Viveiro Campesino

Viveiro Campesino is a small family nursery that multiplies trees, shrubs and plants for reforestation and regeneration. It's run by Fabien and Stéphanie, a Belgian couple who settled at the foot of Marvão, in the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park, four years ago. They bring together backgrounds in agronomy and organic vegetable growing, and they now give their 3-hectare property over to plants that regenerate soils, water cycles and communities. Production centres on reforestation and regeneration species, including native trees and adapted non-native ones, fruit trees, and aromatic and medicinal plants. The land has become an experimental site. Here they test regenerative agroforestry, syntropic agriculture and Miyawaki tiny-forest techniques, learning how species adapt to the region's demanding conditions: poor, sandy, well-draining soils, a risk of flooding in winter, and temperatures from -4 °C to 43 °C. To help roots develop strongly, they use adapted pots and certified organic substrate mixed with local soil. Shade covers limit evaporation and reduce the plants' water needs, and they try to keep waste to a minimum by recycling pots. Alongside selling plants, they offer fruit tree pruning, irrigation installation, soil preparation, and the design and planting of Miyawaki tiny forests. The team also takes part in community initiatives, and goes to the monthly market in Beirã to deliver orders and connect with the local community. Their mission is to help others create resilient small-scale ecosystems on their own land, with healthy, well-adapted trees and practical guidance. They believe that, together, people can halt desertification and regenerate the land.