Jenifer Santos from Tenerife is the best organic cheese maker in Spain

La Cabra Eco is based on the implementation of an ecological livestock with the elaboration of artisan cheeses. Jenifer Santos has been working on this project for six years, which pays particular attention to feeding her cattle, for which she uses 100% local fodder. Another of its pillars is animal welfare and, in this case, performs a limited production, since each goat is productive only seven months a year and the rest is left to recover.

Questioned about the secret to receiving awards such as Agrojoven 2022 and that of sustainable producers 2023 values: «I think it is about doing things with a total and absolute commitment to the values ​​that I have decided to represent the project, such as animal welfare and sustainable production». He adds between laughs: “And also with a lot of will to move it forward.”

He confesses that he has received the last award “surprised and, above all, very satisfied that large entities such as BBVA and El Celler de Can Roca publicly recognize and sponsor the work that small local producers do”. He also explains that “this shows that we have nothing to envy to the big companies in the sector in terms of quality and service.”

Jenifer answers the call while milking her goats. He stresses: «I’m not going to lie, this is very hard work; In addition, in my case I completely develop all the activities. From the distribution of rations twice a day to milking, making cheese and refining. I am also in charge of sales, I clean the facilities and during the calving season I attend to the goats and take care of the baifitos. In addition to all that, I go to the bush every day to collect fodder for about 100 animals, whether it’s hot or raining.”

He insists on the idea: “It’s definitely not easy because I can’t delegate most of the activities to a worker and for the few that someone else could do, it’s hard for me to find staff who want to come to the mountains to work.”

She is skeptical regarding the repeated generational change in the Canary Islands and Tenerife countryside: «I find it difficult for a young person to find attractive a profession that just to start it requires a large outlay of money in investments, and practically no private entity is going to want to finance it. To this, add that it is increasingly unsustainable to maintain a farm in a conventional way, depending on foreign supplies and subsidies to be able to compensate it ».

He reflects along these lines: «I think that the only profitable future option for the new cattle farms is that they size up the territory, each area in particular; that is to say, a number of heads of cattle according to where they can produce, on the one hand, their own food with the recovery of abandoned cultivation lands -there are many in the mediocrities- and on the other, propose and reach agreements with the administration to to be able to carry out controlled grazing in places where a determined stocking rate is accepted”.

The Tenerife farmer considers that “the best option to carry out a livestock project is to diversify it, create an activity and complement it with others or resources that create synergies and that in the end add value to the product. The parties involved, both farmers and administration, must have the initiative to want to study and value it. But that is already another story…». Jenifer Santos has not been affected as much as other producers by the rise in livestock feed prices because, she adds, “the goats are assured of their own production of local fodder. Only occasionally are they supplied with a mixture of cereals during the prepartum and postpartum weeks, resorting to local producers and if there is a shortage, then to nationals because they are very small demands. Jenifer would love to “develop various innovative projects on the farm but I still need to focus on improving the current facilities as it takes a lot of resources to keep the farm in the best possible condition.”

The farmer ends with a personal reference to public subsidies: «Last October I was subsidized by the Government of the Canary Islands for the improvement of facilities in livestock farms with 75,000 euros, but for reasons beyond my control and due to a human error of just one day that led to confusion, the aid already granted could not be accepted within the term. He details that “I quickly filed an appeal before the Ministry to assess the possibility of being granted a subsidy, since it was the second phase –absolutely necessary– of another one granted months before with European funds for the new installation of young farmers . Eight months later they have not answered me. I know that there is no obligation to do so with the appeals when they are dismissed, but I would have liked that at least the administration that is there to help us and provide us with services would have responded to me.

Jenifer Santos is from Tenerife recognized as the best cheesemaker in Spain. A pride for the primary sector of the Island.