Harvest Time in Crete
As part of our joint project with the TUI Care Foundation and SFDO, we are supporting farmers and food producers in Crete in transitioning to regenerative agriculture. At the actively participating vocational school for agriculture in Platanias, after successful training and regenerative cultivation, students were able to harvest the vegetables they grew themselves. These were transformed into delicious dishes during a tasting event.
Sustainably harvested, deliciously served – Regenerative Agriculture in Crete
In our joint project with the TUI Care Foundation and the local partner SFDO | Sustainable Food Destination Organization®, we support farmers and food producers in transitioning to regenerative agriculture, for example, through on-field training.
In addition to more than 30 farmers, 8 hotels, and 14 food producers, the Vocational Evening School for Agriculture in Platanias is also participating in the project. At this school, (young) adults can study agricultural science and gain practical insights into the subject.
With the participation of the vocational school, the topic of “regenerative agriculture” has now become a permanent part of the curriculum, and students are putting what they learn directly into practice.
The collaboration also includes the establishment of vegetable gardens on the school grounds, where students, guided by agricultural scientists from the local partner, learn and implement regenerative farming practices.
In the spring, students from the current program created a field sketch, prepared the field with organic material, and planted summer crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini—of course, using regenerative farming methods. These methods include, for example, tilling the soil only when necessary and using a slow-rotating hand digger for soil preparation and the incorporation of organic fertilizers.
After six months of intensive preparation and cultivation, the time had finally come: harvest season! The harvested vegetables were delivered to the Minoa Palace in Chania, one of the participating project hotels, and transformed into delicious dishes for the guests during a tasting event.
