Montse Marcé was born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat in 1958, although her family’s home town was Cornellà de Llobregat. She settled with her parents in Vilanova i la Geltrú when she was seven years old, a move that marked another chapter in the story of resistance, resilience and persistence of this long-established farming family. Her parents’ first home was a farmhouse in Cornellà known as Ca l’Orellut (Big Ears’ House). At that time, every farmhouse had a nickname and theirs was named after Montse’s great-grandfather, who had very big ears.

Montse’s parents had met, fallen in love and got married when her mother was 20 years old. When they got back from their honeymoon, they were informed that their farm would be demolished to make way for Barcelona’s second ring road. They were forced to leave. “They had to fend for themselves as best they could. They didn’t receive any kind of assistance; they were expropriated and that was the end of it,” explains Montse.

Montse was born when her mother was 30 years old. Her parents had spent the first ten years of their marriage working other people’s fields in El Papiol and Llinars del Vallès. However, by the time Montse was born, they’d found somewhere more stable to settle down: an aunt who had no children of her own had left her land to Montse’s father. He used this property to start buying and selling land, eventually purchasing a farm in Vilanova i la Geltrú. But if the story has a happy ending, this isn’t it.

Around the time that Montse got married, at 20 years old, she and her family were informed that a ring road would be built over the farm in Vilanova i la Geltrú. “We’ve been tormented by roads and highways!” she exclaims. Once again, her parents were forced to look elsewhere for a farmhouse with land, eventually finding one in Extremadura. Montse and her husband stayed with them for a year – to help them settle in and get the farming operation up and running – and their first son was born there.

They returned to Catalonia to look after Montse’s sick father-in-law, who lived on his vegetable farm in Vilanova i la Geltrú, known as Sínia de la Creu. The couple settled on the farm but the old man’s death, 13 years later, marked the beginning of the end of their time there. He left the farm to his disabled brother-in-law, whom Montse and her husband looked after in exchange for being allowed to stay on in the house and work the land. “He died 18 months later and left everything to his wife. We were kicked out and had to start over,” she recalls.

They moved to a rented farmhouse where they lived for eight years until Montse separated from her husband, starting afresh with her three children and mother-in-law, who had decided to live with them. “We just had to get on with it,” she says.

She spent her mornings working in the market, where she had a fruit and veg stall, and her afternoons in the fields, working as a day labourer for another farmer. This is how she managed to sustain the family until her mother-in-law fell very ill, at which point she had to leave the farm labouring job to nurse her. After her mother-in-law died, Montse met Josep, with whom she now runs Sínia Pujadas.

These are just a few chapters in Montse Marcé’s story of resilience. She assures us that she’s never lost her connection to the land and never will. We chat while strolling among espigall cabbages, green garlic and artichokes at Sínia Pujadas, a vegetable farm set within the Garraf Natural Park.

Where does your commitment to farming, the land and your work come from?

It’s a privilege to be able to work in something you love, and I love being both a farmer and a stallholder. The message I want to convey is that you have to be persistent: never give up, always keep going. From time to time, you have to look back to remember the pitfalls to avoid, but as a general rule you should live in the moment and thoroughly enjoy what you’re doing.

Farming is a creative experience: you plant a seed and you see that it’s like a baby that grows and grows until it becomes beautiful. In the end you have to harvest the crop, because you have to make a living. But if it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t harvest it, would you?

Farming is also a struggle. But when you work in something you love, you don’t mind being there 24 hours a day. Well, maybe 16 hours, leaving eight for sleeping and eating... But if you don’t like what you do, a mere three hours of work can seem like an eternity and make you feel overwhelmed. However, if you enjoy it, you can be creative!

«It’s a privilege to be able to work in something you love, and I love being both a farmer and a stallholder» Montse Marcé
 

Tell us about an experience you’ve had as a farmer or stallholder that you remember fondly and that taught you something important.

When I was ten, I started going to the Saturday market, and my first job was to sell radishes. My father gave me a basket and a bucket of water, and said to me: “Wet the radishes and lay them out while reciting the phrase ‘One for three pesetas, two for five’.” He stressed how important it was to encourage sales. Not only did I become adept at this, but also I was extremely crafty... I’d tell the ladies to give me a five-peseta coin because I didn’t know how to calculate the change and then I’d give them two bunches. Ha, ha, ha! I sold them in next to no time with this strategy. You need to be astute when dealing with the public, and I think it’s an innate ability because no one taught me it. Then, when I was 14, I told my family that I didn’t want to stay on at school for the upper secondary diploma, but instead work on the stall and in the fields. I’ve never stopped since, but now I think it’s time I did.

