+10 years of experience

Consulting in regenerative agriculture and permaculture

We offer professional consulting on permaculture and regenerative agriculture. We are high level guidance in, amongst others, efficient design of estates and farms, energy management, holistic management of animals, extensive crops and biointensive and natural vegetable gardens.

Integral design of farms and homesteads

Transform your terrain into a resilient and self-sufficient system; from the agricultural production to the management of people and resources.

Biointensive and organic horticulture

Maximize your vegetable production with biointensive and regenerative techniques that reduce the required space, optimize the use of resources and improve the health and resilience of the ecosystem.

Optimization and sustainability of vineyards

Apply regenerative and ecological principles to vineyards to improve grape quality, increase resilience to adverse climatic conditions and reduce dependence on chemical inputs.

Agroforestry systems and food forests

We design and implement agroforestry systems that combine trees, crops, (medicinal) plants and animals in the same space. These designs lead to both an increase in biodiversity and the production whilst simultaneously protecting ánd improving the health of the soil.

Design and management of cover crops

Restore and protect the vitality of your soil with the use of cover crops that improve soil structure, increase organic matter and minimize erosion.

Holistic management of animals

Optimize the health and productivity of your livestock through holistic management strategies that enhance animal welfare, the health of the soil and pasture efficiency and quality.

Things we have done...

What is regenerative agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a set of strategies and techniques aimed at revitalizing the soil through the diversification and integration of crops, reducing mechanical tillage, and enhancing water infiltration to increase carbon content and water reserves.

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Yes, it is possible to work regeneratively with any crop and in any context but a road map and realistic goals must be set. Starting without planning can lead to a widespread and pronounced drop in performance, so it’s worth introducing gradual and well thought-through changes.

Regenerative agriculture practices lead to an increase of microbiology, carbon reserves, infiltration and storage of water and consequently a higher quantity and quality of crops. In addition, it will improve soil structure, reduce erosion and saves us money! The improvements become apparent within two or three years. It’s worth trying, we don’t know of anyone who has tried and gone back to the old ways!

Absolutely! There are farms that started applying regenerative practices as early as the 1990s, and they now achieve yields over 30% higher than when they used conventional techniques! Moreover, they have reduced costs and increased profits, achieved greater resilience to periods of drought or excess water, and gained better acceptance within their local communities.

There are three main reasons why we didn’t apply regenerative agriculture methods in the past. First, humanity has grown exponentially, and we have prioritized producing large amounts of food without considering ecosystems or the future of agriculture. Second, we did not have the appropriate technology. We lacked no-till seeders, specific harrows, GPS for keyline design, and other tools. Finally, we had soils with massive reserves of organic matter that we have gradually depleted, at the expense of losing fertility. Low costs of energy and fertilizers allowed this to go on for as long as it did.  However, the rise of costs of production and the decrease of fertility and health of ecosystems forced us to explore alternative strategies to make farming viable.

Yes, absolutely! But an abrupt change might not be possible; it’s necessary to gradually increase organic matter to improve the soil’s moisture-holding capacity and structure. Incorporating specific machinery, such as a tine harrow, can help us move away from pre- and post-emergence herbicides. That said, it’s essential to integrate and understand the soil’s pedoclimatic conditions and the local weather. We shouldn’t turn this into an absolute dogma but rather a journey.

Before starting, we recommend visiting farms that have been practicing regenerative agriculture for some time. If you write to us, we can provide references for farms in nearby areas and/or with crops similar to yours. At Mas Les Vinyes, we are part of EARA, the European Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, so we know a lot of people who have successfully made the transition.

If those farms and people inspire you to take on this journey, we recommend that you contact us for further collaboration. Of course you can also read some books or take a course to learn the basics of this fascinating world on your own. There’s lots of good material out there!

From our point of view, as long as there is a love for your land, a willingness to ensure agricultural continuity, and an effort to improve working conditions, regenerative agriculture will always add value to what you are already doing. That said; it’s vital to make a solid plan in order to avoid a drop in productivity that could jeopardize the economic viability of our farm.

Well, there are so many different cases! In general, we’ve had the opportunity to work with local farmers as well as large companies that have shown genuine intentions of moving in this direction. However, there are also people who want to take all the credit before making any changes or achieving results. Not everything that marketing departments label as regenerative truly is! But when the people working the land understand the processes and the vision, the changes often happen faster than we might expect!

Although for some people permaculture is associated with a way of life or a method of food production, those concepts fall outside the scope of its core definition. You can design using permaculture principles and have a production system based on biodynamic, organic, agroecological, regenerative, or even natural agriculture. You can even apply it to design something that doesn’t even include the production of food!

You may experience it as a lifestyle, but permaculture is a mental design process that prioritizes community values over personal ones.

Permaculture is a discipline that generates health and abundance for it’s practitioners, social circles they interact with, the ecosystems in which it is practiced and beyond. It has a significant social, economic, and environmental impact, prioritizing values that promote cooperation and collaboration.

It’s true that for much of the history of our societies, energy saving and efficiency were essential for survival. Permaculture revives and honors traditional knowledge closely tied to the land, but it also integrates technology and complementary knowledge to regenerate and produce more effectively. Previous generations relied heavily on human energy to function, while modern societies depend on large amounts of fossil energy. Permaculture, however, proposes a focus on design and thoughtful planning.

Before starting, we always recommend visiting projects designed with permaculture principles. If you write to us, we can provide references for areas nearby and/or projects with a context similar to the one you’re in. At Mas Les Vinyes, we are part of the Iberian Permaculture Academy, so we know many people working on highly impactful projects.

If these projects and people inspire you to take action, we can then recommend taking a Permaculture Design Course! While you can commission us to design your project, the best approach is to gain autonomy and learn to design it yourself. However, if you need hand, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Unlike in regenerative agriculture, large multinationals can’t say they practice permaculture. Basically because permaculture is supported by 3 ethics, most of which they do not comply with. Even if a company like that manages to produce an ecologically sound product, it is very unlikely that all humans affected work under beneficial conditions. In addition: hoarding capital, resources or damaging a future resource base, which tends to be inherent to large scale, shareholder owned enterprises, goes against permaculture ethics and principles.

What permaculture is?

Permaculture is a design method for designing human habitats and processes which capture more energy than they require to function. Permaculture is inspired by the functioning and efficiency of natural pattern. Permaculture is structured by  3 ethics and 12 principles which mark the design process that needs to be followed.

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Those we collaborate with

Let's get started?

Explain us your needs

To start a project, we need to understand what you want, what you’re managing, and where you want to go. You can send us anything that might be useful: the location, photographs, soil samples, land registry details, your experience, machinery and resources, and crop yields. Once we have all this information, we will schedule a day to meet in person.

We'll do a 'visit zero'

We need to visit the project site to get to know the environment and understand what you need. We can collect soil samples for later analysis, identify potential issues with the crops, assess limiting factors, and so on.

With this data, we can move on to the next step.

We draw up a roadmap

Once the projects’ needs requirements are understood, we can agree on and prioritize the next stages. Sometimes, this involves creating sowing and planting calendars, economic projections, investment calculations, and so on. To monitor the project, we can organize periodic visits or remote meetings, or provide support at specific moments or when needed.

Online

Online consulting

There are many projects that can often benefit from a one-on-one meeting. If you prefer, we can also help you with technical consultations via videoconference. They cost €55/hour and have a minimum time of 1 hour.

First Step

Collect all the necessary information so we can prepare for the meeting.

Second step

Contact us, send us the information and we'll find a date to meet.

If you want to organize an online consultation or a face-to-face visit and advice, contact us without obligation.

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