La Junquera Farm

The impact of tillage on soil infiltration rates in dryland farming is crucial for understanding regenerative practices. During the recent Regeneration Academy crash course, we conducted a revealing experiment to showcase this effect on our farm La Junquera Farm and a neighbouring field. In Picture 1, depicting an almond field left untilled for 7 years, the infiltration time was remarkably swift at only 1 minute, with a compaction layer identified at 60cm depth. Contrastingly, Picture 2 illustrates an almond field featuring vegetation strips and minimal tillage twice a year. Here, the infiltration time in the vegetation strip extended to 1.5 minutes, with a compaction layer detected at 40cm depth. The most striking contrast emerged in Picture 3, showcasing an almond field subjected to intensive tillage 8 times annually. In this scenario, the infiltration time dramatically increased to 15 minutes, with a compaction layer forming at a mere 20cm depth. These visual representations underscore the impact of tillage frequency on soil health and water infiltration rates, emphasizing the importance of adopting minimum tillage practices and vegetation strips and ground cover in dryland farming for long-term agricultural viability. #groundcover #SustainableFarming #SoilHealth #murcia #CAP #soilmission #minimumtillage #regenerative

As part of the 1% for the soil committee of CrowdFarming we have had our first meeting with over 500 members to talk about healthy soils. Interested to hear what La Junquera Farm and Crowdfarming do to improve soil health on farms? This video explains it all- https://lnkd.in/d43tu-fr

🌳 Adopt an Almond Tree at La Junquera Farm through CrowdFarming and get your almonds sent to you after harvest! 🌳 Support sustainable farming and biodiversity by adopting your own organic almond tree from La Junquera, one of Europe's leading regenerative farms. Your adoption helps cultivate healthy soil, restore ecosystems, and bring delicious almonds directly from the source to your table! https://lnkd.in/dJnXMZTX #Sustainability #RegenerativeFarming #Crowdfarming #LaJunquera #OrganicAlmonds

Interested in joining the Spanish Lighthouse Farm Lab in November on regenerative agriculture, but want more information? Join us on September 18th at 16:00CET to meet with the Lighthouse Farm Academy and Regeneration Academy teams to get an insight into the program and what you can expect in our workshop from November 4 - 8, 2024. Want to join but can't make this time? We can send you a recording of the meeting (just send us an email) or schedule a one-on-one via our website: https://lnkd.in/dpep7Hw2

📆 From November 4th to 8th, we will be co-hosting our Lighthouse Farm Lab, "Regenerating Landscapes", with the Regeneration Academy at La Junquera Farm in Murcia, Spain. We will be exploring regenerative agriculture from the farm scale all the way up to the market: what is #regenerative agriculture in practice, and how is La Junquera Farm working towards regenerating not only the land, but also the rural area in which they operate? We will meet with farmers, market partners, and other important stakeholders in the regenerative space to discuss the future of farming and food, and the role that we all have to play in transitioning towards resilient and equitable systems. 📣 There will be a Q&A with our team and with the Regeneration Academy on September 18th at 16:00CET for more information about the program and what you can expect in our week together. Registration is in the comments! This is a great opportunity for food systems professionals who want to root their theoretical knowledge in practice. #regenerativeagriculture #resilientfarmingandfood Yanniek Marijn Schoonhoven Alfonso Chico de Guzman Rogier Schulte Lizzy Freed Andrea Bottarel Miel Hooijdonk Agnes Kiss Wageningen Academy Regeneration Academy The Global Network of Lighthouse Farms La Junquera Farm

Me ilusiona mucho compartir algo que llevo muchos meses preparando: el Curso Integral de Restauración de Ecosistemas es real, y empieza este Noviembre! Para que fuera accesible para todos, es un curso mixto: 7 módulos en linea, y una semana de formación práctica en La Junquera Farm, y puedes elegir el formato que más prefieras! He buscado a los mejores expertos en el campo: más de 20 docentes de la administración pública, empresas, tercer sector y academia están listos para compartir su conocimiento y experiencia, para prepararte con todo el saber hacer, habilidades, confianza y redes que necesitas para asumir el trabajo crítico de restaurar tierras degradadas. Espero veros en Noviembre! Presentado por Camp Altiplano en colaboración con Regeneration Academy y Ecosystem Restoration Communities Para más info y registración visita www.ecorestauracion.es CIREF Centro Ibérico de Restauración Fluvial ECOACSA, Reserva de Biodiversidad Fundación Aland Ecoherencia S. Coop. And. amaterra Creando Redes SL Fundación Internacional para la Restauración de Ecosistemas FIRE

As more young people are inspired to return to the countryside and take up farming, they face a unique set of challenges, like we did. At La Junquera Farm we are committed to addressing these hurdles and supporting the new generation of rural entrepreneurs. 🌾 Some of the key challenges that we have faced while building La Junquera these past 10 years: 1. Knowledge and training: farming requires a diverse skill set and deep knowledge of sustainable practices. Many young people lack access to training and mentorship in regenerative agriculture. 2. Infrastructure and services: rural areas often have limited access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and public transport making it less attractive for young families. 3. Market access: competing with large-scale industrial farms was scary. Young farmers need support in marketing their products and accessing fair markets. 4. Community and social life: moving to a rural area can be isolating, especially for those used to the fast paced lifestyle of the city. Building a supportive community is crucial for long-term success. Some solutions that we have worked on these past 10 years: 1. Learning from organizations like Commonland and AlVelAl about innovative practices and providing comprehensive training in regenerative agriculture, offering future farmers and agrifood professionals the skills and knowledge they need to succeed through the Regeneration Academy. 2. Building a place where we can live, connect, collaborate, and support each other. 3. Working to secure funding and land access for entrepreneurs who want to develop their businesses. 4. Community building: by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, we ensure that young people feel at home in the countryside, surrounded by a supportive network. The return of young people to the countryside is so important for the future of regenerative agriculture and rural communities. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can create a thriving ecosystem where young farmers and entrepreneurs can flourish. Do you want to change the way we live and work in rural areas? Visit our website to learn more about our initiatives and how you can get involved. Together, we can overcome these challenges and pave the way for a sustainable future. 🌱🚜 #YouthInAgriculture #RuralRevival #RegenerativeFarming #SustainableFuture #LaJunquera

Would you like to know when to come and visit our farm? Check out the events coming autumn.

At la junquera, soil microbiology is more than just a science—it's a key to unlocking the capacity of our landscape to retain water, transforming to a more resilient ecosystem. Our farm, nestled in the Murcia region of Spain, employs regenerative agricultural practices to improve our soils, boost biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem services. Recent studies on our almond plots have revealed significant differences in soil microbial communities under various management practices. For instance, our no-till plots showed an average fungal biomass of 449 µg/g and bacterial biomass of 685 µg/g, compared to 25 µg/g and 355 µg/g in heavily tilled plots. Even though the soil has improved, we are still seeing how we can combine improved soil health with good enough yields. One of the ways in which we do that is by finding compromises. We are now at a point where we do minimum tillage with all year round vegetation strips which do not harm the yield. These findings underscore the critical role of soil health in farming and highlight la junquera as a living lab where theory meets practice. Join us in our journey to restore landscapes and foster a thriving agrifood system through one of our short or long courses. #regenerativeagriculture #soilhealth #microbiology #sustainablefarming https://lnkd.in/esx9MEmn

Some of the results of our work explained by Yanniek Marijn Schoonhoven