Huerta Salazar

It was back in the winter of 2007 when we made a decision which would change our lives. It was cold, dark and bleak when I left the family home to go to work and the same when I returned. My young family saw me at weekends, but the responsibilities of running my own business never went away. Then it all changed...

We had bought an organic fruit farm in Andalusia, Spain, which we were aiming to retire to in years to come. But, the more we thought about our dream, the more we decided to bring our plans forward.

I realised that our family values were worth more to us than anything else. I wanted to rip off the suit that I had been wearing for 20 odd years and I wanted to spend more time with my family. I wanted quality.

In May 2008, we packed up and left the UK. We drove down through France and Spain onwards to our farm, near to Malaga.  We haven't looked back. I still return to the UK every now and then for work, but our life is now in rural Andalusia. Our children go to Spanish schools and we have a very Spanish way of life rather than British, which we prefer.

During the summer of 2008, we renovated a little shepherd's cottage and stable on the land which we now rent to visitors. In particular, we have many walkers and bird watchers, but also people who just want to come, relax and enjoy our wonderful valley with a glass of Rioja!
We also renovated our own farm house, Huerta Salazar, which we finally moved into in March 2009. Our farm is organic and our properties have been built using Eco principles wherever possible. Our heating and cooling comes from the ground using a geothermal system and all of our waste water is treated onsite in Bio-Bubble systems, which means that we have odourless waste water which we can re-use on the land.

We are registered as Organic with ‘la Asociación Comité Andaluz de Agricultura Ecológica' (CAAE) and we are pleased to be part of the expansion of the Ecological movement here in Andalusia.

On the farm, we grow citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruits and also sub-tropical fruits such as avocados and mangoes. We also have plenty of almonds, olives, cherries and apricots. Last year, we started our vegetable production which was very successful and I have just planted an apple and pear orchard, for cider.

Only just before Christmas, we finished harvesting our olives. We have wonderful Extra Virgin Olive Oil which we sell and give to our guests. The oil has lovely aromas and tastes and has a very low level of acidity.

We also keep animals on our farm. We have pigs, hens and turkeys who all feed on the land, under the olive trees, with fresh water from our wells. We can't think of a better way of life for them!

The move and the decisions that we had to make were not easy. The transition to a rural Spanish way of life has been interesting. But was it all worth it? Absolutely yes.  My office now has scented trees, flowing streams and eagles soaring high in the sky. The work on the farm is fun and all of the family helps out. We wouldn't give this back for anything.

You can see our farm and our rental properties at www.huertasalazar.com

We'd love to welcome you here and share in everything that rural Andalusia has to offer.

Article written for Spring 2010 issue by Charles Randall