• Campos de Uleila, a producer of extra virgin olive oil, now has a series of walkways so that visitors can learn about the complete olive process.
• The visit ends with a tasting of oils and other local products, highlighting and supporting local development.

Projects supported by the LEADER approach in the agricultural sector allow for the achievement of a wide variety of objectives: crop diversification, assistance with the acquisition of machinery, or the implementation of innovative solutions, among others. However, in some circumstances, it can broaden a project's horizons to activities beyond the purely agricultural.

This is the case of Campos de Uleila , an olive farm in Uleila del Campo (Almería), which has expanded its usual oil production to tourism in the heart of the Tabernas Desert . Run by Mariola Hidalgo, this farm was founded in 1998 by her father Rogelio, and today stands out for its exemplary ecological sustainability.

“It's been a very natural evolution,” Hidalgo tells the PAC Network. “We like to show how we work; we're driven by a passion for quality extra virgin olive oil.” With that in mind, they received support from the Filabres-Alhamilla Rural Development Group , whose help “was key” because it was “the push” they needed to meet the costs required for the tourism project they had in mind.

Tourism in the desert

The Uleila del Campo area is located northeast of the main desert zone and is not known for much tourism. However, Hidalgo and his team believed that the farm's privileged desert environment, its working methods, and the quality of its produce were worthy of a visit by tourists who typically flock to the province's coastal areas.

Thus, in 2018, they began a project based on a walkway system, which was completed in 2019 and offers visitors a holistic experience. In Hidalgo's words, it's about "discovering, from the very beginning, the journey the olive takes from the moment it's on the tree : how it grows and ripens in the natural environment, with its key moments, until finally obtaining its juice, extra virgin olive oil."

The tour begins at the estate, where panels and guided tours explain the natural environment, the estate's working methods, and the Olivares Vivos project — a LIFE Program project to restore the biodiversity of the olive groves of which the estate is a part. The tour then continues through the laboratory and reaches two elevated viewing points for observing the factory and winery.

Supporting local commerce

The other key lies at the end of the tour, as visitors finish their experience with a tasting of a variety of oils along with a series of local, zero-mile products. This is because the project was designed to collaborate with wineries, cheese factories, and artisanal jam factories in the area, so the project also contributes to local development .

Thus, the wine tasting and pairing that concludes the visit supports local producers, and the innovative tourist option is a boost for the local hospitality industry .

This local character, coupled with the fact that Campos de Uleila often opens its doors to many companies that decide to hold their work meetings or annual get-togethers there, provides "another business perspective that comes down to earth and showcases traditional trades," says Hidalgo.

The LEADER project has also enabled the creation of a job .

Financing

The project, supported by the Filabres-Alhamilla Regional Government (RGD), has a total investment of €379,925, of which €193,896 was awarded. This latter amount is 90% co-financed by the European Union and 10% by the Regional Government of Andalusia, under LEADER submeasure 19.2 of the Andalusian Rural Development Program 2014-2022.