Starting a new life, in La Coronella, Spain
Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 11:38 am
Prelude.
I'm Elmer, I'm from the Netherlands and for a couple years now I have no idea what I want to do with my life. While browsing the internet I found a farm for sale and I always liked the idea of farming. I decided to give it a good night’s sleep and get back to it in the morning. I didn't sleep very good that night as I could only think about farming in another country. In the morning, I gave the real estate agent a call and we talked for a couple of hours about the farm and possibilities. The farm comes with a pretty big yard, lots of storage spaces and 3 fields. The price however it also pretty steep at €320.000,-. It's something I have to think about and see if I can get the money with selling my house, furniture, car, etc. I took an option for the farm while I try the get the money.
After a couple of weeks, a lot of phone calls and meetings with all kinds of different people, I managed to sell everything, bought a plane ticket to Spain and was on my way to a new life.
Chapter 1 / Day 1
Arriving in Spain, I knew where I needed to go, a small town called La Coronella, but it's in the middle of Spain and only one bus, once every 24 hours goes there. Of course I had to take a hotel as I arrived in the afternoon and the bus leaves in the early morning. The next day I stood up early, bought something at the local bakery around the corner and went to the bus station. The bus was right on time.
After 5 hours of sitting in the bus I saw the street signs with a very welcome town name, La Coronella
After meeting with the real estate agent, we talked for a bit and went to the farm to have a look around. While walking around I notice that everything is there and ready to be used, including a garage to maintain my own vehicles. After going back to the office I bought the farm and wire transferred €320.000,- to the real estate agent.
After a nice walk from the office to the farm I checked the fields I have and if something maybe was growing. All 3 fields are sown, the closest field has sugar beets growing, the field next to it has something with large red plumes, but I have no idea what it is. The field the farthest away from the farm is something which is still growing, no idea what it is. Took some pictures with my phone and walked back to town to the vehicle store I saw when coming into town with the bus.
Sugar Beet
No idea
Sorghum
After about 15 minutes of walking I arrived at the store. Had a little chat with the manager and he told me the field with the plumes is a sorghum field and by the looks of it, ready to harvest. So, I needed a harvester with header and a tractor with trailer. He told me he had an older harvester for a nice cheap price with a fitting header and a nice, but even older tractor and trailer.
He store manager was very helpful, as I have never driven a harvester, nor harvested a field. He explained me how to use the harvester and I could give him a call whenever needed if I’m having questions in the field. I drove the harvester to my farm and he had a colleague of him to drive the tractor and trailer to my farm.
After a few hours of fighting with the harvester and tractor I managed to clear the whole field and have, by the looks of it, a lot of straw. I called the manager, Diego, as he is my only “friend” in town to happily tell him I harvested the field and had a little over 4 trailer loads of sorghum in my silo. No idea as of how much it is, as I do not have any clue how much the hopper of my harvester can have and how much the trailer can have. Diego told me he would bring an old truck over to my farm for a small lease price so I can carry more at once to sell the load. I sold about a truck and a half of the sorghum and made close to €22.000,- total.
First load
Harvest finished
My truck
The sorghum field is now full ow rows with straw. It’s already getting quite late and it was a really busy first day. Have learned a lot though. After a good night sleep I will drive to the store and see what Diego has for me.
A little list of things I need.
- baler
- bale trailer
- plow and cultivator
- something for fertilization
- something to seed my fields
I'm Elmer, I'm from the Netherlands and for a couple years now I have no idea what I want to do with my life. While browsing the internet I found a farm for sale and I always liked the idea of farming. I decided to give it a good night’s sleep and get back to it in the morning. I didn't sleep very good that night as I could only think about farming in another country. In the morning, I gave the real estate agent a call and we talked for a couple of hours about the farm and possibilities. The farm comes with a pretty big yard, lots of storage spaces and 3 fields. The price however it also pretty steep at €320.000,-. It's something I have to think about and see if I can get the money with selling my house, furniture, car, etc. I took an option for the farm while I try the get the money.
After a couple of weeks, a lot of phone calls and meetings with all kinds of different people, I managed to sell everything, bought a plane ticket to Spain and was on my way to a new life.
Chapter 1 / Day 1
Arriving in Spain, I knew where I needed to go, a small town called La Coronella, but it's in the middle of Spain and only one bus, once every 24 hours goes there. Of course I had to take a hotel as I arrived in the afternoon and the bus leaves in the early morning. The next day I stood up early, bought something at the local bakery around the corner and went to the bus station. The bus was right on time.
After 5 hours of sitting in the bus I saw the street signs with a very welcome town name, La Coronella
After meeting with the real estate agent, we talked for a bit and went to the farm to have a look around. While walking around I notice that everything is there and ready to be used, including a garage to maintain my own vehicles. After going back to the office I bought the farm and wire transferred €320.000,- to the real estate agent.
After a nice walk from the office to the farm I checked the fields I have and if something maybe was growing. All 3 fields are sown, the closest field has sugar beets growing, the field next to it has something with large red plumes, but I have no idea what it is. The field the farthest away from the farm is something which is still growing, no idea what it is. Took some pictures with my phone and walked back to town to the vehicle store I saw when coming into town with the bus.
Sugar Beet
No idea
Sorghum
After about 15 minutes of walking I arrived at the store. Had a little chat with the manager and he told me the field with the plumes is a sorghum field and by the looks of it, ready to harvest. So, I needed a harvester with header and a tractor with trailer. He told me he had an older harvester for a nice cheap price with a fitting header and a nice, but even older tractor and trailer.
He store manager was very helpful, as I have never driven a harvester, nor harvested a field. He explained me how to use the harvester and I could give him a call whenever needed if I’m having questions in the field. I drove the harvester to my farm and he had a colleague of him to drive the tractor and trailer to my farm.
After a few hours of fighting with the harvester and tractor I managed to clear the whole field and have, by the looks of it, a lot of straw. I called the manager, Diego, as he is my only “friend” in town to happily tell him I harvested the field and had a little over 4 trailer loads of sorghum in my silo. No idea as of how much it is, as I do not have any clue how much the hopper of my harvester can have and how much the trailer can have. Diego told me he would bring an old truck over to my farm for a small lease price so I can carry more at once to sell the load. I sold about a truck and a half of the sorghum and made close to €22.000,- total.
First load
Harvest finished
My truck
The sorghum field is now full ow rows with straw. It’s already getting quite late and it was a really busy first day. Have learned a lot though. After a good night sleep I will drive to the store and see what Diego has for me.
A little list of things I need.
- baler
- bale trailer
- plow and cultivator
- something for fertilization
- something to seed my fields