• It started as a vineyard, and a vivenda, with all the necessary agricultural equipment to produce 8+ tons of Castelão grapes, or 4000+ liters of red wine anually. Two separate plots functioned as a pomar, and a horta.

  • Winemaking is frequently a labor of love; notoriously labor intensive, little commercial profit, unless at large scale. The land was intensively cultivated. Degraded through frequent plowing,  resulting soil erosion, and the application of pesticides.  
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  • Of late, it evolved into a permaculture farm.  Chemical treatments discontinued with soil amended by chop and drop, brown and green manures. 

  • Young fruit and canopy trees were planted throughout the vinha.  

  • Drip by drip irrigation changed from linear drip-by-drip, to provide water only where needed. Resulting in 90%+ reduction of water use, while increasing water intake for plantings.
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  • Transitioned from a working vineyard with adega for wine production to a permaculture orchard
  • Castelão grape production totaled 8+ tons, 4000+ liters of wine