Heroic Agriculture on Tenerife, the Island of Eternal Spring

A Blissful Climate

The attribution of the climatic designation “island of eternal spring” is largely due to Alisei  winds, whose moisture mainly condenses in the northern and northeast of the island, forming wide seas of clouds which are between 600 and 1800 metres high. Those locations are called “medianiás”. Another factor that influences the sweetness of the climate of the Canary Islands compared to what for latitude would correspond (desert of the Sahara), is the cold marine current of the Canaries, which cools the water temperatures of the coasts and beaches of islands. The climate of Tenerife is moderate, temperate and very mild in any season. There are no periods of cold, but not even asphyxiating heat. Average temperatures are 18 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer, although these are relative and general values. Of course there are important contrasts, such as the one that occurs during the winter months, where you can enjoy the sun in coastal areas and at 3000 m.a.s.l. contemplate the white mantle of Mount Teide, a place where it snows every year.

Viticulture on the Islands

These geoclimatic conditions have allowed the cultivation of vines on these islands. The wine tradition of the Canaries dates to more than five centuries ago and was even appreciated by Shakespeare, who in his writings mentioned the “Canary wine”. Today, the wine production of the archipelago is based on a mix of traditional techniques and innovation, attracting the interest of oenologists, sommeliers and enthusiasts from all over the world. The island’s agriculture is also heroic; the morphology of the territory does not allow the use of agricultural machinery or intensive agriculture; farmers must adapt their production to the territory.

And this is where we meet Finca Marañuela, a plot of land founded by the family of Felipe García in the valley of La Orotava. In this pleasant place, Felipe has a parcel of crops associated as coffee, papaya, oranges, guayaba, cherries, avocados, herbs flanked by the vineyard, that is cultivated with the unique system of breeding the vine called “cordón trenzado”.

All crops follow the principles of natural agriculture, a practice that combines elements of synergistic agriculture, permaculture and regenerative agriculture.

One of the most fascinating elements of Finca Marañuela (which is also a member of the Slow Wine Coalition) is the use of the system of breeding the vine called “cordón trenzado”, typical of the Valley of La Orotava. It is a traditional technique in which the vine shoots are hand-woven each year, until they form long cords that can reach up to 10-15 metres in length. This form of breeding was not only born for agronomic reasons, but also for the needs of coexistence between several crops. The twisted vines, lifted from the ground on natural supports or low poles, left space below to grow other products. It was an ingenious solution to make the most of agricultural land, especially in peasant families where every square meter was precious.

Today the “cordón trenzado” is a living example of sustainable and integrated agriculture, and Felipe preserves it with pride as part of the agricultural and cultural heritage of the Canary Islands. The slow and wise gesture of weaving is still transmitted as a rite, a link between past and present, between man and landscape.

Why the decision of different crops?

“The monoculture impoverishes the soil, compromises the health of the plants that are grown, everything is unbalanced, then the parasites appear, and since there is no biodiversity, these parasites don’t find natural predators, so we resort to fungicides, which further deplete the soil, and further degrade plant health, and supplements with synthetic fertilizers. It is a cycle whose only end is the collapse of the plant. The associated crops create an agricultural ecosystem that is self-sustaining, self-regulating, almost without the need for intervention. Everything in life tends to stabilize if you let go. The more complex and diverse the system, the more stable and self-sufficient it becomes. The crop combination tends to mimic the intelligent complexity of nature so that the farmer almost does not have to intervene. Plants do not compete, but they cooperate. Some fix nitrogen, others give shade, others protect from the wind, others repel insects…

As an example, last year coffee plants were attacked by a plague of aphid and cochineal. I decided not to act. A few months later, thousands of ladybugs appeared on the ground. I had never seen so many. They took care to eliminate the aphid and cochineal, because they are their biggest natural predator.

The balance has been restored; it has arrived by itself.”

What is it like to take charge of a polyculture plot in Tenerife?

“It is difficult, demanding and exhausting. As soon as you finish a job with one crop, you must switch to the other and so on. There is no rest. There is always activity and physical and mental effort. But at the same time, it is a challenge from which you learn. You observe and learn. And then put into practice what you have learned. And you understand that if you stop to “read” it, nature teaches you, is your best teacher and ally. She already knows what to do, when to do it and how to do it. You just must read and interpret, let go, let be guided, collaborate with her. It is healing to understand this. Knowing that you are not alone and that, somehow, everything is already written. Ultimately, it is difficult and at the same time a challenge that motivates me and makes me grow as a person.”