We meet "Masphael's Farm", a tradition that goes back decades.
July 17, 2023
The story behind Masphael's Farm is particularly beautiful, as it starts from the vision of Tomás' parents back in the 1990s, who are in charge of managing the current team.
His parents returned from France back in 1996 with the prospect of setting up a business focused on their passion: the love of nature, they started a project of growing baskets for individuals, but it didn't work out (it was perhaps too early for Spain) and they focused on the breeding of bees for the production of honey, whose knowledge and jars of honey you can continue to enjoy here.
This gave rise to various educational initiatives such as the "Garden of the Senses", where we can relax and have sensory experiences with touch and smell, animal therapies with the value of an animal such as the donkey and the bird "Clotilde".
Among its orchards and gardens, workshops for children and young people are organised during various periods of the year.
The rental of allotments began in 2015, they started with 15 or 20 plots and in 2019, curiously before Covid, it started to increase to 50 plots and now they have more than 150 plots.
Nestled in the Bacarot district of Alicante and within the magical surroundings of the farm.
During the visit we have seen the gardeners of all ages as they come in with a huge smile, spend their afternoon tending the garden and then leave with their tomatoes or lettuce to enjoy with their family or friends.
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When a person decides to rent the garden, what do they usually ask you in the first contact?
Well, the size, the price and whether water is included. Water is one of the main concerns, but it is not a problem here, as we have it automated. Tools are also available.
However, I don't like it to be cold, I invite them to come and that's where the love affair can happen.
This is not just renting a piece of land and that's it... it's a love affair with a little piece of land where if we take care of it, it provides us with wonderful things, apart from saving a considerable amount of money.
I don't know if you know that a quarter of a watermelon costs around 5 €.
Do the huertanos who decide to rent ask you for help?
Well, the truth is that at the beginning yes, but then conversations start with the other huertanos and feedback from popular wisdom, what they see on the internet, trial and error... From their neighbours.
We also advise on natural pesticides that can be made with garlic or chilli peppers, for example. Everything we use is natural, not from chemical sources.
¿Qué servicios ofrecen además del alquiler de parcelas?
They range from 20 to 99. It is a hobby to be pursued at any age. If it hooks you, you'll fall in love with it forever.
¿Hay jardineros que alquilan la parcela durante años?
Well, contrary to what many may think, having a vegetable garden will not take up too much of your time: we recommend at least once a week. By coming once your garden can be perfect.
We are also in contact and we have maintenance services, for when a huertano has to be absent for a major reason, so it is not a problem at all.
But the people who come here change the "chip" is not the time they take away from you... but what they bring to you. This activity brings us a lot of peace, for example, to then face our day-to-day work, for example in the stressful environment of the rush that is so common these days.
What kind of services do you have apart from renting allotments?
Then here the huertanos have tools, toilets, a shaded area of reed and tables to eat, we even have a barbecue that can be booked.
As extras we have the power tiller, we receive vegetable garden seedlings at very good prices, we also provide canes to make the structures of the tomato plants and some services related to harvesting.
The activities with the bees, from which we make a production, are also very important, but they are quickly exhausted.
We also process dried and fresh mushrooms for culinary preparations.
How do local vegetables compare to those found in large supermarkets?
We want to go a step further and introduce the orchard in a forest environment, we are in the process of increasing the number of orchards, as there is enough demand, but surrounded by trees to improve the environment and enhance the experience of enjoying your orchard.
Thank you Tomás for showing us a project of urban gardens, that goes beyond, transmitting your philosophy of coexistence with the natural environment.
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