Starting Out: Where We are Now, Viticulture, Cut Flower, Biodiversity

We have 11 hectares of land that probably has not been used for any kind of agricultural production since the 1950s located not too far from Europe's only true desert. The area gets about 31-33 centimeters of rain per year, mostly in winter. We are within an Indicación Geográfica Protegida (IGP) designated area for wine grape production known as the Desierto de Almeria.

We have searched for appropriate plants to cultivate, besides grape vines, which indlude eucalyptus for wind breaks and cut flowers, protea species for cut flowers, pine nut pines for wind breaks (and pine nuts), as well as vegetable garden plantings near the Cortijo, including cardoon and artichoke. We also have about 75 olive trees, a few almond trees, pomegranate, and citrus.

Last year we made initial efforts at germinating proteas and eucalyptus from seed, as well as potting 200 bare root grape vines.

Since November, 2016, we have slowly accelerated production, bought a tractor and implements, and ordered thousands of bare-root vines for planting.

Our plan is to preserve the existing vegetative landscape as much as possible The region has high winds, and the soil is prone to erosion from wind and the occasional big rain. So, we are not tilling or using cultivators, and we are leaving native species in place--this includes abundant wild thyme as well as rosemary and species of retama.