Germán Domínguez (Sant Boi de Llobregat, 1995) is in his element working the land. From a young age he would accompany his grandad to work in the fields, even though his parents chose a different career path away from farming. When he was 19 years old, he decided to train as a farmer. His parents had some initial misgivings about his plans but his determination has led him to run El Nano Farinetes, a farming company that has managed to turn a profit in just a few short years. He currently cultivates 13 hectares of market garden using an integrated farm management system on land within the Lower Llobregat Agrarian Park, a key resource for supplying the Barcelona Metropolitan Area with fresh food. In fact, he sells most of the vegetables he grows at the Saturday market in Sant Boi, where his mother helps out, and to a distributor who supplies several Michelin-starred restaurants. Far from harming his business, the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be an opportunity to boost direct sales; at one point he was distributing 100 vegetable baskets per day.

Germán doesn’t beat about the bush; he’s sincere and covers every single detail. Moreover, he’s decisive, which is an important quality in farming. He doesn’t think twice about holding an online meeting from his tractor in order to fulfil his communication responsibilities with the Baix Llobregat branch of the Farming Union. In summer he grows several tomato varieties, along with white, yellow and green courgettes. Meanwhile, his winter crops are cabbages, broccoli, cauliflowers, artichokes, broad beans and calçots (a Catalan green onion variety with sweet flavour). He recently started growing potatoes as well. Nothing goes to waste on Germán’s farm. He enjoys a fruitful collaboration with the Espigoladors Foundation (Gleaner's Foundation, in English), which makes preserves in its production facility from his ground-grown tomatoes, along with a tomato ratatouille and an artichoke pate.

Family values are extremely important to Germán, who was primed to become a mechanic but ended up changing his destiny in one fell swoop. As we stroll around his market garden, we can see that the winter frosts have damaged some of his artichokes, but he remains unfazed. We’re accompanied by his two dogs, who keep watch over his land: Pruna (Catalan for “plum”, Germán’s favourite fruit) and Nano, which also happens to be the name by which Germán usually goes.

Germán, why did you name your company El Nano Farinetes (The Farinetes Kid)?

“Farinetes” because I’m from Cal Farinetes farm and “El Nano” (“The Kid”) because I’m the youngest child. My great-grandparents owned the Cal Farinetes farmhouse. During the Spanish Civil War, they’d make soups out of the vegetables left behind after harvest and, once a week, the poorest people in the town would come to the farm to fill up their flasks with free soup. When I started the company, I was really scratching my head for a suitable name! Then, one day, I was lucky enough to think of this one. I like it because it’s a tribute to my ancestors. My grandparents live in Cal Farinetes now and my parents have built their own house in the courtyard there.

You come from farming stock, which is tremendously helpful when it comes to embarking on a farming project. Where did you get the farming itch?

I’ve got memories of helping out my grandad from when I was nine years old. When I was little and didn’t fancy going to school, I’d tell my parents that I wasn’t feeling well and then sneak out to give my grandad a hand. And in the summer, we’d harvest the fruit together. I’ve always enjoyed farming! And you really have to like it because if you’re forced to do it, you’ll have a go for a year or so and then you’ll give up. I’m an outdoorsy person, a country boy, I could never be stuck in an office.

«I’m an outdoorsy person, a country boy, I could never be stuck in an office» Germán Domínguez
 

At 19 years old, you decided to start a farming business. What did you study?

First of all, I studied to become a car mechanic, but I couldn’t get a job and since we had land and I enjoyed working it, I decided to have a go at farming. It was just a general aim at the beginning, I didn’t have any concrete goal, but little by little, when I began studying agriculture more seriously, I became curious. Regardless of how good a job it might be, I think there’ll always be work in farming because we have to eat. And if we can grow high-quality produce, all the better.

«I think there’ll always be work in farming because we have to eat» Germán Domínguez
 

You family initially had misgivings, precisely because they were familiar with the profession.

My grandad was determined that none of us should take over his farming business, which is why he shut up shop when he turned 65 and sold his truck and machinery. He only kept two hectares of land for his own use and leased out the rest. He didn’t want me to become a farmer and said I needed more education. I hate studying and having to read books, but I took his advice! I decided to do a preparatory course for the intermediate level vocational training diploma in agronomy in Tàrrega (Lleida), so I travelled there from Sant Boi every day for a year, getting the bus from Barcelona.

How did you make the leap from theory to practice? When did you start growing crops?

