Progress so far
We have had a very busy last few weeks here at Sugar Valley! We are continuing to build the team and are delighted to welcome Jonas as head of farming; his valuable skills, shared ethics and creative ideas will be a great asset to the farm.
Video: Jonas hard at work strimming
(View on YouTube to watch in full HD quality)
Image: The strimmer
The orange trees have been a major focus and pruning work continues to produce healthy regrowth. They are looking great and we are confident that we will have even more tasty oranges next season! Wild oranges are extremely bitter and/or sour, they therefore need grafting to make them produce the preferred variety (citrus trees can be grafted by any other citrus). The quality of the fruit will depend on the variety, pruning, fertiliser and temperature.
Image: Healthy orange trees
We will be growing a variety of citrus at Sugar Valley including some old Algarve varieties which are more rare now and very sweet and tasty!
Image: A tasty looking clementine
Farming practices at Sugar Valley will support biodiversity which will be beneficial to the bees and other pollinators.
Image: A honey bee enjoying the Bermuda Buttercups
Images: Working on the trees
As you can see in the video below the mini digger has been put to work digging out old tree stumps and has made light work of it!
Video: Mini digger removing tree stumps
(View on YouTube to watch in full HD quality)
Some of the stumps have been left, the pattern cut into them will help to speed up decay.
Image: criss-cross pattern cut into the tree stump
Other activities have included the preparation of the land in order to ready it for the farm structures required to begin the production and handling of other produce. We also need to continue to clear the land and build housing for the ducks, chickens and goats. The canal will also be adapted for the ducks and fish to safely swim in!
Image: View of the farm with the canal in the foreground
Olive and carob trees were becoming wild and the wild shoots needed to be removed in order to help the trees to recover and rejuvenate, otherwise they would lose the grafted part over the coming years and become fully wild with no production. They will now resprout stronger and become even more beautiful.
Image: Work on the olive and carob trees
Once the understory clearing is complete the focus will be on pruning the top of the trees.
Image: Ancient olive tree
Watch the videos on 'YouTube Shorts' here and here.
We now have plenty of firewood!
Images: firewood
The water tank has been painted and is looking very smart!
Image: The newly painted water tank
We will have more regular updates for you now that progress is gathering pace and we are very happy to be sharing this exciting journey!
Image: Sugar Valley Farm