Organic Farming

We value nature.

We value organic farming as an agricultural system that supplies fresh, tasty, and authentic food to citizens, whilst respecting the natural life cycles of the soil and ecosystems.

Organic farming is based on a series of principles and common practices, such as: crop rotation, not using synthetic, chemical fertilizers or pesticides, using natural resources and preserving the surrounding environment.

In short, the aim is to use the lessons learned from nature and from biological processes, using the relationships and activity of different living beings (bacteria, fungi, insects, humans, etc.). This process has a number of advantages, the main ones being:

promoting and developing the biological cycles within the production system, maintaining the soil's long-term fertility;
Contributing towards the correct use of water and soil, improving the local ecosystem and increasing biodiversity.

Learn how to implement an Organic Farm with us

Organic Farming is a complex process and has many variables. Nonetheless, here is some essential information which can help you succeed in starting and maintaining your organic kitchen garden. So, keep the following steps in mind:

1. Prepare the soil

Before beginning the kitchen garden, assess the need of preparing the land for cultivation. This step should preferably begin with selecting a location and analyzing the soil. The soil in Portugal is typically deficient in organic matter, which is why we recommend adding home compost or NUTRIMAIS, to improve the characteristics of the soil (porosity, drainage, and fertility). The location should be as flat as possible and exposed to sun throughout the day. The soil shall be well drained and weeds shall be taken into account.

2. Plan the kitchen garden

Planning is essential, which is why we shall prepare space for both cultivation and maintenance (paths, irrigation, ...). Plan a layout and don't forget to plan the kitchen garden area according to your availability of means and time. It's important to plan your kitchen garden by incorporating the regional variables, as these guarantee a better adaptation to the place where your kitchen garden is situated.

3. Reproduction

Before sowing/planting, we shall consider the type of crops we want in our kitchen garden. Don't forget that the crops available vary according to season. Plants can be reproduced by different methods:

Sexual reproduction - sowing (seedbeds, germination trays); or
Asexual reproduction - cutting, layering, air layering, shaft division.

4. Maintenance

Maintaining the kitchen garden is key. At this stage, weeding shall be carried out, as weeds compete with the planted crops, taking nutrients and water from them. Weeding involves inverting the soil to encourage ventilation. These shall be carried out before watering.

5. Harvesting and storing

Harvesting the crops at their perfect ripeness requires observation, sharp senses, and a perfect judgment. The taste and texture of the vegetables grown in the kitchen garden are much richer, and cannot be compared with the vegetables bought at supermarkets. Products can be stored in various ways and according to the vegetable in question. However, remember that storage entails the loss of nutrition and taste.