Castile and Leon during the holidays

Throughout the summer, popular festivals are held in hundreds of villages in Castile and León in honor of their patron saints. Many of these festivals include pilgrimages and fairs. Others fill with color and joy populations that, during the other months of the year, lead a monotonous life and are very dependent on the agricultural cycle. The festivities of the last weeks of summer commemorate an ancestral tradition that has its roots in the tradition and history of Castile and León. The harvest is celebrated, which guarantees the subsistence of the population throughout the year. For months, the land has been worked following a very strict process to obtain the fruits that allow the course of life to continue. We have the duty to preserve and improve the living conditions of farmers and ranchers. They are the ones who provide us daily with the means to feed ourselves, to clothe ourselves and, ultimately, to continue to have a comfortable and pleasant life. They are the ones who, with their loving care, ensure that we can enjoy a healthy and nutritious diet. The countryside has been depopulated over the years. We have experienced and are experiencing an internal exodus from the cities to the cities. It is sad to see that lands that once bore abundant fruits are now neglected and no one takes care of them. I once heard a farmer say, while the newly harvested cereals were stored in the silo, “this is the real gold of Castile”. And he was right. Without this “gold”, our life would be much sadder, more uncomfortable and unhealthy. The so-called primary sector is the one that has supported the economic development of Castilla y León. The products manufactured and marketed are excellent in each of their many specialties; just look at the menu presented by “Tierra de Sabor” to see that competitors are having a hard time improving this offer in all areas: wines, cheeses, cold meats, preserves, salty foods, pickles, etc. etc. The products of our land fill the shelves of supermarkets and neighborhood stores; They delight the most demanding palates of Spaniards and foreigners; They carry the fame and quality seal of Castilla y León beyond borders and to the antipodes. What can we do? Promote this gift that a generous land gives us every year after having cared for it with care and patience so that it gives the best of what it cherishes without tiring and without missing its annual appointment. It is not surprising that Castilla y León explodes. with festivals to celebrate the generosity of a land that continues to offer its products generation after generation. A celebration that should encourage us to be more attentive to our landscapes, with farmers and ranchers who try to value their effort and dedication with aid that encourages dedication to these economic activities so necessary to guarantee a good life for all.

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