Seeds are Life (Vandana Shiva)

Working with the local biome means looking at what is already growing naturally; plants that have already adapted to periodic drought and the specific soil micro-biology and local weather patterns.

Wild legumes found in Ibiza such as Lathryus Cicera (Vetchling Pea), Lotus Corniculata (Birdsfoot Trefoil) and Medicago Scutellata (Snail Medic) grow in compacted impoverished soils and are highly drought resistant. Can Purtell uses wild cultivars of these plants and others in diverse species forage, companion planting with wheat and in herbal ley mixes.

Local varieties and wild cultivars of grasses are used when possible working with the hypothesis that wild cultivars will have more drought resistance and be hardier and that local varieties are be pre-adapted to the local climate, historic periods of drought and support habitat and food for local flora and fauna.

By harvesting green manure seeds that we buy from the peninsula we ensure the next generation of plants has a record of the local soil in its genome and begins a process of genetic adaptation to be more specifically adapted to life in their new home Ibiza.

Future generation plants will be hardier, healthier and more resilient. It also allows for more financial resilience as we do not need to buy seeds twice.