When my grandad had been retired for ten years, I decided to embark on this project because I was familiar with it all. I obtained public funding available to young farmers, and although my grandad had leased out his land to another company, we were eventually able to get it back. In the meantime, my grandad’s brother offered me the use of a vegetable garden to try things out and my dad gave me 500 euros as a gift. “This is to get you started,” he told me. My dad worked in the construction sector, but at that time he was unemployed. My dad has never enjoyed farming. He only ever got involved to help out his father-in-law, doing some tractor work or giving him a hand in the vegetable garden. And he gave me a hand too. At the end of the day, you’ve got to help your family.

Did you have to make a big initial investment to start up El Nano Farinetes?

When I started out, I managed to get hold of a van, and later on a truck. After that I continued to invest as and when necessary. Although I went without a salary for the first six years, I still made progress. Everything I earned was reinvested in the farm. I gradually took on more land, planted crops, lost crops and learned. My fields are now on two plots: one in Sant Boi and one in Santa Coloma de Cervelló. Right now, I’m restoring the storage facility that my grandad used, the heart of the farm.

When did you start the direct distribution and sale of the food you grow?

In the early days of the venture, I’d take my vegetables to Mercabarna, the wholesale market, but there they pay you whenever they feel like: 30, 60 or 90 days after delivery. You get a commission and you never know the prices until you get paid, because it depends on the volume they receive of that product. For someone who’s just starting out, it’s an extremely risky way to operate, because you’re relying on a certain level of cash flow. For instance, they might tell you that you’ll sell your product at 80 cents but then they pay you at 40 cents. The sales representative at Mercabarna usually gives you a rough idea of the price, but the final price is always lower. One day I lost my rag and decided to set up a stall at the Saturday market in Sant Boi.

How was the experience of having your own market stall?

I went there on my own the first day. “You alone at the stall? You’re crazy,” my parents said. In fact, my mum and her parents already knew this world all too well: they’d had their own stall at the municipal market and my mum had worked behind the counter as a girl, until she was 14 years old. “Suit yourself !” she said. And of course, that first day at the market was too much for me on my own and I had to call her: “Mum, please come and lend me a hand, there are loads of people here!” Fortunately, they turned up. Ha, ha, ha! My mum and I still run the stall.

The primary sector underwent a process of revaluation during the Covid-19 pandemic and all sorts of initiatives sprang up to facilitate the sale of local food. How did you manage to reach your customer base? Were you successful?

We’ve had our market stall for four years, so the pandemic arrived when we’d been running it for a year. Businesswise, it marked a turning point. In that period, I was finally able to start taking a salary and El Nano Farinetes is now a profitable company, because once you reach a certain sales volume, the numbers start to add up.

But wasn’t that when street markets were closed, while indoor facilities such as supermarkets were allowed to stay open?

Exactly. Indeed, the day after they announced it, I was ready to set up my stall because Sant Boi City Council had assured me that I could do so. But just as I was setting up at 8:30 in the morning, a local police officer came by and told me I couldn’t, that I’d be reported if I did. The produce I’d picked the day before was worth 2000 euros, which I’d now lost, so of course I got angry. I called TV3, the Catalan public TV channel, which sent reporters over and I was able to decry the situation. In my interview for the news broadcast, I explained that I was starting to prepare baskets in order to find an outlet for my produce. This television exposure got me known and throughout the pandemic I prepared baskets and distributed them from 8 pm to 11 pm, with the help of my family. The market stall was closed at that time, but we managed to distribute 100 baskets a day. To give you an idea of the volume, we currently distribute about ten baskets a week and sell the rest of our produce at the Saturday morning market in Sant Boi. I have to say that the market stall is thriving and we’re really happy with it. What’s more, shoppers show their gratitude. There’s always someone who’ll say: “Listen, those artichokes you sold me were amazing!” That reassures you that you’re doing a good job. The fact is that the excellent business we did during the pandemic really helped when it came to investing in a tractor.

Apart from the baskets and the market, where do you sell your produce?

A year ago, I started collaborating with a company that distributes products to Michelin-starred restaurants. I supply food from my market garden and I’m gradually increasing the amount I grow for them. It’s working out well for me because they pay decent prices, treat me well and have a more flexible schedule than Mercabarna. They’ve made things really easy for me, and I for them. Together we feel that we’re supplying a high-quality product with added value. At Nano Farinetes we basically work with these three direct sales channels, as well as supplying a few local restaurants.

Your farming career might inspire young people who are keen to enter the primary sector. What would you say to them if they were here now?

