In the middle of the Sierra Norte De Madrid, between mountains and dirt roads, a shepherd manages his flock only with a cell phone in his hand. Her name is Clara Benito and has transformed her way of life into an example of rural innovation: it leads the largest ecological flock in the world managed remotely through an application connected to the GPS necklaces. “The application allows virtual fences and when the goats approach these limits, the necklaces emit a sound that makes them go back”clear in Barrel by Tomás Sanjuán, in More than a Madrid.
Clara changed more than a decade in the Malasaña district for the Sierra Norte de Madrid. It started with five goats and today is 140, in addition to six dogs that protect and guide the flock. Everything is part of “Among the wolves”His project of regenerative livestock, which not only tries to produce ecological cheese, but also takes care of the environment and regenerate the soil.
How does the app work?
The system used allows you to create virtual fences from the mobile phone, Delimit the areas where animals graze. When a goat approaches the limits, the necklace emits a sound. This allowed him to rotate the pastures, avoid erosion and earn time for many other things, because Clara has no longer had to spend the whole day with her flock. In addition, the flock, fueled exclusively by the mountain, He also collaborates in fire prevention tasks, creating natural firewalls. Clara works in coordination with the firefighters and has received institutional support for the environmental value of her work.
Coexistence with wolves
Despite the presence of the Iberian wolf in the area, Clara defends coexistence with wildlife. Their Mastiff dogs, raised next to the goats, bring defensive necklaces that protect them from possible attacks.
Currently, next to your partner, you are building A cheese in the city close to Serrada de la Fuentewhich will open under the name of Wild grass. Its goal is to continue to advance in a sustainable model, without giving up technology.
However, their efforts and views have already been recognized beyond our borders: in 2023 it was assigned as a more sustainable farmer in Europe.
