My name's José Antonio Fajardo and I'm a young farmer and university student. Although I'm only twenty two years old, I belong to a family of farmers and I'm the fifth generation, both on my father's and my mother's sides. My great-grandparents were from Otivar and Jete, two small towns on the Costa Tropical in Granada. This was where tropical fruits were first cultivated in continental Europe. As a homage, there's a delicious variety of cherimoya known as the Fino de Jete. If you don't know it, I recommend trying it if you can. It's not very common outside Spain, but is nicknamed the 'fruit yoghurt' thanks to its sweetness and creamy texture. My grandparents and great-grandparents used to grow vines, almond trees and olive trees on the dryland slopes and sugar cane on the valley floors, where there was more water. In the mid-twentieth century, following the decline of sugarcane cultivation in the region, they decided to start growing subtropical fruits. In the 1950s and 1960s, subtropical fruits were unknown in the region. My ancestors started to experiment with the cultivation of avocados and cherimoyas, becoming pioneers in the growth of subtropical crops, which are now quite commonplace in the region. The family still owns the original fincas and takes care of the trees they planted. We've been looking after them for seventy years now, with the same love that they put into planting them. Over time, we've acquired more fincas and now we grow a whole host of fruits, with the main ones being avocados, mangoes, cherimoyas and oranges, although we also have small plots with Orinoco bananas (a local variety) and guavas. As to be expected, my passion for agriculture comes from childhood, as it has always been the core focus of my maternal and paternal family. I'm fully aware of the importance of education to ensure the optimal management of fincas, which is why I'm currently studying Economics with a view to gaining knowledge for myself and conveying it to the family. On seeing my passion for the land, my parents asked me to manage this CrowdFarming project. The Altos de Cantarriján and Finca Valdivieso projects were created to be modern farms, where we can showcase our way of working and transfer this model of agriculture to other farmers. These farms were acquired by the family less than ten years ago. For two years now, I've been responsible for their management, always listening to the advice of a wonderful team made up by agronomists and employees, who are just like family as they've seen me grow up. And, of course, I'm lucky to count on the experience and love of my parents! My main goal is to refresh the approach that traditional agriculture has in the region. I'd like more young producers to see Hacienda Altos de Cantarriján and Finca Valdivieso as models of sustainable management. I'm convinced that organic farming, sustainable food production techniques, the circular economy of resources, the optimised use of water and new relationships with consumers will be the inspiration for the new generations of farmers. We need to change the production model. All these agricultural practices will mark a before and after in climate change, which concerns me so much on a personal level. I'm also convinced that in a few years' time the fincas that I manage will be better and that I'll have contributed to leaving a better world behind for future generations. CrowdFarming provides me with the opportunity to make this dream come true, as I believe in and share all the values that this platform offers to consumers across Europe. All my free time and holidays are spent on the farm. Time definitely flies by when I'm focused on working the land. When I can't be on the farm due to my studies, I call the foremen to ask how the harvest is going and help them with any jobs. Last but not least, I'd like to highlight my relationship with one of the people I admire the most: my grandfather. His name is also José Antonio Fajardo. He's the best reference I've ever had and has instilled in me an unconditional love for the land, for hard work and for things well done. I can't remember a single day in my childhood that I didn't want to spend with him going around farms, solving problems with the crops and watching the fruit grow. I've spent a lot of time with him, ever since my first steps as a toddler. Although I see him less now, I spend time with him whenever I can. He motivates me to fight for what I want and to do business well. In short, he's the perfect example of a lifestyle that I love and want to keep up.

Finca Valdivieso is a farm specialised in the cultivation of organic oranges and located in the Utrera countryside, just a few kilometres from the city of Seville. Anyone who has visited the city of Seville will remember the orange trees that line its streets, and the area is ideal for growing these beautiful trees thanks to its pleasant climate. Utrera is a town with lots of history, as there have been human settlements here since prehistoric times thanks to its fertile soils. The most important economic sectors in the town today are agriculture and livestock, while there is also a renowned horse breeding industry. We bought the farm in 2012 and it was already planted with orange trees. Around the farm there are more orange groves, livestock farms and other fields with crops such as cotton. Immediately after buying the finca, we started to prepare it for organic agriculture and since 2017 we have held the European Union organic farming label. It used to belong to a family friend who was unable to look after the farm, so we saw it as a great opportunity for a future project. The farm is named Valdivieso after the cortijo farmhouse on the land, which in turn we believe comes from the surname of former owners of the farm. The water for the farm comes from natural aquifers a few dozen metres underground. We use tanks and reservoirs to store the water, which is then distributed using efficient drip irrigation systems. We're currently enhancing the efficiency of the irrigation by testing out an innovative irrigation system. We use this system to filter the water through a hole filled with coconut fibre that helps retain the moisture and prevents both evaporation and rapid runoff. Each hectare needs approximately 3,000 m3 of water per year, which will always depend on the weather. Finca Valdivieso is a fully organic farm and we've held the EU label since 2017. We encourage the presence of natural enemies by fostering the unrestricted development of local flora and fauna. This leads to the free cohesion between the crop and the biodiversity created by this environment. Seven permanent employees look after Finca Valdivieso throughout the year, a figure which can triple during the harvest period. Some of the employees were already working here when the orange trees were planted. We tend to use the same temporary workers for the harvest. Employees are paid according to the relevant collective agreement and some higher-level positions benefit from perks. Whenever possible, we avoid the production of waste. The fruit is selected manually on the land and later checked again at our logistics hub. We manage all our plant waste, such as prunings and weeds, and turn them into compost on site. Grass is removed manually, either by uprooting or mowing. We make every effort to care for our trees so that very little fruit is discarded, although if it can't be sent to our customers, we send it to juice production plants.