The second microcourse organised by the Montserrat Rural Park Land Bank has received a "very positive response" from agricultural entrepreneurs in the province of Barcelona. This was the assessment made by Sònia Callau, head of the Territorial Agrarian Directorate of the Barcelona Provincial Council, regarding the course. The training was aimed at both young people looking to start in the agricultural sector and existing farmers interested in transitioning to organic farming.

Held in person last Friday and Saturday, the microcourse provided participants with the basic knowledge to start an organic olive and nut tree farm. The course lasted a total of six hours, spread across two sessions. The first session, held at the Casal de Avis of Piera Town Hall, was led by IRTA researcher Xavier Miarnau, who covered topics such as initial financial investments, necessary equipment, plantation design, fertilisation, and pest and disease control in organic nut farming, among other key areas.

The second day of training focused on olive trees and organic oil production. The theoretical part took place in Piera’s Foment Room and benefited from the expertise of IRTA researcher Juan Francisco Hermoso. For the practical component, participants visited Masia Can Sagristà, where Sara Cecconcello shared the history of this ecological project, which produces organic oil, sustainable beekeeping products, and natural cosmetics. She also gave a live demonstration of olive harvesting.

These training sessions are part of the BCN Smart Rural project, an initiative by the Barcelona Provincial Council to transform the agri-food sector in the region, co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The aim of the Montserrat Rural Park Land Bank is to connect owners of unused or abandoned land with people looking for land to cultivate, providing technical and legal support tailored to the needs of both parties.

— BCN Smart Rural Editorial —