How would you describe your relationship with the land, plants and what you grow?

I feel calm and proud working the land. I like to enjoy it and be present. I’ve got a granddaughter who tells me: “If you haven’t got any work to do, you look for some.”. Why? Because I feel good here. Do you know when I feel best out in the fields? It’s in the afternoon as dusk approaches, when I start slowing down. That’s when I enter this private state of mind. I sit here pruning the tomato plants and lose track of time, sometimes to the point where my husband has to come down and tell me it’s supper time... In the summer, I linger even longer, because it’s light until ten at night. It’s hard for me in the winter because it gets dark at half past six. I get up at five in the morning, do the housework and by eight I’m out in the fields. I work until two o’clock, have lunch and head back out for the afternoon. In winter, there are some afternoons when I don’t go back out into the fields. But in the summer I’m out there seven days a week.

«I feel calm and proud working the land. I like to enjoy it and be present. I’ve got a granddaughter who tells me: “If you haven’t got any work to do, you look for some.”. Why? Because I feel good here» Montse Marcé
 

What surprises you the most after all these years dedicated to cultivating the land? Are there any plants that have been a challenge for you?

Nothing surprises me much, but I’m really excited to harvest the first beans, the first peas, the first tomatoes... That’s what we eat that day and we make a party of it. When we begin the harvest and start enjoying it, that’s priceless.

In farming we have some little enemies: animals. Rabbits, pigeons, woodpigeons, magpies and ants look for grain to take back to their nests. They take spinach seeds, chard seeds... You soon discover why these seeds aren’t growing: they’ve been pinched. For example, the rabbits have now eaten all the newly sprouted peas. We invest a lot and it’s a risk, as we may not be able to harvest them in the end. We no longer plant any lettuce varieties because the birds peck away at them and we know that customers won’t buy a lettuce with damaged tips. Lettuces must look exquisite, appetising and clean; otherwise, they won’t sell.

We’ve also stopped growing peas and beans. On the other hand, we plant a lot of green garlic, because none of the animals like it: not the rabbits, not the birds or any other animal. Ha, ha, ha!

Protecting crops from huntable wildlife means more work hours. How do you manage to strike a balance between the time you spend in the fields and on the stall?

My husband covers up the spinach a bit to save some leaves, although this involves more work and time. But this way we can harvest spinach, whereas you can’t do this with lettuce. So we’ve been adapting what we grow. Now, for example, we grow potatoes: some for the animals and some for us. We also cover up the espigall cabbages, because the pigeons peck at the tenderest part, which we only discover when the crops have grown a bit.

There’s no balance, but the work pays off because we don’t count the hours we put in and we don’t have holidays. We might have a three-day break at some point, maybe a four-day break later on and another one before the end of the year. It pays off for us because we like what we do. In other words, the secret is to do it because you like it.

With so many years of experience working in different places, how do you foresee the future of farming?

Ours is a fairly large vegetable farm, so it’s a viable business. But looking to the future, I see farmers having to cultivate smaller plots, of around five or six hectares, since the large ones will be run by the multinationals. The farms caught in the middle won’t survive. Small farmers will be the artisans of the land, and perhaps consumers will still value their work and buy directly from them. To save their businesses, these farmers will have to sell their produce directly to the customer: if they use an intermediary, the numbers won’t add up. I used to do this myself: in the morning I’d sell my produce and in the afternoon I’d work in the fields. But what does this mean? Working from five in the morning till ten at night, with just an hour for lunch?

You really have to enjoy farming, you have to love it and you have to keep going, with fighting spirit. However, you’re free: you’re in charge and you decide what to grow. You decide whether to buy a tractor or not. You’re free when you’re a farmer and you’ve got the best boss: the land. If it asks for water, you have to irrigate it. But you have this freedom.

«looking to the future, I see farmers having to cultivate smaller plots, of around five or six hectares, since the large ones will be run by the multinationals. The farms caught in the middle won’t survive. Small farmers will be the artisans of the land, and perhaps consumers will still value their work and buy directly from them» Montse Marcé
 

Only 1.6% of the labor force works in the agricultural sector in Catalonia. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into farming?

It’s a lovely profession, but you have to have your wits about you. And when you start, you can’t do things by halves, because if you do, you won’t be able to make a go of it and you’ll soon get fed up.

