Agri-food test area in Dulantzi
- We have more and more agricultural test points, that is to say, training spaces in agriculture and livestock before we start your project. The Zunbeltz space of Navarre and the Trebatu de Gipuzkoa and Ipar Euskal Herria are some of the examples that have been launched. Since last June, another project with the same philosophy has also been launched in the Llanada Alavesa: Ekin Dulantzi. “In the building that was a restaurant, in the area of Erausquy, we have put in place a test kitchen to train people in different activities,” said the technician Arantza Arrien Goitiandia. The initiative is driven by the Rural Development Association of Llanada Alavesa.
In the line of consumption of products produced in the Llanada Alavesa, different projects have been launched by the development association. In the case of Dulantzi's kitchen, four activities are planned so that whoever wants to train in one of them has the necessary infrastructure: prepared dishes, canned dishes, deserts and bakery and pastry. “When we saw the kitchen, we immediately thought it was a very suitable space for the transformations and called an open meeting to see if there was interest among the citizens,” explains the technician. This occurred in 2020, and among the people who attended the call were the nine women, wanting to start some of these activities. “It was clear in which group the greatest need was found, since most of them were women, and among them many migrated,” he says.
With a subsidy from the Basque Government, a canning autoclave, a fan for the deserters, a bakery and pastry oven, a fermenter and other items were purchased and the area was prepared. “We want it to be a testing space for agri-food products, before people make big investments, a place to test ideas.” From the partnership, kitchen users are asked to use Llanada and local products. “A person does preserves at this time and uses the beans and chickpeas that are produced here, he kicks with the liver of the chickens of the slaughterhouse…”.
Underway since June
In addition to the kitchen transformation area, the building has more spaces that are being used for other activities. “We have a training space and a multi-purpose space and a small coworking space,” explains Arriene. It is about promoting activities related to health and food.
They are pleased with the march of these months, as there are people with different profiles passing through the Dulantzi area, and some of them have already launched their project. “Agurain’s illusion of a woman was to be a baker, in June she began to do tests here, to distribute bread among acquaintances, and she saw that she could really live from it.” A total of 22 people and groups have requested the use of space. Looking to the future, they want to delve into the line of the deserted. “We’ve done several formations around the issue and we’ve seen that there are many vegetables, fruits and herbs that can be desiccated in different ways,” he concluded.
