In southern Spain, Maria Martinez has joined a growing number of farmers bringing tired and depleted soils back to life.
Maria Martinez took over the family farm, Casa Almendra, in 2023. Coming back from 14 years living in Germany, the first thing she noticed was the dryness of the land. Her father had been practicing intensive almond cultivation. He farmed organically, so no chemicals were used. But he was working the soil five times a year, adding salt to the wound of the semi-arid land. “There was no water or life. There are trees, but nothing else” she says.
With a background in agroforestry and permaculture, Maria had plenty of experience with small scale cultivation. But things were different now – she couldn’t practice permaculture, intended for small operations, on a 60-hectare farm.
So, she continued doing things as they had been done for 50 years. But after a while, she decided to experiment with farming techniques better suited to the local conditions.
Armed with the easy-access and endless learning of Youtube, the farm is now taking the first steps away from monocultivos absolutos to regenerative agriculture.
Why did she decide to change?
Reflecting on the character of the farm when it was managed by her grandfather, she states “We used to have 30cm of forage when I was a child. There were always so many birds, insects, and animals”.
But it wasn’t just the lack of biodiversity that got her thinking. Rather, it was more the lack of water. “Every year, it rains a bit less. And the problem right now is that when it does rain I have soil run-off.” Rather than letting the soil below her feet crack in the hot southern temperatures, she decided to take action.
Having just packed up her life to return to Spain, rocking the boat with sweeping changes and a shoestring budget was a risk. But she see’s this land as her responsibility. “I realised that I need to look after it and give back to it rather than just extract from it” she says.
Giving her farm a new lease of life
Her aim, put simply, was to build back life. She wants to make the soil healthier so it doesn’t run-off every time it rains, to sustain the business that’s been in her family for generations, and to make sure the system works to its full potential.
She didn’t know much about how to actually implement regenerative farming practices. So, to get started, she armed herself with online learning. Youtube, Instagram, podcasts, WhatsApp – you name it, she has been using it to boost the prospects of her land.
Right now, it’s all about getting things off the ground. She’s at a key stage of running trials and errors, but she remains hopeful. “Most days I feel excited, some days I feel frustrated, but it’s a nice journey to be on”.
She’s come to appreciate the small changes she’s seeing, too. “I wake up in the morning and I listen to the birds, and all I can think is ‘wow, how lucky am I?’”.
The story so far
Maria started with regenerative farming in February 2024, a mere six months ago. This is by no means a long period of time, but she’s still managed to lay the groundwork for some fundamental changes.
She’s stopped tilling in the hope of reducing soil run-off and erosion, a huge milestone on her path to rebuilding soil health and catching water. A few animals have been incorporated that she’s using to eat the weeds, trim the forage, and create organic matter for her vegetables. “They’re like lawnmores”, she says.
Her fight for water security has started, too. She’s in the process of designing the farm to store water when it rains, forging out lines for infiltration in the ground and creating small catchment areas. “I’m trying to stop the water running away”, she states.
With investment needed for new tools, she’s gotten thrifty with the hand she’s been delt. She modifies the old machinery used for intensive farming to make it compatible with regenerative agriculture. This includes removing parts of her plough.
This thriftiness has also brought a new found appreciation for making use of what she has. Rather than emptying her pockets to pay for inputs, she’s trying to make her farm circular, wherein she’s finding a purpose for what would normally be considered waste. This includes her tree prunings. “They normally set the biomass on fire here, but i’m using it to protecting the almond trees”. By using the tree prunings as a mulch, she’s preventing nutrient loss around her tree roots and adding organic matter to the soil.
What lies ahead
For Maria, her priorities are clear. She aims to balance short-term needs with her long term vision. She’ll continue walking the tight rope of water security, making sure that the almond trees don’t dry up without the rain. She’ll also be organising a big cut of the trees, which she’ll then use for mulch to retain more water. And last but not least, she’ll carry on her quest of reviving her land.
“Step by step, I want to make everything green. I’ll be happy when there’s more water and animals, and not just almond trees. I want to incorporate more tree varieties to slowly make a big difference. That will be my paradise”.