The main thing they should know is that farming is hard work and they’ll have to put a lot of hours in, but at the same time it will give them plenty of job satisfaction. Seeing a plant grow and feeding people is hugely rewarding! In fact, whenever I can, I campaign for young people to join the profession. There need to be lots of us, otherwise we’re going to be pushed out by urban development. For example, there are only five farmers (including me) aged between 20 and 30 years old in my area, and we’re all based in different municipalities. There’s quite a gap between us and the next age group of farmers, who are between 50 and 60 years old. When they retire, we won’t be able to make up the shortfall. We need reinforcements: the more there are of us, the more strength we’ll have to defend this area. It goes without saying that belonging to the Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park is helpful, but it’s not a guarantee of anything. Remember what happened recently with the Eurovegas project: it would have meant the disappearance of the park!

The Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park covers 3,348 hectares and 14 municipalities. One of its goals is to guarantee the continuity of farming and safeguard it from urban development. Is it useful?

Yes, we’re extremely happy with it: they do a lot for us. Sometimes there are rules and regulations that harm us, such as when we want to fence off a field because we’re sick of people stealing our artichokes, but we’re not allowed to for scenic reasons. Having said that, it’s normal for such things to be regulated.

Your farm is located in the basin of the Llobregat River. How is your coexistence with the river?

The only problem we have with the river is that it’s a habitat for wild boars, which head over here during the night. Sometimes you can see how they’ve come in a straight line from the river right over our fields. Wild boars aren’t afraid of people! It doesn’t affect me quite as much, but for colleagues who have fruit trees, and especially in the summer, wild boars are a major headache. They destroy the trees to get at the cherries or peaches. Nevertheless, I know that the Government of Catalonia has invested in two of those cages that enable 40 or 50 wild boars to be caught alive and then slaughtered. What’s more, the Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park runs an animal control association that’s responsible for preventing plagues of wild boars, wood pigeons or any other species that harm crops.

«For colleagues who have fruit trees, and especially in the summer, wild boars are a major headache» Germán Domínguez
 

To foster generational renewal in farming, various initiatives have been launched in the counties of Barcelona such as land banks and farming business incubators. A farming business incubator has been set up in Sant Vicenç dels Horts with the goal of facilitating the incorporation of new farmers in the sector. Are you familiar with it?

Yes, Marc Caralt, the first beneficiary of the Sant Vicenç Farming Business Incubators, really likes the initiative and is putting a lot of enthusiasm and hours into it. But I also know he’s finding it difficult to sell his produce and make his business profitable. I think it’s hard when you’re starting a farming business from scratch because, among other things, you have to become familiar with the real farming cycle, not just the one described in books. The fact is that the climate changes according to the area in which you’re farming. Moreover, by the time the new farmer has completed the three-year licence to use the business incubator, they still won’t have earned enough money to buy a tractor. Right now, a new basic tractor costs around 60,000 euros, to which you have to add all the machinery.

What would you suggest in order to help out this colleague who’s starting out?

The business incubator licence period could be extended from three to five years. It would also be a good idea to provide a hybrid service combining the land bank and the business incubator, as well as a mentoring service that goes beyond the assistance offered by local council technicians. The mentoring service could be provided by an established farmer, or one who’s about to retire. The mentor could explain how they run their farm and even transfer it to the new farmer upon retiring. I’m extremely interested in there being generational renewal because farmers always need the help of colleagues, whether to complete farming tasks or to lend each other workers, etc.

«I’m extremely interested in there being generational renewal because farmers always need the help of colleagues» Germán Domínguez
 

Back when your grandparents or mother were starting out in the sector, there were more farmers in the county of Baix Llobregat. Achieving generational renewal is obviously more complicated in an area with so much pressure in terms of urban development.

That’s right. My mum belongs to the last generation with farming roots. There’s quite a generational gap. Until she was 14 years old, a large part of my mum’s life revolved around the municipal market, where she helped my gran, and my grandad was out working in the fields. But the time came when the business was no longer profitable. They closed the market stall and my mum went off to study something else. That’s why she was disappointed when I decided to enter the sector. She asked me what I thought I was doing. My family had misgivings about my project initially, but now they can see that the business is thriving, so they’re happy and help me out. What’s more, my mum likes my farming methods, unlike the ones used by her dad, back when all farming work was manual. She prefers more modern farming practices.

Coming back to the present day, you’re not only a farmer but also a trade unionist. Where do you find the time to work so hard and do so many things?

Lots of the trade union meetings are held remotely, for example, so I can join them from my tractor. It’s true that in the summer, when we’ve got a lot of work on, my partner wants us to go on holiday but I can’t leave the farm. We do go away at other times of the year, but to be honest I don’t miss travelling. There are even some Sundays when, if we haven’t got any plans, I get up and come out here in the fields to get some work done. Ha, ha, ha! I enjoy it out here.

