Hello there! How are you doing?
Here, we're planning how everything will continue in the fields. Agriculture is an everyday job. You always have to think about what's coming and plan for everything to go well.
If you follow us on social media, you surely remember Vicent. He has been an organic farmer for over 40 years, and we recently enjoyed his potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflowers, and cucumbers.
A few days ago, we went to visit him in his field – when the heat allowed – and we found him, shovel in hand, preparing the soil.
Even though it's the middle of summer, Vicent is already looking ahead to autumn and winter because that's how agriculture works: planning and executing.
In his field in the Huerta de Valencia, he is preparing the land for what he will harvest in late October and early November. He will plant cabbage and lettuce, among other crops.
Taking advantage of the continued heat in the second half of August, although it's already a bit cooler at night in the orchard, Vicent waters his plants to give them a breather.
Additionally, he is adding compost so that it decomposes and makes the soil more fertile. In this way, the plant will be able to take the nutrients it needs from the soil, and there will be less need for intervention.
The use of natural fertilizers like compost improves the soil and makes plants grow healthier and more resistant to diseases.
Because yes, plants can get sick just like we do. And just as we need to eat well to keep our immune system strong, plants also need to be well-fed.
And I don't know about you, but I'm not good at having to rest...
But back to the field. Antonio, another farmer you surely remember or, more likely, remember his delicious blackberries, told us something about another organic fertilizer that benefits his blackberry plants.
Antonio describes blackberry plants as very "greedy," meaning they need a lot of food, which is why he places a layer of manure in the soil before planting.
However, it must be from cows, horses, or both, but never from chickens. Yes, he's that emphatic.
Why? Because Valencian soil naturally contains lime, and chicken manure does too. So, if there's an excess of lime, the plant turns yellow, and getting rid of that... Well, it's not easy, so it's always better to make sure the manure for blackberries is from cows or horses.
This is basically how agriculture works: by understanding our natural environment as an ecosystem that, in turn, must maintain a balance.
It doesn't sound easy, does it? Luckily, in my case, and in Vicent's and Antonio's, agriculture truly fascinates us 🤎🌱
Well, there's less and less time until we meet again. We're counting the days 🙏
Until then, we'll continue sharing news from the field.
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
