The Jarmelista came from the northern Iberia, the Asturian Mountains, to work the fields. Once a Jarmelista reared her young she would stop giving milk. 

In those days and for centuries, women would have ten or more children. After the fourth or fifth birth they no longer provided milk. Their youngsters were fed with goat milk. Most of them would not prevail. 

But, once in a while, a Jarmelista, later to give rise to the Jarmelista breed, would continue to give milk even when their calves no longer needed. These cows were favoured for reproduction. 

The repetition and the passage of time produced a genetic alteration and a miracle of symbiosis happened: The Jarmelista after raising her young would continue to give milk to help humans, the Mothers of another species, to feed their healthy children. 

In Fragas e Colinas we consider this genetic alteration, made in equilibrium with nature, to be but short of being, a miracle. However, Homos Sapiens Sapiens is ungrateful. Once mechanized agriculture took over the Jarmelistasaw a decline in numbers. By the sixties of the twenty century the Jarmelista was on the verge of total extinction. 

A few good men led by Agostinho da Silva made their purpose in life to guarantee that this wonderful cow would continue on the slopes and heights of Jarmelo and surrounding parishes. ‍It is for these Jarmelistas that Fragas e Colinas works and toils. We could not do anything else but give our stock care, love and tenderness.