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The Pineapple Paradox: Why “Green” Means Ripe in Organic Farming
In the 1700’s, pineapple was a symbol of such extreme wealth that European aristocrats would rent a single pineapple for a night just to display it as a centrepiece at parties (Levy, 2014). It was rarely eaten, and its value lay entirely in its status as a rare, exotic icon of prestige. Today, that luxury era has been replaced by a supermarket myth. We are still obsessed with the pineapple’s
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Energy Balls: Two ways!
These no-bake energy balls use a simple base: dates and nuts. Dates provide structure and sweetness, nut butter binds, and citrus adds acidity and aroma. Put them together, and you get a fudgy and nutritious snack bite. Chocolate/orange and lemon/coconut are great combinations, but once you’ve got the base, the recipe is flexible: swap the nuts, change the nut butter, or try a different citrus fru
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Immune to inflation: How regenerative farming beats the global food monopoly
If you’ve paid attention to the news lately, you’ve probably noticed that our global food system is cracking under pressure. Between extreme weather wiping out harvests, the war in Ukraine sending energy prices through the roof, and the recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz paralysing the global fertiliser trade, the extreme fragility of how we feed the world has never been more obvious. But thi
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The ‘Mad German’ 40 Years On
If you take a stroll with Friedrich across his farm near Gibraleón today, the first thing you’ll notice is the noise: a literal wall of birdsong. But behind this idyllic scene lies a radical choice made years ago—one that flew right in the face of convention. Today, having held Demeter certification since 1994, he’s living proof that his “madness” was the only logical response to the crisis facing our soil.Forty years ago, Friedrich fell in love with Finca Jelanisol-Montebello during a trip to Spain. At the time, he was working as a middleman for conventional fruit and veg. Two things happened back then that made him stop and think: A friend gave him a book on permaculture by Bill Mollison, which sparked an idea. While visiting a farm in Italy, he found himself desperately digging for earthworms. When the farmer told him there weren’t any “because you don’t need them,” Friedrich began to question everything. A Holistic Vision: Everything is ConnectedFor Friedrich, farming isn’t an isolated job; it’s part of a much bigger picture. He holds a deeply philosophical, holistic view of the world where everything—from soil microbes to the end consumer—is linked. He doesn’t see his farm as just a production site, but as a living organism where people and nature live in harmony. In his eyes, a peaceful society can only exist if we produce in tune with nature. If we get it right, there’s enough for everyone—we just can’t afford to destroy the foundations.One of the biggest things driving Friedrich is a deep-seated worry about the state of the modern diet. He explains that much of the food we eat today is “empty.” By this, he means conventional produce that, thanks to pesticides and long storage times, has lost any real nutritional value. He lives by the rule: Healthy Soil = Healthy People. Only living, regenerated soil can produce fruit that actually nourishes the body.One of the first things Friedrich did was build a large pond—not for irrigation, but purely for the birds, frogs, ducks, and fish. It also acts as drainage during heavy rain. They produce their own organic fertiliser using microorganisms, supplying the trees with a steady stream of minerals through a drip irrigation system.
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A glass of glyphosate?
Humans have an unusual relationship with food. We spray crops with chemical pesticides to make sure no other species eats them, and then we eat those pesticides intended to kill other living beings. It is a curious arrangement, and one that extends well beyond the farm, considering a good portion of those chemicals does not stay where they are sprayed. Pesticides, the heavy artillery of industrial
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Grass-fed meat is turning our relationship with the organic label on its head
As we prepared to integrate meat and egg producers into CrowdFarming, we began consulting with farmers who share our values—mostly leaders of the regenerative movement in Europe. We discovered that many operate on the fringes of the organic label. This article explores the main hurdles these producers face when advancing regeneration while maintaining organic certification. Before we dive in, let’
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Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Blood Oranges are in season until April and few desserts showcase their vibrant colour and pattern quite like an upside-down cake. Their deep red hue comes from anthocyanins, natural pigments that develop when the fruit ripens during cool nights followed by milder days. The degree of anthocyanin production depends on growing conditions and is the reason for differences in patterns and pigmentation
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One Design, One Season
We’ve spent years working to transform the agri-food system, connecting society with the people and places behind their food. We set out to fix a broken system that was failing farmers, harming the environment, and compromising the quality of our food. Today, we’re applying that same mindset to something we also use every day, yet rarely associate with nature’s cycles: your clothes. Introduc
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