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Joaquín Solanilla has dedicated his entire life to farming and livestock in Aragon. Sheep, cows, goats, agriculture, transhumance, birthing, irrigation, technology, sales, and a farm that has had to continually adapt to survive.

In this interview, he tells us what the life of a livestock farmer is really like: the decisions that must be made every day, the amount of work that goes into raising an animal, why self-sufficiency is so important, and what happens when profitability depends on each hectare.

We also talk about the changes that the countryside has undergone, rural depopulation, the relationship between livestock farming and the environment, bureaucracy, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the problems that arise when decisions are made far from the land.

But above all, we talk about a way of life. Why someone who has dedicated their entire life to livestock farming would choose this profession again.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why did he decide to become a livestock farmer?
04:43 From the family farm to changing the way he works
09:05 The worker who has been by his side for 20 years
13:43 Sheep, cows, and the art of understanding animals
18:28 How livestock is managed in the mountains
22:21 Births, illnesses, and decisions that can save an animal
26:22 Livestock farming, fires, and forest management
30:43 When livestock farming becomes a local business
35:40 Are CAP subsidies necessary?

40:19 The future of livestock farming in mountain areas
44:00 The bear, the wolf, and the problems with livestock
48:45 Why is livestock farming so captivating?

53:27 Spanish meat, imports, and traceability
57:18 A decision that turned the worst field into the best
01:01:12 The hardest part about living and working in a small town