Pedro Antonio Rubio Tristá is a farmer at the Josué País credit and services cooperative, who gets up every day long before the sun rises to milk his cows, and finishes the daily task when it is already getting dark.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- He is one of the producers who deliver the most milk to the dairy industry because of his perseverance and responsibility. "I work to guarantee that food, mainly for children, and that fills me with satisfaction. We have to sacrifice a lot, we don't even have Sundays off, but this work makes me happy. Although we only do what we have to do, I think it is essential."

"To be a good cattle rancher you have to feel a lot of love. We can't get up reluctantly to milk the cows. We must treat the animals as if they were family; if you don't speak to the cow with affection, she won't give you milk," he says. At the same time, Pedro Antonio considers it essential to start raising rams and other animals and to dedicate part of his land to the production of vegetables.

"We can't neglect the family's consumption. I have oxen, carts, and horses. On my farm, there is no lack of plantains and donkeys, cassava... It is inconceivable that a farmer does not have food to offer to his family and animals."You must ensure food for the drought, plant sugar cane, fodder, and protein plants, put your chest out and be very sacrificial, and feed the cattle. I also think that producers must know about genetics; you cannot have a zebu cow and not know that you have to mount it with a three-quarter Siboney bull, genetically well. There are indeed material problems, but it is urgent to produce, despite the adversities."

This farmer was a director of the National Association of Small Farmers and president of "Josué País" for more than 10 years. When he looks back, he feels joy for what he has achieved, but, above all, his desire to continue contributing to society with his work grows.
As an agronomist engineer, Pedro Antonio completed a mission in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in 2015. He worked in indigenous communities in the state of Bolivar, on the borders with Brazil and Guyana, and on the banks of the Orinoco River, amidst its forests and vast plains, and the enormous flat-topped mountains.

"There, I was part of a project of the Guaicaipuro mission. I taught the natives how to plant tomatoes; I obtained a good yield in the sweet potato harvest, and I ended up as a teacher, giving lectures. It was a difficult task, in difficult conditions and in the middle of the jungle. I spent bad nights, but I put the name of Las Tunas and Cuba on high, in one of the greatest experiences of my life. I feel proud for having given my contribution to the people of Bolívar and Hugo Chávez."

Pedro has four children and three grandchildren, and speaks of his wife with pride, because "she is my right and left hand. She is everything to me, together we have formed a beautiful family, and a farm that is our great paradise", he assures while she, close to him, looks at him with loving eyes and a mischievous smile.

The dialogue takes place in the offices of the cooperative. Pedro is in a hurry, working on his job. Outside, his cart is waiting for him to return home. "Call me on my cell phone, journalist, because you have to go to the farm to see everything we have," he says and he rushes off in his horse-drawn carriage towards the winding roads of Barranca, a rural community in the municipality of Las Tunas. There, Pedrito, or El Rubio, as he is also called, has his headquarters, where he likes to enjoy his family, the animals, and his life in the countryside, which fills him with happiness.