Coronavirus stories: the mill that was a museum and produced flour again to survive

Carlos Guajardo

07/27/2020 - 12:33

• Clarín.com
• Society

"I ran out of tourism. No one in more than four months due to the coronavirus pandemic. I was spending what little savings I had. And then I thought about running the mill to produce . I bought wheat with what little silver I had left and started making and bagging flour to sell. It was the only way to survive. "

Juan Mervyn Evans is the owner of the small tourist complex of the Nant Fach mill , located a few kilometers from the town of Trevelin , in the Chubut mountain range. He is a descendant of pioneers and in 1994 it occurred to him to build the mill that two years later turned into a museum . There, tourists could see a whole process of making flour and even take some products.

“We were developing on a small scale. Only for tourists. But now everything changed. The pandemic made us think about how we were going to survive. And then after making some arrangements, we put the mill into full production so that we could make flour and sell it in bags. Until this is over and we can return to normality, "Juan told Clarín .

When the mill was required to work 8 to 10 hours (previously they only made it work for a short time for visitors to observe it) the 18-year-old wooden wheel could not support it and it broke . “We had to make a new, metallic one. Now it is working well, responding to the needs of its new role. ”

Juan under the snow. This is how he worked to rebuild his mill and to survive./ Juan Evans

“Anyway, this is like sinking and floating for a while with a life preserver . Now I can sell in Esquel (a city located about 14 kilometers from Trevelin) because the municipality gave me a permit. But I sell at a price that does not leave me much margin. Because otherwise people don't buy. Everything is very wrong. Even to buy flour and make bread, "added Juan.

And he said: "We work a total of about 8 hours a day, producing about 80 kilos per day ."

In this way, the residents of the Andean area can access a locally produced wholemeal flour, as it had not happened for many years. "We offer whole wheat flour, a wheat flour that is not fumigated, that does not have chemicals that are harmful to health."

The history of the flour mills in Colonia 16 de Octubre (where Esquel and Trevelin are now located, in the Chubut mountain range) has its beginnings with the arrival of the first Welsh settlers who settled in 1888. From the first Rhys mill Thomas in 1891, would be followed by John Daniel Evans, Martin Underwood and many others.

A flourishing industry based on prestigious quality wheat emerged in the area, winning international awards (Paris, 1889, Gold Medal; 1893 and 1918 other first prizes at the Chicago Exposition).

Juan's grandfather and great-grandfather were pioneers in the area. They were among the first Welsh settlers to arrive at this heavenly place and where a plebiscite decided that they did not want to belong to Chile but would continue under the same Argentine flag. Today Juan must reinvent himself. And for this he works hard even under the snowfalls that punish Patagonia.

His idea of ​​showing visitors how flour was made in ancient times, the one he developed for more than 26 years, was shelved, at least for a time, until this pandemic that attacked the world decided to stop doing us harm. Then Juan will return to what he always dreamed of and will reopen the doors of his museum from which all visitors leave with a smile.

Manual for living with a coronavirus infected

What is Coronavirus? How is it spread and what are its symptoms?

DD