Description

Practice abstract

Herdade do Vale das Porcas de Cima belongs to Sociedade Agrícola Felizardo Prezado. It has a total of 714 hectares. Of these, 500 ha are montado, with forested areas of cork, eucalyptus and maritime pine, as well as agricultural areas for animal feed. With a flock of 650 sheep, forage management is a priority. Recently, practices have been improved, including clearing vegetation, liming the montado and introducing legumes in the seed mixtures. Organic matter has also been added, using manure from intensive pig production. It is restricted to a few areas, because it is too expensive to use in an extensive system. In the lowland’s areas, seed mixtures are cultivated with the support of liming, organic matter and fertilizers. The seed mixtures change according to the soils and drainage conditions, but usually the farmer does not know exactly what the mixtures are (or at least the proportion of each species). The mixtures usually have up to 10 different species, and are sold by a local company that does not share this information. The farm is certified in organic production and sustainable forest management, the latter by the FSC. The partnership with the University has brought the possibility of doing soil and forage analyses, which are fundamental for improvements. Herdade do Vale das Porcas de Cima is a model of agricultural sustainability and an example of how responsible practices and strategic partnerships that can benefit the community and the environment. 

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