Black is also a trend at Cortijo el Puerto!
This endangered species that live in our Organic Farm Cortijo el Puerto farm has attracted the attention of the media and has been highlighted in “Tierra y Mar” (Land and Sea), a famous agribusiness and environmental journalism program that we invite you to see.
The report highlights the ancestral character of black merino, being this one of the most historically relevant and economically influential breeds of sheep, specially prized for its wool. The merino black sheep is a local breed in the Spanish Andalusia and Extremadura regions, originated and improved around the 12th century and a distant descendant of the primitive merino, the wild ram Ovis aries vignei of Asia Minor. It was instrumental in the economic development of 15th and 16th century Spain, which held a monopoly on its trade. The merino sheep has been used for a long time to produce wool, an important activity for the regional economy, but because of the fleece’s dark colour, the black variety, impossible to dye, their care and raising was abandoned. Today it is considered an endangered species.
In Cortijo el Puerto (Lora del Río, Seville, Andalusia, Spain) we wanted to recover this valuable species and its genetic flow and we have offered them a job on our farm as an “official brushcutter”. We work 100% ecological livestock and are always aware of animal welfare. The report also highlights our commitment to ecology and biodiversity and our pioneering of a holistic project that integrates livestock and precision agriculture in olive and almond trees in hedgerow system, among other species.
Cortijo el Puerto’s commitment to biodiversity and ecology encompasses both flora and fauna, therefore we are organic certified in both Agriculture and Livestock.
Our ecological project advocates for biodiversity and quality, supporting threatened and endangered species of both animals and plants. Now that the wind blows, Sheep have some very effective ways of keeping warm. Their wool insulates them, holding in body heat and resisting the penetration of water. May be some of you in snowy climates have seen sheep with a fresh layer of snow on their backs. The reason it doesn’t melt right away is because the body heat is kept in by the fleece.
Its wool is widely recognized for its high quality and properties:
– Water repellent: repels water, prevents water from penetrating the fabric easily and keeps its transpiration capacity intact.
– Magnificent thermal properties: maintains an ideal body temperature constantly. In situations of cold or heat the index of thermal variation in the body remains stable.
– Avoid itching and irritation: The fibers are thinner than other wool. Much softer to the touch and does not cause itching or irritation on the skin to those more sensitive.
– Delays the appearance of odors: has natural antimicrobial properties. The proper evaporation of sweat prevents the clothes from absorbing the salts and fats that the body secretes, which are the perfect habitat to generate bad odors.
– UV natural protection: Like human hair, merino wool contains keratin that is responsible for protecting and resisting fibers.
– Rejects dirt: Less humidity than conventional wool, which decreases the static electricity that attracts dust and environmental dirt.
– The merino wool is machine washable, it dries quickly. Just hanging the garment is enough in any kind of environment.
In addition, merino wool is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable and without any harm to the animal. The main characters of this story are many: First things first, Black Merino Sheep, who browse the olive trees of the farm and who are also image in our ecological EVOO, then, José Hernán, Pepe for us, Shepherd of this mixed herd, also Juan Antonio Sánchez (our Vet), Manuel González (foreman of Cortijo el Puerto) well aware of another endangered species,such as the “ruchos” or donkeys that live on the farm, and of course our CEO and ideologue of this ecological project: Enrique de la Torre Liébana. All of them have been interviewed to learn more about this valuable species that we want to recover for biodiversity.
Wild and domestic diversity complement each other and the coexistence of species is not only possible but positive and enriching. With this humanistic and environmental consideration the report concludes and we invite you from here to visualize it. We encourage you to get to know the Black Merino Sheep of Cortijo and the rest of the species of the farm that live and collaborate in this rich ecosystem.