family factor, I have always felt drawn to nature and interacting with people, therefore developing a business around rural tourism where I can meet many new people and even forge friendships with them, is a dream come true.
