He grew up in the suburbs, in Vicente López, but going to a familiar field in the south of Buenos Aires. After, love took her to Nogoyá, Entre Ríoswhere she settled 30 years ago, growing a rodeo with her husband Hereford.
As a corollary, from 2023 to 2025 will be the president of the Nogoyense Rural Society.
Who is it? María Gabriela “Gaby” Guzmánthe protagonist of a new chapter of the ELLAS podcast serieswhere he tells, among other things, his path, his challenges and his passions beyond the field: for example, singing in the city’s polyphonic choir.
His field is in Algarrobitos, department of Nogoyá: the Half is occupied by about 250 animals and the rest with agriculture, through contractors.
The union thing arose a while ago, but now that her son is taking the lead in the countryside, and she is more in the administrative field, you have the rest to get even more involved.
– What do you remember about the countryside as a child? With whom? Doing what?
– I was born in Buenos Aires, I grew up in Vicente López, but there was a family farm in the Pedro Luro area, south of Buenos Aires. And since I always liked the countryside, I used to go there a lot with dad. What filled my soul the most were those mass erras, which Daddy organized, where everyone came from the neighboring ranches, people from the town, they all got together with the linked ones, capadas, roasts, empanadas, people who then played tricks, the taba, it really was a party.
– Many people I ask about their childhood remember the mistakes. They continue to be made, but not as massive, right?
– They are still being done, but I would say not with so many people. Now more care is sought, asepsis, but hey, some continue to throw nice parties.
– The time has come to study… What did you choose? Did you have a plan B?
– I was between veterinary medicine and agriculture and I decided on agriculture. My plan B was always something related to English, because I had gone to a bilingual school all my life. My mother insisted more on that side, because she told me, what was I going to do in the field? A woman… but I started farming, then came a trip that, when I returned, it seemed like things were taking a long time and I worked as an English teacher and I realized that teaching was not my thing at that time. And after a while I started Agricultural Production and Administration at the UB, which was a short degree that would allow me to go to the countryside soon.
– What did your parents do? What did you receive from them?
– Dad was an industrialist. We had textile companies. And mom, although she had entered engineering school, it was a complicated time and she ended up being a housewife.
– Later, love took you to the province of Entre Ríos. Tell me about that experience…
– When I started with the technical degree, the idea was to go to the south of Buenos Aires, where the family farm was. But there I met the person who is my husband today. And after finishing the technical course we made the decision to come to Entre Ríos, because he lived here and had his entire family. So we came to Nogoyá, and what we were going to invest in Buenos Aires we did here. From Vicente López we came to live in the middle of the countryside.
– And what were they putting together productively?
– Very little by little we started with a breeding herd. That a few years ago began to be polished and we have already entered the Hereford VIP dialing plan. We have a herd of about 200-250 cows. Up to that point we get half of the field, we occupy the other half to produce agriculture with contractors.
– What do you do in the field? What do you like to do related to production?
– I took care of everything. From walking with the wire pulling machine on top of the truck and stopping when I had to adjust, to on top of the tractor to pass a harrow or getting on the horse and collecting money. All. Do I did everything. It was from my grandfather’s school that said that in order to teach someone one had to first be able to do everything. What I like most is hanging out with animals and I’m very interested in genetics, and now that I’m more in administration, I tell my son that he’s more with animals, I tell him to let me know when there’s a lockdown because I want to be with them. animals. But now looking at it from the genetics and seeing how that herd is progressing with the incorporation of new bulls, that fascinates me.
– How has it been for you as a woman in rural areas? How do you see the evolution and today of women in this medium?
– Women were always present, perhaps today they have more visibility, but they were always there. I was very young, I was 18 years old, when my father got sick and I had to go alone to the countryside in Pedro Luro, and it is true, at first as a young woman and as a woman they did not take me seriously, but little by little, with firmness and The knowledge gained respect and I made my way. And in Entre Ríos the same thing happened to me. Women have always been very present and essential in rural development. Today she is more visible. It wasn’t complicated for me, but you have to make your way with delicacy, knowledge and firmness.
And then unionism arose in your life. What excites and motivates you about that?
