Can Grao, Sa Forada

We are regenerating a 20-hectare plot of land using rotational grazing of our organic chickens, a diverse vegetable garden and an agroforestry system. A polyfarming design transforms individual farm operations into one holistic living system thus transmuting what would have been waste into a valuable resource. When combining animals, trees and crops, we ensure to nurture both the top and sub-soil.

The answer is under our feet

The soil is the best and largest water holding “structure” we have access to. Cisterns and water tanks don’t even come close. How do we increase the water holding capacity of our molested and misused soils? Through carbon! How do we get carbon into our soils? Through the fast carbon pathways associated with trees and plants.

“Plant root inputs build soil carbon at a rate of 5 to 50 times faster than carbon derived from above ground biomass.” - (Dr. Christine Jones)

Chicken grazing

Terra Viva Ibiza is the first on the island to produce certified organic grass-fed chicken. Pasture-fed chicken provides a healthier and more nutritious meat with a higher quality fat content. Its meat has an intense flavor and special consistency due to its natural growth, its varied diet between organic feed, grass and insects and its constant movement thanks to our chicken tractors.

These tractors move every day to be able to regenerate the soil and give enough time for the grass to grow again thus promoting carbon fixation and an increase in organic matter.

The Vegetable garden

Having been in disuse for more than 20 years, it is necessary to reactivate the dynamics of the soil. To do this, we have planted more than 26 varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

This allows us a commercial production as we reactivate the microbiological processes of the soil.

With this strategy we seek to increase nitrogen fixation, generate organic matter and continue with the activation of soil microbiology while also promoting soil cover throughout the year and reduce our water needs.

Successional Agroforestry

We have planted over 16,000 trees and bushes within a successional agroforestry design. This design is based on intensive biodiversity and on a wholistic understanding of what each species will contribute to the system, their life spam, needs for sun and their growth speed. The constant pruning of the consortium that, with their foliage, provide organic matter and nourish the soil is key in order to promote fertility from within.

The plantation lines have been carefully designed following the topography of the land so that water can efficiently reach the root system of our trees while maintaining enough space for animals to graze in between.