Marta Barba’s veterinary career took her from Aragón to France, the United States and the UK, where she worked in equine internal medicine and research. She eventually returned to the region and settled in Alcalá de la Selva, Teruel, with fellow veterinarians Miguel Paricio and Antonio Monfort. In 2020, the three launched La Albarda, an extensive cattle farm in the Sierra de Gúdar.
The partners started without an inherited family business or an established operation. They initially kept other jobs while building the farm; Barba continued managing the Teruel site of Aragón’s Center for Research and Agro-Food Technology. Six years later, Barba and Monfort work full time on the farm, while they hope Paricio can join them soon.
La Albarda aims to produce quality meat while prioritising animal welfare and reducing reliance on intermediaries. The farm keeps 70 cows, with calves raised outdoors on grass and forage. It is also working to connect crop and livestock production by growing feed on the land it manages, limiting the need for outside resources.
A central part of the project is the Serrana de Teruel, a native cattle breed officially classified as endangered. The partners have acquired animals from local breeders and are exploring how to market its meat. Barba says the breed yields less meat, but of excellent quality. The group sees viable sales as one way to support its conservation and maintain a living connection with the province’s farming heritage.
The farm also sells meat directly to consumers, taking on the work of organising orders and coordinating slaughter, butchery and distribution. Some restaurants that buy from La Albarda adapt their menus to the farm’s seasonal availability, Barba says. The approach is intended to bring customers closer to how the meat is produced and retain more of the value within the project.
For Barba, the farm is not just an economic activity but a way of life. She believes local ventures can help create momentum in small communities, while La Albarda’s model seeks to make use of local land and knowledge and sustain economic activity in rural Teruel.
Sources: elDiario.es.