Vilar da Monteirinha

Vilar da Monteirinha grows certified organic blueberries, strawberries and currants on roughly 6.8 hectares in Sonim, a village in Trás-os-Montes about 18 km from Valpaços and 33 km from Chaves. The founders are a family who grew up spending summers in the village. They've been regenerating the land since 2014, as a life project rather than a sideline. The land is split across two plots. "Seixo" is a mountain parcel with views to a distant horizon, and it's where the blueberries and strawberries grow. "Flor Agreste" is a biodiverse plot in a small valley within the village itself, and it produces the currants. The family practises Regenerative Ecological Agriculture, treating it as both a way of producing food and an ethical position. They use it to improve soil health, biodiversity and the surrounding territory over the long term. The work draws on the ethics of permaculture: caring for the earth, caring for people and creating a future of shared abundance. The fruit is sold under the idea of "products with origin", meaning small-scale food with an identity, grown with respect for nature. Choosing Sonim was deliberate. The family picked it for its social fabric, low pollution, preserved natural heritage and strong community solidarity, despite the challenges common to Portugal's depopulating interior. Alongside the fruit, the project develops immersive experiences and workshops on the territory, connecting visitors to the land, local culture and seasonal cycles. A newsletter covers fruit availability, updates on the "TopBox Trás-os-Montes" initiative and stories from daily life, and gives subscribers early access to experiences.