Organic farmer and rural development advocate · 1954-2020s
Organic farmer and rural development advocate
Gelasio Fernández del Castillo was an organic farmer, entrepreneur and promoter of rural development in Tegueste. His work connected sustainable farming, neighbourhood participation and local initiatives such as the Tegueste market.
He was born in Tegueste in 1954. After early work in hospitality, he pursued training outside the Canary Islands and worked in Venezuela before returning to the island. He later created the Teguevending company and combined that activity with organic farming.
At his El Pilón holding he applied organic horticultural methods and promoted practices focused on water saving, composting and agricultural biodiversity. He spoke at rural development and agriculture events in Tegueste, where he was presented as an organic horticulturist.
His municipal political work was linked to economic and rural development. The Tegueste market's own history identifies Fernández del Castillo as the councillor who promoted its launch in 2004. Fundación Tenerife Rural honoured him posthumously in its twelfth edition for promoting the values of Tenerife's rural world.
