Lockdown-born microfarm in Pyrenees expands to 800 free-range hens 

The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenging time for businesses, forcing many to close. But as lockdown restrictions were lifted, new business ideas became a reality. 

Pere Roca's family always kept chickens in the garden. When lockdown ended, the young farmer decided to start selling eggs in his Pyrenean hometown of La Seu d'Urgell, in northern Catalonia, close to the border with Andorra.  

The business began with Roca going door-to-door to local shops to sell his free-range eggs, a strategy that quickly expanded both his customer base and his farm, growing it to 350 hens within a year. 

The 28-year-old told the Catalan News Agency (ACN), that his main priority has always been to maintain the high quality of the product.  

"I'm not looking to turn my farm into a macro-farm," Roca says. "The aim of my farm is to keep the quality for my buyers. If one day the demand is higher, we'll see what happens." 

The eggs are sold within 24 hours of being laid, ensuring they reach customers as fresh as possible. 

More than 15 businesses and restaurants in the small town of La Seu d'Urgell buy eggs from Roca and have helped to grow the farm to 800 animals.  

Bureaucracy and flexibility 

Roca's financial goal is to have an income after making sure that all expenses are covered, rather than expanding the company to make it a large enterprise. One of the difficulties he says he has faced is excess bureaucracy, which, more than once, has made him consider whether it was worth continuing with the project. 

He claims that paperwork takes a long time and is excessively complicated, including a lot of regulations.  

One thing Roca likes about his job is the flexibility in his working hours, although the hens have to follow routines and he has to adapt to their rhythms.  

"I have always liked nature, being in open spaces, and hens are animals that are quite easy to handle," Roca said.