The Aínsa Fair showcases the potential of extensive livestock farming and attracts 6,000 visitors.
The initiatives of young agro-livestock entrepreneurs shine in an ancestral meeting that revalidates year after year its extraordinary participation. once again this first weekend of February was the focus of attraction par excellence in the Sobrarbe region thanks to the celebration of its ancestral Ferieta. Tradition, craft products, youth, extensive livestock and agroecology have been the protagonists in this new edition, which revalidates the extraordinary participation of public and exhibitors in a few days in which the weather has been an ally to extend the constant influx until early afternoon. This year almost 150 exhibitors have been distributed between the parking lot of the Castle and the Plaza Mayor, highlighting the increase in livestock and French producers. Sausages, bakery, pastries, pates, dried fruits, oils, pet products, textiles, natural cosmetics, antiques, books and handmade drinks were some of the products on sale, in addition to the stalls related to the truffle and its derivatives in the marquee of the Castle. As a novelty, the Filaderas de la Bal de Chistau have been incorporated to the curiosity of those who strolled near the Sala Caballerizas. As for the artisans, Mermeladas La Marmita and the natural cosmetics brand Vulcanima, located in Aínsa-Sobrarbe and Labuerda respectively and driven by young entrepreneurs, have been released this year, as well as the Council of Children and Youth handing out carrascas during the weekend. At 11.00 a.m. the activities focused on children (pony rides and rope twisting) began, while in the castle’s moat there was a demonstration of truffle dogs from Bellestar, Pueyo de Marguillén, Graus, Valle de Bardají (Biescas), Castejón and Guaso. “We are very pleased with the great acceptance that all the activities related to livestock have had in this Fair”, highlights Susana Pérez, councilor of the town council and coordinator of the Fair. “This year we wanted to make more visible, in a special way if possible, the work carried out by extensive livestock farmers in our region, and thanks to the ‘Sobrarbe Ecocircular’ project, financed through the Erea project of the Aragon Emprende Foundation, we have offered many more activities during these days of the fair. The results have been very good”. The activities began on Thursday with the screening of the documentary ‘Cattle or desert’. They continued on Saturday with the photographic exhibition ‘Tras los ojos del Pastor’, the presentation of the book ‘Haciendo Mallata’, the talk on direct sales and short marketing channels, the colloquium-tasting of sustainable meats and the round table on the visions of the agri-food sector in Sobrarbe from the female perspective. This Sunday, and within the actions included in the ‘Sobrarbe Ecocircular’ project, there was also an origami workshop for children and the first popular contest for the Best Cattle.
The diplomas were awarded to Livestock Fes de Aínsa in the cattle category, Siricueta de Morillo de Sampietro in the sheep category and Elena Sesé de Lamiana in the goat category. Luis Lascorz, from Fes Livestock, breeder of Pyrenean breed of cattle and member of the Organizing Committee of the Fair, stressed that in this edition “more than ever we wanted to claim food sovereignty as the backbone of the territory and as a guarantee of health for people. We have to raise awareness as a society that small farms in the villages link us to the natural environment against the globalizing trend, as well as a livestock heritage that has survived throughout history and that we must protect”. On the other hand, this Sunday, 1,600 servings of Sobrarbe chicken broth and 500 of ‘Roya Pirenaica’ veal stew were distributed. The number of visitors between Thursday 1st and Sunday 4th February is estimated at around 6,000 people in a Fair that has broken the ceiling of participation, sales, collaboration and good feelings. The finishing touch was provided by the local associations of the Red Cross, Caritas, the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the group of Women Weaving Between Mountains. The latter has raffled a crochet blanket whose funds have gone to the AECC. “The presence of our neighbors through volunteering is again essential in this Ferieta, a sign of identity of a living people and an event in which we all fit,” concluded Perez.
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