Herdade das Escravides de Baixo
Farm manager
Herberto Brunk
Farm name
Herdade das Escravides de Baixo
Farm size
58 hectares
Location
Assumar, Portugal
Farm type
Arable farm
Social structure
Family run
Sales channels
Direct sales, flower shops & grain silos
Produce
Small and large grains (oats, triticale, sunflower, cereal rye), pumpkins and flowers.
Herberto’s transition to regenerative farming
Climate Farmer since
2021
Necessary investments
- Roller crimper
- No-till planter
- Cover crop seeds
Previous practices
- Deep ploughing (30-50cm)
- 250kg NPK fertiliser
- Two applications of Urea fertiliser,125 kg/hectare
- Deep discing (15-20cm)
New practices
Multi-species cover crops, no-till, no chemical inputs, increased plant diversity, and pond construction for water management.
Outcomes
- Soil organic matter at 3%
- Increased plant diversity
- More biodiversity
- Happiness in his job
Benefits
- Diesel consumption dropped by 50%
- Complete savings on fertilisers & herbicides
- Reduced irrigation costs
No chemical inputs
No-till
Multi-species cover crops
Crimping
“The extra income will be very useful. It’s money I can count on. It will pay back my expenses for sowing a cover crop mix (100 €/ha). Otherwise, it will also help with investing in new tools needed for regenerative farming.”
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