The programme of the European Rural Youth Parliament included a series of complementary activities, in the design of which the Carreño Town Council collaborated, which included, in addition to musical performances, several visits to council entrepreneurs, as well as demonstrative workshops developed by different associations in the municipality.

So, on Monday, the day of arrival for an important part of the participants, a homemade cider making workshop was held, developed by the Homemade Cider Association of Carreño, chaired by Félix Muñoz. Cider and its world usually cause great interest for people outside Asturias, where it is their most traditional drink. Thus they could contemplate the exhibition of the twenty Asturian cider apples collected in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) brand and the most traditional way of its preparation, with the mayado (press) of the apple in a duerno (wooden container where this part of the production took place). 

They could also enjoy a demonstration of traditional sport, by the Monte Areo Rural Sports Team of Carreño, in which they could practice the game of the frog or the key and the races of panoyas, among others.

And of course they tasted part of the local pastries, with pumpkin fried and aniseed doughnuts made there by the Association of Rural Women Nosotr@s.

The musical note at night was put by the students of the Rock Group of the Municipal School of Music ‘Miguel Barrosa’ of Carreño, which versioned pieces well known to the audience, in which the families of Carreño shared space with the young participants of Parliament.

Tuesday was again a rainy day, like all week, and almost had to suspend field visits scheduled for the afternoon to young entrepreneurs in the environment. Finally, the group challenged the weather and were able to visit Fancornio Rural, the rural lodgings of Christopher Mitchell‘s family, one of the most active volunteers, where he guides, cares for the animals and acts as a monitor in different activities with minors.

The Frisian cow farm Pepemilio, in Guimarán, led by the young David Rodríguez García, was one of the visits that caused more sensation in part of the participants, surprised by the type of exploitation and ways of doing, such as the use of sand to make the beds of the cows. The part of the visit that was most interesting was related to the milking robot that attends to the 65 heads of cattle that this farmer has. Some of those attending Parliament had never seen or been aware of it in their countries of origin. 

Iván Busto Menéndez also answered the thousand and one questions posed by the delegation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, very interested in this type of production, about its ecological kiwi plantation, the only one in the council of Carreño certified by the Council of Ecological Agricultural Production of the Principality of Asturias (COPAE).

The afternoon visits closed with a stop at Sidra Peñón, attended by its fifth generation represented by Arturo González. Although the entire process of cider making could not be seen at a more business level (and that at this time of year is when more work is done with the reception of apples, cleaning them and stepping on the cider, which begins the process of alcoholic fermentation of the juice), they could enjoy a full explanation and the espichado of a large barrel, to taste the last cider.

After the cold of the afternoon at the Fábrica Ortiz, a bread-making workshop was waiting for them, run by the Association of Rural Women Nosotr@s, in which they learned to make sordough, a natural ferment that does not require any other type of yeast.

After dinner the group The version of the facts was the protagonist of the evening with its performance, encouraging the audience to dance with their rock versions.

The European Rural Parliament (ERP) is a long-term campaign that expresses the voice of Europe’s rural population and promotes self-help and action by the rural population, in partnership with civil society and governments. The ERP Youth movement serves as a platform for young people to participate in the rural development process, to CONNECT organisations and practitioners across Europe and to ENCOURAGE advocacy with stakeholders at various levels.