Many thanks to my friend Alfredo Sendim for inviting me to hold a course at his amazingly diverse Herdade do Freixo do Meio farm. It is run as a cooperative using many innovative agricultural methods, inspired in particular by Ernst Goetsch and Syntropic Farming! I was very happy that Fernanda Botelho also joined us to share her knowledge on local edible plants!
The 3 videos at the end show Agroforestry methods on the farm at Freixo do Meio, olives intercropped with a wide diversity of edibles and other useful plants!
The day started with my lecture
The course participants were joined by a group of farm workers and well known Portuguese forager /herbalist Fernanda Botelho!
Group hug of one of the ancient olive trees!
Ancient olives
Fernanda with the biggest dandelion we found!
Alfredo Sendim, whose family have owned the farm for generations, lead a long 5 hour tour around the farm…here showing how this cork oak was scarred by poor cutting in the past!
Typical form 0f Pinus pinea, umbrella pine, source of pine nuts, an important crop in this warm, dry area of Portugal!
Water is important for the animals…
Pistacia lentiscus, the mastic tree!
Acis autumnalis and Scilla autmnalis had appearedin response to the first rains after a prolonged drought!
Medronheiro, the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
Medronheiro, the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
Asparagus….woody plants here…just beginning to sprout!
Acis autumnalis and Scilla autmnalis
Quercus ilex ssp rotundifolia? (Holm oak), an important product of the farm!
Field mushrooms, the first of the autumn!
Pinus pinea
These acorns were actually quite sweet !
There was large diversity on the farm where machinery couldn’t reach…here with Pistacia, Ruscus aculeatus and Umbilicus!
Umbilicus rupestris
Me with Fernanda Botelho
Smilax aspera (young edible shoots like asparagus)
Stephen Barstow 30 October · Pistacia lentiscus, mastic tree
Calamintha nepeta
The seed grinding rock!
The transport home was a cattle truck…here with my friend Jorge Carona!
My accommodation on the farm!
Prickly pear with acorns and acorn biscuits (bolota)!
Showing the diversity of acorns on the farm (pictures taken by Alfredo!)
The agroforestry area.
Whitethroat? in the Agroforestry area
Stonechat in the Agroforestry area
The Egg Temple
They had a few deer in a compound next to the Egg Temple…apparently the hens were healthier with deer nearby..
Dwarf Pomegranate and Canna
Canna
Canna
Clouded yellow and lucerne
Lily
Blackcurrant sage
Mentha suaveolens
The delivery van returning….the farm sells though their shop in Lisbon
More traditional CSA area
More traditional CSA area
Oxalis corniculata, edible weed on the CSA area
The shop
Clouded yellow butterfly on lucerne:
Agroforestry methods on the farm at Freixo do Meio, olives intercropped with a wide diversity of edibles and other useful plants:
On a work trip to Italy on 4th April 2009 I took the opportunity to visit Orto Botanico in Padua. Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic , it is the world’s oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location! Here’s an album of pictures of mostly edible plants I took that day!
Gingko biloba
Platanus orientalis from 1680!
Magnolia liliiflora
Musa basjoo
Cercis siliquastrum
Koelreuteria paniculata( Golden Rain Tree) has edible shoots and the seeds were roasted
There are many records of Tamus communis being eaten traditionally in the Mediterranean countries (from Spain to Palestine), butcareful preparation is needed to boil away the saponins
Viola banksii from Australia
Cardamine enneaphylla
Asparagus acutifolius
Polygonatum hybridum
Asparagus tenuifolius
Asparagus tenuifolius
Polygonatum odoratum
Melittis melissophyllum is sometimes used as a flavouring in drinks, like maibowle
Hosta fluctuans
Hosta nakaina
Hosta capitata
Hosta crispula
Hosta elata
Hosta rectifolia
Hosta decorata
Oenanthe pimpinelloides
Smyrnium olusatrum
Ferula assa-foetida (?); most accessions of this Indian spice are wrong in European botanical gardens
Crambe cordifolia
Boehmeriabiloba
Rumex patientia
Sagittaria platyphylla
Polymnia uvedalia, north American relation of yacon
Rosemary
Wild olive
Allium triquetrum
Asparagus officinalis ssp maritimus
Hemerocallis “Bowl of Roses”
Hemerocallis graminea
Asphodelus ramosus
Allium suworowii
Zanthoxylum schinifolium
Sugar cane
Jasminum officinale
Ceratoria siliqua (carob)
Loquat
Eriobotrya deflexa (Bronze Loquat)
Fallopia japonica
Huge labels in the rock garden!!
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden