Like clockwork, the weeks and the seasons synchronised with each other and the farm continued on with it’s now familiar cycle of life. Learning from last year’s successes and challenges, we repeated what had worked well for us and tweaked the things which we had found not so good. We still had some seeds packedContinue reading “Ground-Breaking Progress …”
Author Archives: vinhadasalmas
Spring is in the air!
Nature, in all its majesty and splendour has been very busy on our little Quinta doing what it does best. Before moving to Portugal I guess I was one of the many who didn’t really give the importance of nature the consideration it deserved and I definitely did not appreciate just how much we relyContinue reading “Spring is in the air!”
Try before you buy!
When we first set our sights on owning this beautiful little piece of Portugal and breathing new life into our tired little fruit farm, we knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy task. Nor was it going to happen overnight. We dreamt of learning how to look after the trees and vines andContinue reading “Try before you buy!”
Lessons Learnt
As the excitement of our first olive harvest took its place in our ever growing list of Portuguese memories, we quickly found ourselves settling back into our daily lives, sometime predictable but never boring. I was lucky enough to manage a quick trip back to the UK to spend time with family. Unfortunately, the coronavirusContinue reading “Lessons Learnt”
The early bird ….
Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years and are even mentioned in the bible and in ancient scriptures. Today, their fruits and oil are consumed all over the world with many reported health benefits both topically and ingested. Portuguese olive trees have been farmed for many years, dating as far back as theContinue reading “The early bird ….”
Autumn ….
Autumn is my favourite season of the whole year. It is when all the hard work of the previous months is realised and the harvest gives up its treasures. It is when we start to slow down, enjoy cosy evenings beside the fire and sit and reflect on the victories we have achieved during theContinue reading “Autumn ….”
Slowly but Surely!
Who would have thought back in January 2020 when we first heard of a new virus, the devastating effect it would have. The speed at which the coronavirus has spread around the world has shocked us all, with almost everyone being affected in some way or another. With the uncertainty around Brexit back in DecemberContinue reading “Slowly but Surely!”
Once bitten, twice shy!!
Portugal is a country well used to forest fires but in 2017 it suffered a new type of fire that the WWF have classed as being a sixth-generation mega fire, clearly linked to global change. WWF’s report. The fires were uncontrollable and were repeated again later that year in both Portugal and Spain. In fact,Continue reading “Once bitten, twice shy!!”
It’s a Dog’s Life!
With the temperatures in the late 30’s most days now, Wanda is finding it all a bit too hot. She loves her early morning and evening walks around the farm when it is much cooler – chasing her ball and catching up on all the sniffing she has to do, but during the day sheContinue reading “It’s a Dog’s Life!”
The Bird’s Share!
The frustration with the skimming saga continued as the new product proved problematic to apply to the ceilings and it was almost unworkable at times. Not sure whether the heat was a major factor but the challenge was such to the extent that the plastering rule book had to be thrown out of the window. Continue reading “The Bird’s Share!”
Project Portugal 