What farm management system have you chosen for your market garden?

I practice integrated farm management, but I haven’t registered as a practitioner of this system with the Government of Catalonia because it involves a lot of paperwork. A technical adviser of the Plant Protection Association that operates in our area visits the market garden every week and tells us what treatments we have to carry out and how to do so. They also analyse the soil in order for us to formulate our manures, which are also regulated. When it comes to planting, we try to work the land as little as possible in the summer, because that’s when there’s the most grass. Just before planting, we make a pass with the subsoiler in order to loosen and air the soil. Then we do the milling and ridging. 

Generally speaking, I must say that farmers have more and more paperwork to complete. This is the worst aspect of the job for me! When I get home after working in the fields, I have to check payments and sales, fill in quarterly spreadsheets, prepare annual statements, schedule planting, fill in logbooks for crops, fertilisers and manure, complete the annual Declaration of the Management of Livestock Manure and Other Nitrogenous Fertilisers (DAN), the Single Agricultural Declaration (DUN)... There are 50,000 names and I always get mixed up or something is missing. That’s the thing I find hardest. In an ideal world, I’d be allowed to grow and harvest my crops, with no other obligations.

«Farmers have more and more paperwork to complete. This is the worst aspect of the job for me!» Germán Domínguez
 

Is the supply of water among the challenges you face?

The water we use for irrigation purposes comes from the right-hand irrigation canal of the Llobregat River. Due to the drought, there’s an agreed irrigation schedule in place that’s strictly controlled. That makes things more difficult. What’s more, due to climate change we have to irrigate more in the summer, since during heatwaves the temperature during the day can reach 40 degrees centigrade. Given that the temperature doesn’t fall below 20 degrees during the night, the night-to-day temperature inversion is insufficient for crops to sprout well.

Is the water you use for irrigation purposes of good enough quality for your crops?

The water we use has plenty of potash because it comes from the Sallent mines, so we’ve got more than enough nitrogen! Fortunately, the quality of our irrigation water is good now because the right-hand canal of the Llobregat River is strictly monitored, with periodical checks. Bear in mind that the water we have here goes through the wastewater treatment plant and is channelled to Barcelona. People drink it, so it has to be of high quality. Conversely, my grandad was telling me that he used to irrigated with water that had turned green or red… Despite that, his crops grew and didn’t die!

In connection with water scarcity, we can assume you’ve started to apply climate emergency measures on the farm.

Absolutely. We’re doing away with varieties that my grandparents planted, such as the traditional romaine lettuce, because it can’t grow in this heat. We’re looking for more resistant varieties. We’ll end up having to plant all the varieties currently planted in Almeria, and in Almeria they’ll have to plant the ones currently planted in Morocco! To help combat climate change, tractors are being fitted with anti-pollution systems. You can even get electric tractors now, but they’re really expensive.

«We’ll end up having to plant all the varieties currently planted in Almeria, and in Almeria they’ll have to plant the ones currently planted in Morocco!» Germán Domínguez
 

Not far from here, in the heart of Collserola Natural Park, an association has been created that calls for a so-called farming contract as a way to pay farmers directly for the ecosystem services that they provide to the environment. What do you think of this idea?

It’s a good initiative. Thanks to enterprises such as El Nano Farinetes, the landscape is well looked after, rather than being abandoned or turned into another industrial estate whose buildings might end up lying empty, like many of the ones I see around here. But I think there’s another key service we provide that should also be valued: if we pay carbon taxes for the emissions we generate with our tractors, shouldn’t we be paid for the carbon we capture in the soil through our activity?

Do you feel that your partner and the other people around you appreciate what you do as a farmer?

My partner has always told me to do what I enjoy, but not to work so hard! At the beginning my friends said: “A farmer? You?” They had a bit of a laugh about it, but now they think it’s great that I’m a farmer. In fact, they sometimes come and help out, especially when it’s time to plant calçots or harvest tomatoes. I’ve given jobs to friends on the dole, but they’ve had enough after two days! Ha ha ha. Fortunately, there’s been a shift in the mindset of society and people no longer think that farmers are an illiterate bunch. The fact is that now, if you haven’t completed your studies, you can’t work in farming: you have to do a load of courses! Nowadays, farming is for qualified people.

«Now, if you haven’t completed your studies, you can’t work in farming: you have to do a load of courses! Nowadays, farming is for qualified people» Germán Domínguez
 

What do you think is necessary to live a good life?

What you have before you here! The good life is being outdoors and having no master. I really appreciate having the freedom to decide when and how to do a particular task without having anyone breathing down my neck.

— BCN Smart Rural Editorial —