Juan Ocaña

Livestock breeder in Crestellina (Casares, Málaga, Spain)

His dream is to have sown the seeds so that in the future there will be many cheesemakers and goatherds like him.

Juan Ocaña, together with his sister Ana Ocaña, is at the head of Crestellina and proudly carries a name that has been passed down through four generations, being the fourth in his family to bear the same name as his father, grandfather and great-grandfather.Juan can't remember when he learned to milk goats or sling, probably around the same time he learned to walk or talk.

Born in 1982, Juan is the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit and the engine of change in Crestellina. He reduced his herd to an eighth, 60 goats that he could manage in the way of his elders. He switched to organic production, opened the doors of the farm and turned it into a place to learn about the Payoya goat, the heritage of the Málaga and Cadiz mountains and the culture of shepherding. He has also been personally responsible for bringing Crestellina cheese to the best kitchens.