Chickpeas Farmer - Oscar
Villaescusa Salamanca, Spain
"You need to
love this job
and enjoy it
every day
because it's
your biggest
passion."
Oscar is a third-generation farmer whose family has worked the land for many years. They have grown different crops, including alfalfa and cereals, but chickpeas have always been an important part of their farming because they are typical of this area.
When his father retired, Oscar took over the fields and animals, continuing the family work. Today, farming is still a family affair. His father continues to help, his uncle sometimes works with the cattle, and his children are already beginning to take part.
There is no typical day in the fields.
“Every day is different.”
During the most intensive period, Oscar starts around five in the morning. Harvesting and baling are taking place, while the crops also need treatments, ploughing, fertilising and whatever else the season requires.
“I like everything. Everything I do makes me happy.”
"You have to learn to adapt yourself to the climate, to the soil,
to the crops and to whatever treatments you have to do."
Chickpeas need particular attention. The fields have to be kept clean from weeds, while pests and diseases need to be controlled carefully. This year, high temperatures have made things more difficult. Some flowers were lost because of the heat, leaving fewer chickpeas on the plants than usual. Where a plant can normally have around fifteen pods, Oscar showed us plants with only four or five.
The soil is an important part of the story. The clay here is soft and loose, allowing the small roots of the chickpea plant to grow through it easily. Together with the local variety, Oscar believes this gives the chickpeas their particular flavour and texture.
The work has also taught him how important it is to adapt.
“Every year is not the same. You have to learn to adapt yourself to the climate, to the soil, to the crops and to whatever treatments you have to do.”
The hardest period comes from the end of June through August, when the heat is strongest and harvesting takes place. This year has been difficult, with a lot of time and money invested in crops that have not developed as expected. It is one of the risks of farming.
Much of Oscar’s chickpea production stays local. He sells the chickpeas directly in the village, where the family also takes care of the packing.
There is also a small story connected to the chickpeas. A farmer with the surname Ladrón was known for welcoming people in need into his home and giving them chickpeas to eat. He became known as the “good Ladrón,” giving rise to a local saying about the good chickpea and the good Ladrón coming from the same place.
For Oscar, farming is family, hard work, adaptation and passion. Every year, the land gives him something different to learn.
