It all started long before Pedro Cabrera existed.
My grandfather started by acquiring small farms around Jabalquinto. There was no brand behind it, nor a growth plan as we understand it today. There was work, patience, and the intention to build something that would last.
Over the years, those small farms became the foundation of what is now our family's olive grove.
My father
My father was an economist, and he also applied that way of thinking to farming. He'd look at the numbers, walk around the estates, and try to understand where it made sense to act and what could be done better.
Over the years, he transformed the family olive grove. He extended irrigation, incorporated new plantings when necessary, and improved the estates with a very clear idea in mind: every decision had to leave the next harvest better prepared.
There's something of his that I always remember. He was less concerned about the estates that were doing well. His attention was on those that could improve, on the problem that needed to be solved, and on what could still be done better.
He used to say that farming wasn't about profitability; it was about security. A good harvest wasn't an invitation to spend more, but an opportunity to continue investing, gain peace of mind, and be prepared for when a worse season came.
That way of understanding farming is still behind many of the decisions we make today.
The countryside as a refuge
For my father, the countryside was also his way of disconnecting.
On long summer afternoons, he would wait for the heat to subside before losing himself for a while among the fields. He liked to walk them unhurriedly, see how everything was going, notice the flowering or the first fruits of the coming harvest, and check that everything was taking its course.
These were peaceful moments, almost always at the end of the day. Knowing him, I think these might have been some of his favorite moments.
Jabalquinto was his way of returning to his roots.
Andrew
Andrés has been working with our family for more than twenty years. He knows the farms, the irrigation systems, and every season as if they were his own.
My father used to talk to him almost every night during the winter. Sometimes just to find out if it had rained, how many liters had fallen, or how the crops were doing.
That relationship of trust has been fundamental throughout all these years. Today, Andrés continues to be my eyes on the ground, the person who knows every detail and who continues to look, just like my father did, for where improvements can be made.
Transmission
For many years, my father kept me away from managing the farm. He wanted me to make my own way, to study, and to build my life outside of what had meant so many hours and so much responsibility for him.
During his illness, that started to change. Little by little, he began to teach me how everything was structured, what numbers he looked at, what decisions he considered important, and where the points were that needed the most attention.
After his passing, it was my turn to continue. Not trying to do things exactly as he did them, but understanding his way of thinking and trying to keep it alive in every decision.
Pedro Cabrera
My grandfather built the estates.
My father transformed them.
It's up to me to give them a voice.
That's where Pedro Cabrera comes from.
We didn't inherit an olive grove. We inherited the responsibility to improve it.