Regenerative Farm Tour and Workshops

Soil Health

Healthy soil is the foundation of ecosystem restoration and regeneration. It supports increased and healthy food production, captures and maintains water, increases biodiversity, and sequesters more carbon. The Soil Lab at Mud Valley Institute is an onsite, field-based soil laboratory supporting research and education focused on improving soil health and agricultural production gains. This session will share information on what healthy soils are, how we monitor soil quality, and examples of our work.

This is an expanded version of Saturdays at the Farm featuring extra sessions, as we wrap up Soil Week, a series of events taking place from December 2nd through 7th. In addition to the educational sessions below, we will also feature a variety of family-friendly and children’s activities throughout the day to keep everyone entertained.

• 10:30am – 12:00pm: Guided farm tour with Hugo Oliveira
• 12:00pm – 1:30pm: Composting and indigenous microorganisms
• 1:30pm – 3:00pm: Lunch, featuring food items for sale (or bring your own)
• 3:00pm – 3:30pm: Viewing of the soil health-related documentary “Save Soil”
• 3:30pm – 5pm: Question and answer session and panel discussion about the film and soil health (panelists to be announced)

Facilitator

• Dr. Elodie da Silva – Chief Scientist, The Soil Lab at Mud Valley Institute

Children’s and Family Activities

Our partners at Novas Descobertas Association will host soil and clay-focused games, activities and workshops, based on their Getting Clayful program, at the same times as the educational sessions above. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and engage with soils and clay in interactive, fun ways. These hands-on sessions will inspire movement, joy, and the opportunity to work with the earth in constructive ways.

Getting Clayful session times:

• 10:30am-12:00pm, 12:00pm-1:30pm, 3:00pm-5:00pm

Planting Dry Gardens

Discover the beauty and sustainability of low-water gardening, perfect for arid climates such as ours, where water conservation is critical. Learn practical tips on selecting drought-tolerant plants, designing resilient landscapes, and maintaining a vibrant garden year-round with minimal water. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, this session will inspire you to create a stunning, ecofriendly garden that thrives in dry conditions. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your outdoor space into a sustainable oasis!

This event is presented in collaboration with the Mediterranean Gardening Association of Portugal.

The workshop will begin with a tour of a dry garden area at Quinta Vale da Lama. Our facilitators will cover topics such as climates and soils of the Algarve, topography investigation, design principles, water availability and considerations, matching plant species and garden type with the local environment, and an overview of key climate appropriate plants that work well in Algarvian dry gardens.

Please note: The workshop session will begin at 4:00pm.