Behind every strawberry that grows in the Patagonian steppe is a story of transformation, courage, and love for the land. In 2025, the Strawberries of the Wind project grows alongside producers committed to sustainable, resilient, and distinctive family farming. Today we introduce them to you.

Simón and Andrea – Cholila (680 seedlings)

From Comodoro Rivadavia to the heart of the Andes, they decided to leave the city and embrace a life closer to nature. They settled in Cholila with a visible love for the surroundings. Their land is tidy and well-maintained, and they live with deer that come right up to their house. A true example of harmony with the environment.

Karen – Paso de Indios (1,350 seedlings)

A volunteer firefighter, enthusiastic and determined, Karen drives the fire truck... and her garden too! Her passion for the project was contagious: she organized talks, recruited other neighbors, and thanks to her, we met Pehuén. Her energy drives the entire community.

Abel – Gualjaina (1,900 seedlings)

“I'm a fencer, but I want to be a farmer,” he said when we met him. Today he is one: he traded his truck for a tiller and found a life-changing passion in the garden and his strawberries. He works alone, happily, accompanied by chickens… and always waits for us with a barbecue.

José and Anita – El Maitén (2,700 seedlings)

A young couple with deep roots in horticulture. She is studying to be a social worker, he teaches at an agricultural school and is a rope maker—an art on the verge of extinction. Their dream is to make a living from agroecological production, raise their son in the countryside, and pass on their love for the land to him.

Milo and Laura – Sierra Negra, Paso del Sapo (1,300 seedlings)

Dedicated a lifetime to livestock farming, he now seeks to diversify his production with strawberries. His goal: to create the conditions for his wife, a home care worker, to return to the countryside from Esquel. Together with her mother, Doña Mila, over 90 years old, she dreams of a shared rural life.

Laura Díaz – Alto Río Percy (1,200 seedlings)

Heir to family rural tourism, she found in Frutillas del Viento a way to enhance her work at home and generate income: today she laughs because she earns more than her husband! Laura and her sisters are involved in hiking and mycotourism projects, supporting sustainable local development.

Other producers who make up this wonderful team are Dalmacia (Paso del Sapo, 1,900 seedlings), Fabiana (Paso del Sapo, 1,200 seedlings and solar pumping), José and Mirta (Paso del Sapo, 1,000 seedlings and solar pumping), Liliana (Costa de Lepá, 750 seedlings and wind pumping), Mario and Ana (Trevelin, 1,000 seedlings), and Pehuen (Paso de Indios, 1,350 seedlings).

Innovation, equity, and sustainability: the fruits of the first year.

During the first year of the project:

• More than 80 producers were trained in high-value-added horticulture and efficient water use.
• Twelve horticultural production units were implemented with socio-technical innovations, and 18,000 seedlings were incorporated, achieving a 30% water saving.
• Ten units were led by women in management and marketing roles, meeting the equity objectives set for the entire project.
• Three renewable energy and water pumping systems were installed (two solar and one wind).
• More than 70 personalized technical assistance sessions were provided, consolidating a network of technical support in the field.
• Six local technicians were trained in sustainable horticultural production.

Frutillas del Viento is much more than a productive project: it is a network of stories that flourish in the Patagonian wind, driven by renewable energy, the strength of the communities, and the hope for a just future.

This project is part of the productive axis of the RedER Chubut program, led by the 500RPM Foundation with support from the European Union in Argentina. The project has the support and accompaniment of INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology), as well as the interest of the Provincial Government, whose Minister of Production visited beneficiary producers and committed to actions to improve access to water.

 

Learn more at www.frutillasdelviento.ar