Aurrekoetxea and her family began experimenting in the pandemic with the orchard for home, and seeing that they were getting good results, took a step further and began making vegetable baskets. “We put a greenhouse and produced vegetables there and out.” At the moment, about ten customers take the cart weekly, but the producer’s intention is that production gradually increase and reach more people: “We start with a third of the production we have thought about, next year we start with the second third and we hope that everything we think is underway.”

The cottage has a plot of about 6,000 square meters and Aurrekoetxea is working ecologically: “The plot is in full transition, between now and two years, if things go well, I will be talking about an ecological seal,” he explains. Meanwhile, the farmer is receiving training and courses, and is also testing new ways of selling vegetables. For example, washed lettuce begins to be sold in bags, placed directly in salad.

Biointensive and regenerative agriculture

The Biscayan peasant follows these two production models: “In biointensive agriculture there is always some product in the soil, when I take another one followed by rotation and working with different vegetable families. The idea is that Earth is always giving products.” Regenerative agriculture is also based on crop rotation and the use of compost: “Through rotation and compost, microorganisms and soil structure are preserved, improving nutrients”. For example, the manufacturer does not pass rotabatorras to prevent damage to these terrestrial microorganisms.

Despite being a young project, the Anterior Vegetable is progressively stabilizing, without hurts. The farmer is satisfied with the trajectory and decisions taken so far, and for the future, as production increases, he intends to sell baskets in nearby markets and in the farmhouse itself.