Good morning!
You have no idea how busy I was last week. So much work that if I told you... I'd end up writing a novel 😅. And speaking of that, today I have a truly inspiring story to tell you.
But first... It's not easy to have over twenty natural products available for all our beloved customers. We have to coordinate with each of our fellow farmers, harvest crops from different fields, assemble each box, deal with shipments, etc.
But what can I tell you, we love our work. That's why we are always looking for new products and this week a very sweet and natural one arrives 🐝 Did you guess?
Yes, between tomorrow and Wednesday, we will have Raquel's honey available on our website.
I'm sure at some point I'll tell you about Raquel's work with her bees; we've had very interesting conversations. As a farmer, I'm grateful to the bees for their work pollinating our trees; they are very important to us. And when I've talked to Raquel about the work they do in the hives, wow, it's amazing!
But the story I want to share with you in today's newsletter is not about bees, but about Sanguinelli Oranges that María Jesús cultivates in her fields (and which we have available right now in our online store).
The cultivation of oranges is the same for all, there may be differences depending on the variety, but generally, they need the same care. However, in the case of Sanguinelli Oranges, they need something particular that has to do with temperature.
To get that reddish color, they need a significant temperature change, as it is the cold that causes them to pigment in that way, starting with the peel and then moving towards the pulp.
María Jesús has owned her plots for ten years, and for her, learning has been almost like going to university. She told me that she grows Sanguinelli because it is the orange of her childhood, the one that reminds her that her grandparents had fields. She had other jobs, but over time she ended up returning to the countryside.
One day, with her freshly planted young trees, the forecast indicated an imminent frost ❄️. And well, as I was telling you, Sanguinelli needs a temperature change, but a frost when the trees are young is dangerous. Therefore, instead of resigning herself to the loss of her production, she decided to cover each of her hundred orange trees by hand.
One by one, with patience and effort, she covered each small tree to try to save them from the cold. If you've ever wondered how much love and hard work we put into what we do, I hope what I'm telling you does it justice.
Frosts are one of the biggest enemies of young orange trees. If temperatures drop too low, the water inside their cells freezes, causing irreparable damage.
In the worst-case scenario, not only the year's production can be lost, but the trees themselves can die. Older trees will resist better, but younger ones are especially vulnerable 🌱.
The truth is that they never stop being vulnerable. Although over the years the trunk thickens and the tree gains more resistance, a strong frost can still damage it, affecting its production and even killing it if the cold is extreme. Therefore, although young trees require more care, vigilance does not cease even with larger trees.
There are different ways to protect crops from the cold. The most sophisticated use micro-sprinkler systems that spray water on the branches, forming a layer of ice that, paradoxically, helps maintain the tree's stable temperature.
This small layer of ice created by the sprinklers prevents the soil from freezing. This layer of ice also forms on top of the plants and helps maintain the plant's internal temperature. It sounds magical, but it also has to do with physics and temperature changes.
Greenhouses, thermal blankets, or burlap sacks can also be used to cover them during the coldest nights. But these are expensive options.
The most common option for small farmers remains the same as María Jesús chose: covering them one by one, knowing that any oversight can cost them years of effort. You cannot turn your back on nature.
María Jesús’s story reminds us how demanding life in the countryside is. There is no rest or truce here. Every day brings a new challenge, and nothing can be taken for granted. If you want to know more about the topic, you can read this article about the cultivation of Sanguinelli oranges.
While others sleep, we farmers are here, looking up at the starry night, preparing covers, trying to protect what we have cultivated with so much effort. And when the harvest finally arrives and that orange reaches your table, it's proof that taking care of it was worth it.
I'll say goodbye until next Monday. Have a great day.
Don't forget to visit our website to see our available products and be the first to try Raquel's honey.
Thanks for being on the other side, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to write to me.
See you next week.
A big hug!
