We are at Herdade dos Tomazes on the outskirts of Alandroal. For the 8000ha of hills as far as the eye can see, strolling serpentina goats, cows of various breeds, and even sows. Each animal has a specific function: cows graze and promote the renewal of herbs, pigs revolve the soil and goats clean everything.
Herdade dos Tomazes
+351 967 346 312
ELIPEC
Group of meat producers from Alentejo
Avenida Badajoz 3, Apartado 234
7350-903 Elvas
How to get there
Texto de Tiago Pais
Fotografias de Tiago Pais
We are at Herdade dos Tomazes on the outskirts of Alandroal. For the 8000ha of hills as far as the eye can see, strolling serpentina goats, cows of various breeds, and even sows. Each animal has a specific function: cows graze and promote the renewal of herbs, pigs revolve the soil and goats clean everything.
The housekeepers Zé and Armanda know their functions and their needs. After all, they have been on the estate for 30 years, the same time as their daughter’s age. It is Zé who guides the animals daily. He knows by heart where to take them and what to eat and drink each day. And you just have to look at them to understand what they need. It’s called intuition.
While Zé leads the goats towards the large stable, to protect them from the heat, Armanda pulls us to a kind of goat kindergarten, the area where the young are concentrated. They are friendly, they come to eat at the hand of the visitors. The hostess looks at them like a drooling aunt to her nephews. "They are beautiful, aren't they?" asks with the intonation of someone who doesn’t need to hear the answer.
Herdade dos Tomazes is just one of about 100 producers and farms that are part of ELIPEC. This group has been led by Isabel Bulhão since 2008. Isabel is not the prototype of a farmer or cattle rancher. From Lisbon, moved to the Alentejo for family reasons. But she adapted quickly - the speech is firm and knowledgeable. For example, defends the need to increase the production of national cattle. “Portugal consumes 40% of national beef, 60% is imported. We should increase local production but, in the CAP, [Common Agricultural Policy, defined by the European Union] they want to take everything away from us”, he complains.
When asked about the sustainability of this production, she does not take long to point to a small herd visible in the distance. “Do you see those animals over there? They are entitled to one hectare each”. ELIPEC's philosophy is precisely this: low headings in extensive organic or integrated production regimes, in which each animal has a lot of land to itself and feeds on local pastures and forages. The meat of these animals is sold with the Elipec Bio or Herança do Alentejo labels, depending on whether the production method is organic or integrated.
