The Southern Lights Farm
Sheila Darmos
Farm manager
Farm name
The Southern Lights Farm
Farm type
Complex agroforestry with focus on citrus and olives
Location
Laconia, Greece
Farm size
5 hectares
Primary soil type
Sandy-clay soil
Temperature range
1° – 45° degrees Celsius, USDA 9B
Average precipitation
800 mm/ year
Social structure
Different forms: NGO, Food business, and Farm, mostly in family hands with supporting workers
Sales channels
International sales through distributors
Produce
The main focus of production is Olive Oil & Citrus. Additionally, we sell different fruits and processed goods, such as figs, sundried tomatoes, tahini, olives, olive paste, herbal sea salt, and vinegar, through our food business, supporting other organic farmers in the region
Contact
The Southern Light Farm
The Southern Light Farm‘s transition to regenerative farming
Climate Farmer since
2023
Previously organic
Farm history
- Since two generations pioneer organic farm
- 30 years of organic cultivation
- Since 2015 focus on agroforestry
Previous practices
- Shredding of prunings
- no organic fertilizer
- no external inputs at all since beginning
Investment costs
- Shredder (3500€)
- Some plantings
New practices
Syntropic Agroforestry
❍ Agroforestry
No-till
❍ Minimal Soil Disturbance
Green manure
❍ Cover Cropping
Mulching
❍ Water Cycle Restoration
Companion planting
❍ Minimal Soil Disturbance
Challenges so far
Lack of specialized regenerative agronomic knowledge in the region
Outcomes so far
- Lots of public interest in the farm
- Increased water storage capacity
- Increases in insect and wildlife
- Increased on-site organic matter production
- Less heat stress
- Increased macro and microbial soil activity
Learnings of your journey
- Plan well for the market you are facing
- Balance between market demands and personal wishes
- Become a source of hope for many people
“I think it is beneficial for our farm health to include humans, to have more pro thinkers that have the same aspiration – which will increase our overall health”
— The reason why the Southern Lights Farm decided to become a training farm
Future ambitions
Increase the knowledge of regenerative agriculture across Greece
Animal integration
Act as a facilitator for a bioregional transition toward regenerative agriculture
This farm is part of something bigger.
So can you. Apply for the Regenerative Agronomy Training.
Our partners
Our partners
