Both Pablo and I have always been related to the countryside and we fulfilled our dream of starting to dedicate ourselves to it in 2005 when we acquired La Carrasca. The first years were hard because we had to recover the farm, which was very old, and put it back into operation. We had to replant everything and we chose Navel de Foyos for the orange and Clemenules for the clementine because they are varieties with very good flavour and they adapt well to our area. When the trees started to produce and we should have started to recover the investment, the price of the fruit went through a very bad period and we were about to sell the farm. We decided not to give up, hoping that by working hard and making quality fruit we could make a difference. We designed the new plantation with a very wide plantation framework. Pablo has always thought that the main point is for the trees to be comfortable and therefore on the farm the trees are well apart from each other so that they have more than enough space to grow and are very well aired. Although with this planting framework we are losing productive capacity, we gain in fruit quality because we hardly have any problems with fungi or insects. We have always tried to follow environmentally friendly cultivation practices and in 2016 we decided to start the certification process in Organic Agriculture. Our dream is to be able to dedicate ourselves completely to the farm and not need part-time jobs, so thanks to CrowdFarming we are confident that we can achieve this. The work on the farm is different depending on the season. After the harvest there is a lot of work because it is time to mow, crush the green waste and fertilize with the sheep manure from a farmer friend. In pruning we are helped by a person who has been dedicated to it since the age of 16. He is a great professional who leaves the trees very balanced. Then we cut the big wood that we use to make a fire, and we crush the small branches. We load some branches on the trailer and take them to the herd (for them orange leaves are a delicacy). The oranges that have some blow and are not going to arrive healthy to your house we also keep them for the flock. The shepherdess who takes care of them told me that since they eat oranges they have a nicer wool. After mowing, my husband mulches the grass with the tractor and I mow with a hand brushcutter near the drip rubber.. It's the heaviest work. We fix the drip that is spoiling and we control that all the sectors are watered equally. We spread the manure with the tractor on both sides of the orange tree so that it is gradually absorbed.

La Carrasca is an orange grove estate located on the border between the Valencian Community and Catalonia. The nearest town is Vinaroz and the estate is situated next to the Barranco de la Carrasca (Aleppo Ravine) from which it takes its name. La Carrasca refers to the common name given to holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and is, together with wild olive trees, mastics, rosemary and other typically Mediterranean species, the natural barrier that delimits the plot on its north-eastern side. This vegetation installed in the ravine gives shelter to the natural enemies and to the auxiliary fauna that is so necessary to keep the plagues under control. This organic farm has also opted to maintain the vegetation that limits the plot to continue to enhance biodiversity on the farm. The southern part of the plot gives us a view of Puig de la Nau, a small mountain where an Iberian settlement was established during the 8th to 5th centuries BC. On this farm at 65 metres above sea level grow about 1000 orange trees of the variety Navel de Foyos. This variety is native to the town of Foyos in Valencia and like the Navel group varieties is very good for the table but you can also make a good juice with them. The optimum time to harvest the orange depends a lot on the climate but it usually happens during the months of January and February. On the farm, in addition to the orange trees, we have mandarins of the Clemenules variety where, during 2019, we have planted grapefruit and Lane Late oranges. Why have we made this decision? Because the clemenules trees are getting old and do not respond very well to ecological practices. As the planting framework is very wide, we have been able to plant these two more rustic varieties between the trees, which are adapted to ecological practices. If you visit our farm you will find a great variety of flora, native species preserved by beneficial practices. There are currently large banks of Hypericum, with its beautiful yellow flowers, with which we can produce Hypericum oil. You will also see many rabbits, snails and even hedgehogs, which find their refuge and habitat in our field. At La Carrasca, since we planted the trees in 2008 we have been making improvements to be more efficient and ecological, adopting the circular economy model. Years before we were certified as an ecological farm we already made improvements in both the irrigation system and the treatment of the soil. At first we watered with an inefficient system, without controlling the litres supplied to each tree, but two years after planting we automated the irrigation to optimize the use of water with a program that supplies the right and necessary water, at night, so that it is better absorbed, according to the water needs of the moment. We have installed self-compensating drippers to make the application of water even more efficient. Currently each tree receives 40 litres per week but we have not watered them for two months because this year it has rained as much as necessary. In the middle of summer we will increase the watering if necessary. We have realized that by having an ecological management the soil retains water and nutrients much better. The first step in the transition to ecological was to become more efficient with localized irrigation. Later we stopped using chemicals for herbs by using the manual brushcutter mower and tractor mulcher. We fertilize with manure every season after the harvest. In terms of pest control, the ecological citrus agroecosystem is very rich in natural enemies and is naturally regulated. The natural enemies are protected and obtain food in the barrier of wild olive tree, kermes oak, etc. that we have in all the perimeter of the property and as soon as the plague appears they regulate it more quickly until obtaining a balance between both. Occasionally we treat with natural oils such as Neem. We have seen that the fruit fly affects us less since we have the vegetable cover. In this cover are incorporated the remains of pruning. On our farm we do not burn but grind to be more respectful of the planet and to promote soil fertility. All these jobs involve a lot of labor; all the members of the family are involved in the care of the orange trees to a greater or lesser extent, and at harvest time we hire two more people who help us with decent working conditions so every year they stay with us and help us pick and pack the fruit for all the CrowdFarmers. The day before shipping, we pick the fruit from your tree with all the love so that it arrives as fresh as possible, without any additional treatment to preserve it, we only check that the fruit is healthy. From the tree to the sustainable cardboard box that you receive at home, treating the orange with care and attention so that it does not spoil and that it preserves all its freshness and flavor.