At the end of March, agricultural students at the Järva County Vocational Training Centre, Anti and Sirli, along with their teacher Karl Aru, spent a week in Valencia, Spain, as part of Energy for Farming project, visiting and getting acquainted with various companies that enable energy saving and more environmentally friendly energy production.
On the first day, the participants got acquainted with the local cooperative's solar pumping stations and reservoirs, where interesting facts about the field irrigation pump and its surroundings were collected. The nature of the plant itself, irrigation systems, fertilization and also livestock farming in Spain were introduced. In the afternoon, they went to the host vocational school EFA La Malvesia, where they also met a Spanish teacher who had once spent his exchange year in Estonia. At the school, the hosts introduced a variety of fields, such as forestry, gardening, farming and landscape architecture, and also their classrooms and students. During the visits to the different classes, some interesting things caught the eyes of our students, such as seed bombs to help regenerate the forests, and the taking of leaf samples from the olive trees, which were taken to a laboratory where samples were prepared and later grown. The host vocational school caught the attention of the participants in terms of different activities, designs and liveliness of the students.
Next day, the pellet plant was visited. Participants had a better idea of how the export, inspection and sampling of pellets and maintenance of the plant were done. After a visit to the factory, they headed to the mountains to learn about the situation of forest fires in Spain and how they could be better avoided. Areas of cultivation and fauna were also seen. The next destinations were wind turbines, the highest point in the province of Valencia, and finally a local goat farm. At the goat farm, the participants found out how electricity is produced with solar panels and how water systems are distributed there. They familiarized themselves with the purpose of the farm, its surroundings and with the goats that were born during the calving period. The most memorable fact of the day was the importance of forest management to prevent landscape fires.
The third day, started with a visit to Angel's almond, lavender and palm farm. There, a tour was conducted in the company's fields of activity, where the cultivation, productivity and sales of various plants were introduced. In addition to the tour, they talked about the company's solar panels and irrigation system, which is an important factor for a company located in a mountainous area. The second stop was the local tourist farm Maś de Noguera, where they talked about the nature, operation, energy consumption and production of the farm. They also got acquainted with the daughter of the farm owner, who had studied art in Tallinn within the framework of the Erasmus + project. The last destination of the day was a hike in the mountains to the Cerdaña Cave, which was difficult but well worth the journey.
Last days were filled with a visit to a local company operating the wells of Villena Alicante, whose main activity was to provide water to farmers and to supply water to towns and villages. The company's water intake sites and methods were examined, including the use and operation of water pumps and solar panels. After visiting the local company, participants were able to experience the nature and beauty of Valencia's largest beach, where information and new knowledge gained throughout the week were digested.
To sum up the learning week, it can be said that the time was meaningful and full of exciting new information, which broadened the horizon in many ways. The hosts at EFA La Malvesia Vocational School welcomed the students and teachers of our school with a warm heart and adventurous experience, giving them a unique opportunity to experience Spanish nature, life, culture and, above all, environmentally friendly businesses.
