GRAINS AND LEGUMES + MARKET GARDEN PILOT FARM

WHO

Natasa Antari & Alexandros Karatzas

LOCATION

Trikala, Greece

DATE OF CONVERSION

13-15 of December 2021

KEY DATA

Land size: 3,5 ha
Annual Rainfall: 450mm
Soil: Silt clay soil
Existing cultivation on the site: Grains

THE FARM - THE PEOPLE - THE AREA

The EcoGaia team consists of two young farmers that come from the area of Trikala, where they are farming now. They are both highly involved in social movements all over Greece and are not only known for their vegetable baskets and their polyculture farm, but also for their work in promoting community supported agriculture in Greece. This enables their reach to ecologically sensitive farmers all over Greece and at the same time through the baskets and their packaged products to conscious consumer including the vegan movement in Greece.

KEY CONCEPT

The grain and legumes production will be converted into an alley cropping system, meaning that tree lines consisting of timber, fruit trees or support species will be added into the fields as to increase overall production and ecological impact. Wind breaks and hedgerows will be planted to protect from wind stress. The added biodiversity will support the system overall through attracting beneficial insects and other animals. Different strategies for increasing the soil fertility will be proposed and we will focus on increasing the organic matter content of the soil.
Their market garden operation will be converted into a system inspired by syntropic agriculture following natural successions that lead a simple system into a forest consisting of different layers of plants.

THE TRANSITION IN DETAIL

The grains and legumes plot conversion

BEFORE THE CONVERSION

A grain and legume monoculture in rotation without biodiversity.

AFTER THE CONVERSION

The tree lines will be interplanted with supportive species in this plot. Between the tree lines vegetables will be grown for commercial production.

The Market Garden Plot conversion

BEFORE THE CONVERSION

AFTER THE CONVERSION

For the conversion of the market garden plot we were inspired by syntropic farming. Successional agroforestry systems are designed to be put in place. Plants supporting each other having in mind the development of them over time and their interaction with the market garden.

TREE LINES IN DETAIL

Hover over the hotspots to learn more about each tree.

FIND THE FARM

Arrange a visit to the farm to learn more about how to convert your own farm, or to purchase products from them.

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Address: Trikala, Greece
3,5 h north of Athens