– I started to be interested in them a long time ago, but with the younger kids they were a priority for me. So I didn’t have time. Once I joined the Rural Commission I loved it and I am interested, I like it, I try to prepare myself to rise to the occasion.
– What two or three things concern you and occupy you from the Rural de Nogoyá and from the Federation of Rural Associations of Entre Ríos (FARER)?
– There are three hot topics. One is the issue of foot-and-mouth disease, the negotiation with the laboratories, seeing how the producer is going to be reimbursed, because since the price of foot-and-mouth disease came out he was already reneging. The other issue is Real Estate, we expected the increase that was agreed upon to be a little less: there may be limits that could reach 190%, and after three years of drought the pressure here is great. And the primary issue, I would tell you that it is the mother of all battles, is rural roads. They are an issue that hits us all, the producer, the teacher, the sick person who cannot be taken off the field. Years of abandonment. Roads are now present, there is good will, but there are no resources. Here in Entre Ríos we are waiting because it has been promised that 50% of what is collected from Rural Real Estate will go to Roads directly. The issue of rural roads is the most complicated. Obviously there is the issue of withholdings, which complicates, already at the national level. And immediately, the leafhopper arrived and is doing terrible damage.
OUT OF THE FURROW
– Do you have any activities outside of work, in the countryside or rural areas, that allow you to put your mind elsewhere and then return to your tasks the next day?
– I have two or three things. One is with English, but instead of teaching I studied translation, so in my free time I dedicate myself to translating, which I am passionate about. Another thing that resets me is that I sing in a polyphonic choir in the city and that makes me forget everything. It is something that fills my soul.
– Exactly the next question has to do with music. What do you like to listen?
– With a few exceptions, I like everything. I love Phil Collins, Coldplay, The Cranberries, that’s been with me for a long time. But also Alejandro Sanz, Ella dances alone, reminds me of a time in my life that we sang with my sister. And lately there is a composer, I think he is Norwegian, Ola Gjeilo, who makes instrumental and choral music, he gives a lot of peace. And if you play a samba for me I love it too. But it’s a huge range, and if I’m really down I put on one of those that lift your spirits and that’s it. Music always accompanies me.
– In movies and series?
– I really like police and suspense series. That gets me. I was watching a couple of Nordic series that I liked because of the aesthetics and how they are told. I also like historical ones.
– Is there any dish of food that you make and that you say: “I can’t fail with this”?
. I love risotto, I usually make it and I think it turns out well because everyone praises it… although I’m not much of a cook, I must admit (laughs).
– Any place you would like to visit?
– Argentina has wonderful places and I have traveled a lot. I would like to be there again because I was very very young, in Ceuta, which is where my father was born. Go big there and tour that city.
– Do you have any closing phrase from this talk that motivates you every day?
– “The only thing impossible is what we do not try.” I always keep that in mind. If you have a dream, you have to try. Must try. And lately I heard one that I loved that said that if you die and have money left over, you did your math wrong. I loved her. To remember all the time that what you have you have to enjoy and share.
WOMEN IN CAMPAIGN
“ELLAS” is a series of podcasts made by Infofield with rural women who inspire because of their entrepreneurial history, and who have the support of “Women in Campaign”, an initiative of New Holland Agriculture which already has a long way to go and ambassadors from different parts of the country.
The Women in Campaign Initiative (MEC) emerged when we began to notice that There are many women involved in the field with great capabilities and we all had something in common“The need to share experiences linked to the countryside and rural work, our main objective is to make visible the role of rural women in any of their tasks, whether as a client or as a reference for the sector,” said Natalia Álvarez, Marketing New reference. Holland Argentina.
From “Mujeres en Campaña” they developed the concept of “ambassadors” which allows you to learn a little more about each person in their field and, in turn, spread the word about how they work and how they feel.
The objective of this pairing between THEY and Women in Campaign is to reach women of different ages and different geographical areas. “It makes us proud when a parent tells us that He recommended that his daughter sign up for our platform to train and take one of the courses we offer,” added Álvarez.
From the MEC platform, you can access training, forums, workshops, interviews and content of interest, in addition, it has a Fair for Entrepreneurs to publicize the projects led by the followers.