That’s why you have to spare no effort, stay informed, study, consult other farmers, visit fairs and listen a lot. As the saying goes,  “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” So if you see that a particular garlic is planted in a certain way, that’s how you should plant it, because if you do it differently, in all likelihood it won’t thrive. You should embrace continuous training. Even at my age, I’m still learning. My husband and I often visit seed fairs to discover new varieties. We talk to other farmers and we also cultivate resourcefulness for getting things done. You must always keep your eyes peeled.

Let’s say your son has a cough: you look at him and observe, and if his voice is affected, you think he has a cold and you look for a remedy. It’s the same with plants: today they’re this particular hue of green, so you observe them and ask yourself questions, and you come to the conclusion that maybe they need water or that weeds are eating away at them and preventing them from thriving... You have to observe.

Which plant on the vegetable farm has given you the most satisfaction?

The espigall is the plant that’s given me the greatest satisfaction, since it’s enabled me to discover new ways of promoting new crops. It’s a type of cabbage, belonging to the family of cruciferous vegetables, and it stands out for being the one that contains the most potassium, calcium and fibre, even more than the famous kale. What’s more, the espigall is a European and Garraf-specific variety. Although it was more commonly grown in the past, its cultivation has gradually been revived. In fact, I think there’s a guy in El Prat de Llobregat who also wants to continue cultivating it. Brilliant! Let’s not allow it to disappear! I’ll die one day but the espigall will still be here.

«I’ll die one day but the espigall will still be here» Montse Marcé
 

Who have you looked up to in farming?

My mum and dad: two real fighters who were always on the same page. They say that behind every great man, there stands a great woman, and it’s true. My mother was a great woman whose motto was “I keep going”. My parents were brave, leaving Cornellà behind to settle first in Vilanova and then in Extremadura. What a contrast! They went there and came back with more experience. Later on, they decided to move to Girona. Sadly, they’re no longer with us, but my brother and sister-in-law have taken over the reins in Girona.

Now that you’re approaching retirement, what are your plans? Is there anything you haven’t tried yet?

I’ll cultivate a small vegetable garden for my own use and leave it at that. Otherwise, I’d never stop; this profession really gets under your skin!

I also have another hobby: I make nativity scenes. I’ve been doing it for a dozen years or so, and this year I was offered the chance to make one for an empty stall in the central market of Vilanova i la Geltrú. I created a nativity scene entirely out of plasticine, measuring six metres by one and a half meters. The figurines are between 10 and 12 centimetres tall. It took me three months to finish it, but I love it. Since then, I’ve received all sorts of requests. For example, a school in Vilanova has asked me to teach students how to make figurines. Apart from the nativity scenes, I’ve also been invited to the market classroom to teach cooking. But I want to learn too! That’s why I’m looking forward to attending university classes as a listener... I still have so much to do and enjoy!

Would you like your grandchildren to follow you into the farming business?

If they like it, they should go for it; if they don’t, they shouldn’t. The advantage they’d have is that they wouldn’t be starting from scratch, since all the tools are there and no initial investment would be required. Becoming a farmer means making a big investment: first you have to purchase or lease land, and then you need tools and storage facilities.

What do you think about the current situation faced by new farmers in terms of gaining access to land?

The land should be for those who want to work it, because I know some people who sow but don’t reap. Let’s be serious: the land is the most valuable asset we have in life. We can’t eat without it. So, let’s respect it. And if we have to fight for it, let it be in order to work it.

The best way to recognise us would be to let us live on the land in peace. Just that, nothing else. Don’t suffocate us... It’s like a wheel that turns: live and let live. That’s all there is to it.

«the land is the most valuable asset we have in life. We can’t eat without it. So, let’s respect it. And if we have to fight for it, let it be in order to work it» Montse Marcé
 

What virtue would you like to share with the world and transmit to everyone?

Empathy, a quality that’s disappearing. And I’d also like to emphasise the importance of daring to change your mind and learn from others. That’s what life has taught me. I’ve been dealt many blows and have had to start from scratch three times. Despite everything, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do what I do. It can be a complicated path, but once you’ve made it, you see that, as my mother used to say, “your words don’t have the authority of a queen”. In other words, nothing is permanent and you can always start afresh.

What gives you hope nowadays?

The fact that there’ll always be people who love to work the land and others who’ll appreciate what they grow. Thanks to consumers, the espigall cabbage has not disappeared and farmers can continue to grow it. As my mother always used to say, “He who does not sow shall not reap.” And that’s what matters.

— BCN Smart Rural Editorial —