The saying goes that“Saint Isidore the Farmer takes away the water and brings the sun.” due to the relationship between the saint's name day and the moment when good weather begins, on May 15th.

He is a saint linked to agriculture and livestock farming, to whom people traditionally pray for good harvests, good weather and, lately, even good market conditions and profitable prices for farmers and ranchers.

But, to understand the relationship between the agricultural world and the saint, it is important to know the legend, the history, and his life.

Saint Isidore the Farmer was born in 1082 in Muslim Madrid, under the Taifa of Toledo. He was a Mozarabic farmer who worked for the Vargas family and other landowners such as Francisco Vera. 

He was born into a humble family of Mozarabic settlers who repopulated the lands won by Alfonso VI in the Reconquista.

Abundant water 

The information that begins to emerge about him starts in his youth, since after being orphaned he held various jobs, such as well digger, like his father, working for the Vera family. And it is here that we begin to learn that He had such a knack for water that there was no well at his disposal that did not yield abundant water, even in dry lands..

At this time, there is already a reference to one of his miracles. A lady, Doña Nuña, hired him to dig a well on her farm, an excessively rocky terrain that posed a great challenge for the protagonist. Even so, Through prayer he managed to soften the stone, where the imprint of his foot remained.

The invasion of central Iberia in 1110 by Ali ibn Yusuf led him to move to Torrelaguna. There he met Maria Toribia, whom he married and with whom he had a son, Saint Illán.

Oxen plowing

It is there that he works for the Vargas family. And it is also where, according to the story, one of his most famous miracles takes place. The farm workers complained to the Vargas family that Saint Isidore was always late because he was praying. One day the boss heard the complaints and went to see for himself. Upon arriving, he found that While Saint Isidore prayed, the oxen plowed by themselves.

Another of his miracles involved Mr. Vargas. They were experiencing a severe drought and had no way to feed their people, so he turned to Saint Isidore. He took out his divining rod, placed it on the ground, and water gushed forth from the spot.  

Rescue your son

Legend also tells of his son Illán. that He fell into the well of the house. Despite his wife's pleas to save him, he The saint began to pray and the water in the well rose until it brought the child to the surface.

Mystery sack of grain

And the story goes that the passage of the mysterious sack of grain is also well-known. One snowy day, he was walking to a mill carrying a heavy sack of grain on his back. Along the way, he felt sorry for a group of birds who, because of the snow, were unable to find food on the ground. Saint Isidore decided to share some of the grain he was carrying with them. When he arrived at his destination, he was astonished to find the sack full again.   

 The miracles recounted in the story of Saint Isidore are always related to agriculture or livestock farming. Therefore, the saint is always depicted with a farm dog or a pair of oxen and some farming implement that reveals his profession. A profession that demonstrates responsibility, solidarity, and professionalism, and involves hard work to ensure that food is always on the table.