Ecovillage Los Portales

Rural topic(s): Agroecology and agroforestry

City: seville

Country: Spain

Web site: http://www.losportales.net

The ecovillage Los Portales is located in the foothills of the Sierra Morena, in Castilblanco de los Arroyos, about 50 km north of Seville.

The property has an area of 200 ha. in which you will find holm oaks as well as fruit and olive trees planted by the community who occupy these lands since 1984.

The community takes care of orchards and greenhouses dedicated to the self-consumption of vegetables, fruits, aromatic and medicinal herbs.

The ecovillage « Los portales » practises organic and/or biodynamic agriculture and also produces cereals, which are used to make their bread also sold to consumer groups. The community elaborates its own honey, olive oil, hygiene and cosmetic products. The milk from the goat herd is used to make fresh cheese and yoghurt.

The community, composed of 36 people, including six children, is conceived as a space of respect, empathy, collaboration and mutual support; it functions according to the principle of sociocracy.

It organises personal development workshops, hosts visits and interns from the WWOOF network. It is a member of the RIE (Iberic Ecovillages Network).

Scale of intervention : Local

Keywords: local food systems, biodynamic farming, organic farming, local food processing, wwoofing (voluntary work in farms)

Places: Spain

Actors: ecovillage

Methods: self-financing, training workshop, experience exchange, voluntary work