Casa Bartuelo, located in northern Asturias near Cabo Peñas, is a multi-generational Asturian Casería exemplifying a circular, self-sustaining farming model that integrates crop and livestock production, including pasture-raised horses and beef cattle. This 100-hectare family-run estate combines seasonal vegetables, traditional beans, and forage crops, producing its own hay and optimizing local resources while promoting community engagement through direct marketing and on-farm processing. The family places strong emphasis on generational continuity, ensuring that younger members are involved in farm management and committed to maintaining the family heritage.

Livestock production is dominated by Asturiana de los Valles beef cattle, marketed under Protected Geographical Indications, alongside Hispano-Bretón horses raised for meat production. Herd management incorporates seasonal transhumance to Extremadura to adapt to northern Spain’s wet climate and steep terrain. Horses are maintained in five rotational grazing groups, supplemented with farm-produced corn silage, soy-based concentrate, and oats haylage, with nutritional formulations regularly analyzed and optimized by cooperative agronomists and veterinarians.

Health management combines strategic, low-frequency deworming with external parasite control, leveraging extensive free-roaming pastures to naturally disrupt parasite cycles. Casa Bartuelo demonstrates how tradition, diversification, sustainable resource use, and market-oriented strategies reinforce resilience, economic viability, and the successful transfer of knowledge and responsibilities across generations in family-run rural enterprises.

This farm demonstrates how the diversification of activities can be a key driver of resilience. The farmers emphasize the importance of creating multiple income streams to strengthen both economic stability and operational efficiency of the Casería structure. Their model integrates crop and livestock production, including meat-producing cattle and horses, within a circular, self-sustaining system that makes optimal use of available resources.

Purpose of the Solution

Diversifying farm activities is an effective way to reduce economic risk and enhance resilience. By combining core operations, such as animal breeding, with complementary activities like crop production (including seasonal vegetables, traditional faba and verdina beans, and forage for animal feed), and guided farm visits, farmers can create multiple, interlinked income sources.

This approach not only improves resource efficiency but also helps stabilize income across seasons and buffer market fluctuations, contributing to a more sustainable and adaptive farming system.

Benefits

• Economic resilience: multiple income sources reduce dependence on a single market.
• Efficient resource use: land, facilities, and labour serve multiple purposes.
• Risk reduction: diversification acts as a buffer against seasonal or sector-specific downturns.
• Increased visibility: agritourism and educational activities attract new audiences and customers.
• Job creation: additional services foster local employment opportunities.
• Enhanced sustainability: integration of agroforestry and circular practices supports environmental goals.

Drawbacks/ Potential Challenges

• Increased complexity: managing diverse activities requires broader skills and strong coordination.
• Higher initial investment: infrastructure, training, and certifications may be required.
• Time and labour intensity: diversification can stretch limited workforce capacity.

This farm, an Asturian Casería, demonstrates the power of a strong brand and family identity built up over generations. This consistent and authentic image fosters a deep sense of pride, belonging, and continuity, forming the foundation of a resilient rural enterprise.

Purpose of the Solution

Having a strong and authentic identity helps the farm to stand out in the market, build customer loyalty, and secure intergenerational continuity. When rooted in family values, it also reinforces credibility, supports rural community ties, and ensures that business decisions align with long-term sustainability over short-term profit.

Benefits

• Market differentiation: a recognizable, authentic brand helps the farm stand out in competitive markets.
• Customer trust and loyalty: transparency and a personal connection to the family story enhance credibility.
• Heritage preservation: family-led branding helps to keep local culture, traditions, and artisanal practices alive.
• Continuity and succession: shared identity and values facilitate generational transition and business stability.
• Community engagement: strong family reputation fosters collaboration and strengthens ties with local stakeholders.
• Value-added potential: branding can support premium positioning based on quality, origin, or sustainability claims.

Drawbacks/ Potential Challenges

• Maintaining authenticity: as the farm grows, it can be difficult to stay true to its values while innovating.
• Leadership succession: transferring both the business and the brand identity across generations requires alignment and planning.
• Resource demands: building and maintaining a brand requires time, communication skills, and financial investment.
• Reputation sensitivity: family-based brands depend heavily on public perception, so mistakes can quickly affect trust.
• Balancing tradition and innovation: excessive attachment to tradition may hinder the adaptation to new markets or consumer expectations.

This farm’s large grazing area (20 ha) allows horses to be managed with a rational, low-frequency deworming strategy, treating them once a year, usually between October and November, when parasite pressure and grazing activity decrease.

Additionally, when horses return from Extremadura (450 ha) before summer, they undergo a sanitation protocol that includes disinfection and treatment against external parasites, particularly ticks.

Purpose of the Solution

Implementing this solution helps reduce the development of anthelmintic resistance by avoiding unnecessary treatments, aligns deworming with the real parasite exposure of horses grazing on large, well-managed pastures, and supports overall horse health by combining internal parasite control with targeted measures against external pests; it also enhances long-term sustainability and reduces costs, making it an efficient approach for extensive equine systems.

Benefits

• Reduces long-term costs for medications
• Minimises horses’ exposure to unnecessary drugs
• Helps prevent the development of anthelmintic resistance
• Lowers the risk of drug residues entering soil and water
• Supports biodiversity, including dung beetles and soil fauna
• Promotes more environmentally friendly grazing practices

Drawbacks/ Potential Challenges

• Higher initial costs due to diagnostic testing (e.g., fecal analyses, ELISA) and operational requirements such as sample collection and record-keeping — even though these steps are currently not part of the farm’s routine.

This farm demonstrates the positive effects of on-farm processing and direct marketing. By managing their own small processing plant, producing beef and traditional products such as chorizo, and selling directly through local markets and a well-designed website, the farmers have strengthened their connection with consumers. This approach creates added value, transparency, and resilience, ensuring that the benefits of production remain within the rural community.

Purpose of the Solution

Processing and selling their own products allows farmers to capture more value from their raw materials, diversify their income, and build direct relationships with their customers. This approach reduces dependence on intermediaries, enhances product traceability, and enables farmers to tell their story through authentic, high-quality products. This strategy promotes short supply chains, rural vitality, and consumer confidence in local food systems.

Benefits

• Value addition: processing meat or derived products increases profit margins and product diversity.
• Closer consumer connection: direct sales foster trust, transparency, and loyalty through personal contact and storytelling.
• Market independence: reduced reliance on large distributors and volatile market prices.
• Brand visibility: local markets and an online presence enhance recognition and credibility.
• Local economic impact: keeping more income within the rural area supports the community sustainability.
• Product differentiation: allows the farm to highlight quality, origin, and animal welfare attributes.

Drawbacks/ Potential Challenges

• Regulatory requirements: food safety, labelling, and traceability standards require strict compliance and monitoring.
• Investment and infrastructure: processing facilities requires capital, equipment, and maintenance.
• Technical expertise: safe processing, packaging and marketing require specific skills and ongoing training.
• Time and workload: direct marketing adds administrative and customer-facing tasks to farmers’ routines.
• Market reach: building an online presence or steady local clientele takes time and effort in terms of communication.