Rioja Tierra Viva – Regenerating the land

Rioja Tierra Viva is the name of the company with which Angel Amurrio and Raquel Guembe, its creators, seek to spread the practice of Biodynamic Agriculture, for the benefit of the environment, biodiversity and the physical and mental well-being of the people who work with it. they practice and that they consume the food that comes from it.

How does it arise?

A few years ago, Ángel became aware of the dangers posed, for us and for the environment, by conventional or intensive agriculture and many of its methods, which gradually deplete the earth, destroying its structure and its living force.

Intensive agriculture currently dominates global food production and, with the concern of collaborating to change this reality, this man from Alava and this woman from Navarre began to be interested in other ways of doing agriculture.

In this learning process they came into contact with Biodynamic Agriculture and with the knowledge of Anthroposophy (which, if you have read the article on Biodynamics, you will remember that it is the philosophical current founded by Rudolf Steiner, the same one who initiated the practice of this type of agriculture).

Little by little they applied to their farms the knowledge acquired thanks to reading, training courses and practical experiences in biodynamic farms, beginning a process of reconversion and regeneration of the land that soon bore fruit, inside and outside the farm. they.

This reconversion is not an easy task, as Ángel points out, and changing the “way of doing things” is a long road and requires constant learning, especially at the beginning. From their experience they say that they encountered difficulties and, many times, with not much support, and that is why the idea of ​​Rioja Tierra Viva arose, as a commitment to the land, thanks to practice and dissemination and advice on this matter: Biodynamic Agriculture.

What is the OBJETIVE?

Rioja Tierra Viva is committed to revitalizing the land with the tools provided by Biodynamics. The purpose is to increase the strength of the ground, which, after all, is where it all begins.

Taking advantage of the cosmic rhythms and the properties of biodynamic preparations, the soil is regenerated and it begins to be more «alive», giving rise to more vital plants. This force is transmitted to us when we cultivate and consume them, so that people also get a different vitality, with an awareness of this «living food» and considering the supernatural and spiritual plane above the material.

With the aim of studying this vitality that I am talking about in more depth, Raquel has been working on the sensitive crystallization technique for some time. It is a technique developed by Pfeiffer in which, after various scientific laboratory analyses, the living force of substances can be quantified. In addition to this, it has many more applications in other fields: the detection of diseases in plants, the ability of a wine to age, the quality of food… even in anthroposophical medicine it is investigated for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

Perhaps you had never stopped to think about this, but having a more vital diet is very important because, as Raquel indicates:

When our food does not transmit a sufficient action of life; our will and ability to develop our ideals weakens”

What does Rioja Tierra Viva do?

Among our work is the work in the vineyard, we are viticulturists and we make must (pura vida) and wine.
We also collect plants to make biodynamic preparations and help people in that «awareness awakening», of respect for life on earth: we spread biodynamic agriculture wherever we go.
There are farmers who are interested in practicing Biodynamic Agriculture but do not know how to start… we teach them how to do it, so that in the not too distant future that farmer or rancher can manage on their own.” – Raquel told me the day we met.

RTV is dedicated to advising new biodynamic farmers and ranchers to help them plan the reconversion of their farms and advise them on the monitoring of their crops or other matters of interest such as obtaining the DEMETER seal of Biodynamic Agriculture, etc.

RTV also carries out extensive informative work, publicizing the bases of Biodynamic Agriculture and its basic tools (preparations, biodynamic calendars…). In addition, they sell some products necessary for the development of this activity: barrels, equipment for the application of biodynamic preparations, or you can even buy preparations already made by them.

If you want to know more about everything they do, you can go to their website: Riojatierraviva, and even contact them by email if you want information or if you are interested in enrolling in one of their courses.

What’s up now?

For this spring, RTV has two courses prepared: one in Laguardia (Álava) and another in Aranda de Duero (Burgos).

Both are taught by Marisol Garrido, Dr. Agricultural Engineer and Coordinator of the Demeter certification of biodynamic farms.

LAND FERTILITY AND COMPOST PROCESSING IN BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE. Douro Aranda. April 22 and 23, 2014. Torremilanos estate.

Hours: Tuesday 22 from 10:00 to 14 and from 16 to 20:00, Wednesday 23 from 10:00 to 14 and from 16 to 19:00

Price: €121

Contents:

1. Concept of soil fertility in Biodynamic agriculture. Calcium and silicic principles in Biodynamic Agriculture.
2. The biostructure of the land and the functions of organic matter in the land.
3. The management of organic matter: types of manure and its function; practices for the conservation of organic matter in the soil; biodynamic composting.
4. The fertilization of land in the Demeter regulations.
5. Practice: Rapid soil analysis (students must bring 1 or 2 soil samples from their farm, preferably superficial, about 500 g and dry).

INTRODUCTION TO BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE. Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa. April 29 and 30, 2014. Bodegas Artadi

Hours: Tuesday 22 from 10:00 to 14 and from 16 to 20:00, Wednesday 23 from 10:00 to 14 and from 16 to 19:00

Price: €121

Contents:

1. Bases of Biodynamic Agriculture. The farm organism.
2. Introduction to biodynamic preparations: their function, preparation and forms of application.
3. The cosmic rhythms and their role in the processes of life on Earth. Macrocosm and Microcosm. The use of the biodynamic calendar in agricultural work.
4. Demeter certification.
5. Practice: application of biodynamic preparations.