More than 250 apple trees on a farm of just over one hectare in a mountain meadow in Rocabruna, in Ripollès. It is the project that a rancher, Toti Juanola, and an agronomist engineer, Núria Simon, started in 2021 with one objective: to complement the sheep herd business with a crop that would not give them much more work and would not mean losing land to work.
The choice of the fruit bowl is not a coincidence: they wanted to recover the different native varieties that they have located in the area with the idea of being a "reservoir" so that they are not lost. "If they have lived here for more than 50 years without any care, we understand that with a little care they should be fine," says Simon in an interview with ACN.
They have selected apple trees to be drought-resistant trees up to five meters tall. "We have done it a little differently than everyone else and we have to see how it will work, it is experimental," says Núria Simon, who is also an agricultural teacher at an institute.
They began planting them in 2021, at a rate of about sixty trees per year, and they estimate that the first apples will not appear until about seven years have passed. "We do it in stages due to economic resources, but also to learn how to improve the technique, thinking carefully about the varieties," he explains.
Theirs is an extensive plantation, very different from the intensive ones in the plain areas where maximum yield is sought. "Here we do not have protective nets for hail," he explains as an example, because the idea is to let them grow in the mountains, making minimal interventions, aware that the production will not be very large.
"Mountain apples have more color, are crunchier and sweeter. The idea is to make a quality apple, knowing that we will not be as competitive in terms of quantity," defends Simon.
Another of the main objectives is to recover and guarantee the survival of native varieties that are currently scattered in the area. "It is a genetic heritage that we have; with climate change there are many problems in the intensive plantations of the plain, such as pests, diseases or lack of water," highlights the expert.
On the other hand, these Rocabruna apple trees have lived through heat and cold for decades. For this reason, says Simon, "they can contribute to improving the most productive varieties that are now on the market and with climate change they may be needed."
In the past, the farmers of Rocabruna would take their animals to the top of the mountain during the summer to be cooler. They stayed in the stone cabins they had built and, in order to feed themselves and the livestock, they planted apple trees and other crops. Trees that have survived for decades without anyone taking care of them. The technical engineer explains that she counted sixty in a single day, in the area where they have the pastures.
Another peculiarity is that they have planted the apple trees leaving a distance of six meters between them to have space for the tractor to pass. They have also been grafted with "semi-vigorous stems" to make them tall trees (up to five meters) and with good roots that make them resistant to drought. The height will also prevent sheep and wildlife from eating the apples.
The herd will find shade and will be able to graze the meadows while fertilizing them and reducing the risk of fire. On the other hand, intensive apple trees usually have a useful life of 15-20 years, then they must be uprooted and replanted. "We expect them to live up to fifty years if everything goes as it should," explains Núria Simon.
Currently, they have around twenty varieties of apples planted and the idea is to explore uses such as jams, juices and cider, rather than consumption at the table. "We'll see which ones work best," Simon concludes. In the future, they do not rule out linking it to a project to publicize the properties of this fruit with workshops and activities for the public.
This article was originally published on RAC1.
