César & Juan Salamanca
BioValle
Location: Palma Del Río, Córdoba
Products: Oranges
BioValle is a farm located in the fertile valley of Guadalquivir, near Córdoba. This area has been renowned since the time of the Moors for its cultivation of orange trees and today is mainly dominated by large industrial farms, working in a conventional way.
In 2003 two brothers, César and Juan, decided to transform a small third-generation family farm into organic production based on agro-ecological principles. Juan completed his thesis on the agro-ecological culture of oranges, and both brothers are long-time advocates for agro-ecology and independent food movements.
César and Juan cultivate four varieties of orange trees. They were planted by their grandfather 60 years ago and the two brothers are proud to continue this rich genetic history. They firmly believe in the link between farmers and customers, selling most of their oranges directly to individual customers and buying groups in Andalusia. They also open their farm to anyone wishing to visit it and become familiar with the agro-ecological principles they put into practice.
“It’s asking what can be done in a different way, based on mutual trust and respect, by a responsible farmer looking for a quality product with the end consumer in mind.”
