Vale do Rodrigo

Vale do Rodrigo grows vegetables and medicinal plants by permaculture principles, with no-dig, pesticide-free methods. The vegetables go out in weekly baskets. The medicinal plants are sold as living plants, on site and at weekly markets. Everything grown on the farm is also made into condiments, infusions, tinctures and macerated oils. The farm is in a quiet village at the foot of a mountain range in Ferreira do Zêzere, surrounded by pure water and lush vegetation. It takes its name from the village where it was founded. The farm also leads seasonal guided walks through the surrounding forest. Participants learn to identify edible and medicinal plants and fungi and the role they play in nature's ongoing succession. The walks also cover traditional ways of preparing herbs and how to forage respectfully. You'll find the farm at markets in Penela, Coimbra, Tomar and Espinhal, on a rotating monthly schedule. The people behind it see the project as a form of resistance to mass consumption and production. They work to the rhythm of the seasons, in a reciprocal relationship with plants and nature. The small team includes a farmer and herbalist who passes on ancestral ecological knowledge, and a hands-on builder and helper who maintains the farm's infrastructure. An operations coordinator helps bring the project to a wider audience. Vale do Rodrigo has appeared in the national media, including a segment on Portuguese television news. The coverage presented its work in permaculture, agroforestry and herbalism as a model for a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future.