Shepherd and cheesemaker in Tenerife. At 34, he is the youngest shepherd in Teno Alto and also the youngest shepherd in Tenerife. Alexander López Rodríguez fears he will hold this title for a long time since succession, in livestock farming and in the goat sector in particular, does not seem to be successful.
He is pessimistic about the survival of shepherds on the island because it is a tough job, but he is content and enjoys it. Herding two hundred goats, milking them daily, and making cheese gives him a sense of fulfilment.
Alexander took an agricultural course in Tacoronte, where he lived and first found work in the world of cut flowers. At the age of 22, he decided to start a life as a sheepherder on the high plains of the Teno mountains, where his grandmother had a cottage. For five years, he ran the La Mulata farm, and then he became the owner of the Naturteno farm, which he has been managing for seven years.
Naturteno is recognized as one of the best cheesemakers in the Canary Islands. He produces a traditional soft cheese, a semi-cured raw milk cheese – which won the gold medal in the AgroCanarias competition – and a cured cheese, which is only available by order. The cheeses can be purchased at the farm itself, at the Saturday market in Buenavista – at the stall of Juana, Alexander’s mother – and in various shops in the municipality.
Awards
Alexander thought less is more and reduced the goat herd and thus the cheese production to increase the quality with differentiated products. The development of extensive livestock farming with traditional grazing methods on the large plateau of Teno Alto is an endogenous resource that is maintained as an economic activity in this region by barely a few goat herders.
It was therefore not surprising that Alexander, barely 25 years old, received the Agrojoven award from the government in 2013. This year he was invited by the government to participate in the Gastronomika fair in Donosti, where he and chef Juan Carlos Clemente presented a semi-smoked roasted cheese and also received an award for it.
Innovation
Alexander López enthusiastically recalls the reasons why he chose the smoked semi-sour cheese to present his cheesemaking at Gastronomika. This is one of the cheeses that represents us the most. The cheese is smoked for about 35 days, paying attention to the cooking time and humidity to achieve the desired result.
Alexander likes to innovate and surprised everyone two years ago by aging a cheese in a cave. The Inquieto, as the cheese is called, aged for over two months and has a mouldy rind and is extremely creamy inside. He is not just a trader; he is primarily a shepherd and cheesemaker in Tenerife.
Grazing livestock day and night on the farm’s lands is a luxury that must be appreciated for the excellent quality of the end product and because it contributes to the preservation of culture and tradition in this region.
Flock of Sheep
Unlike other economic sectors, the coronavirus pandemic has hardly been felt in Teno Alto. To great satisfaction, all the produced cheese is sold smoothly, and the coronavirus has no negative impact. He is less content with the lack of rainfall. It’s past mid-December, and the rain is still absent. As a result, the green bloom is missing, and supplementary feeding is required. This costs money and, therefore, makes the product more expensive.
He now also owns a flock of Canarian sheep to produce a pure cheese without any mixture and to market it under the name Cabra Norte.
Hard Labor
Alexander regrets that he cannot spend more time with his many friends in the village. Sheep and goats do not know holidays and do not know when it is the weekend. Every day, he drives from Tacoronto to Teno Alto – a twenty-minute journey – to bring the goats to the pasture, milk them, and make cheese every day anew. ‘He does it with a smile, there’s nothing like owning your business and working for yourself every day in such an idyllic place as Teno Alto,’ according to Alexander.
Alexander is both a shepherd and a trader. The farm can be visited in a location where time has stood still and where you have the most beautiful views over both the south and the north of Tenerife and the islands of La Gomera and La Palma. The air is pure and healthy, the climate sometimes chilly and cold, but mainly windy. There, Alexander herds his flock alone and thoughtfully produces his cheeses. He is a savvy shepherd and cheesemaker in Tenerife.
Read more about ‘Food’ [HERE].
TVC © Photograph
Shepherd and cheesemaker in Tenerife ©
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