Hello there,
How are you?
We're doing very well here, still working... It's almost mid-September already, wow, time flies!
We're counting down the days until we resume deliveries. We'll probably be back in early October, so cross your fingers 🤞
But you can imagine that returning involves a lot of work. And, at the same time, we're busy with other tasks...
At Campos del Abuelo, we're "multitasking," as they say now 😂
First of all, we're spraying the oranges with a natural oil to combat whiteflies. Bugs in this line of work can be welcome or not.
On the side of bugs we do want around are ladybugs, bees, and bumblebees, and on the other side, whiteflies, tomato leafminers, aphids... I'll tell you more about them later.
But back to whiteflies.
This insect causes what we call "sooty mold," producing a honeydew that settles on the underside of the leaf (the back of the leaf) and makes the orange turn black on the outside:
It's a pest that concerns us.
It appeared a couple of years ago and is getting worse. As I mentioned, we're currently applying paraffin oil, but the truth is that this little fly is hard to combat.
The positive thing is that we're focused and working to combat this pest in a sustainable way. And even more positively, the "sooty mold" doesn't affect the inside of the orange, and once cleaned, it looks as good as new. Look:
On the other hand, the second task: we're still thinning persimmons.
What we do when thinning persimmons is remove excess fruit. Because imagine if every little flower that bloomed in spring turned into fruit, well... the tree wouldn't have the strength to feed them all!
In agriculture, everything is a process that, as I told you last week, must have a balance.
That's why excess persimmons are removed, so that those remaining on the tree can get all the sun and nutrients they need to become delicious, plump persimmons.
Just like the one Salvador is holding here:
As I mentioned, we're preparing everything to resume deliveries, that's the third task. Together with the team, we continue working so that, as soon as the products are ready, we can send the best of Spanish agriculture to your home 🌱
Well, changing the subject and to conclude... if you were wondering about the tractor: it's still broken, but at least we know what's wrong with it. But that's a story for a future newsletter.
As you can see, we're moving forward step by step.
Lastly, I woke up wanting to write, so I want to share one of those "masterclasses" with you.
Here's a super article where I show you how to graft a tree, like professionals do, so that it yields good fruit like those from Campos Del Abuelo.
I recommend it so you can see how to do it if you have a small tree or simply want to impress at your next dinner party 😉.
Well, I hope September is treating you very well.
Or are you also busy with a lot of tasks?
See you next week and a big hug!
