Ferry Elsinga — A Quinta da Lage
Eight years ago, Ferry Elsinga moved from the Netherlands to start a new life in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. This was the inception of a regenerative farm, known today as A Quinta da Lage. This inspiration was sparked when he was a child, witnessing the scenes of deforestation for the first time on television. The land eroded and eventually became a desert. This memory was retained within him until adulthood, when it was time to make a pivot in his life direction. It was time to initiate the childhood of dream of reforesting and regenerating the land.
“This dream felt really strong.”
When the conditions were right, he made the decision to purchase a large, degraded piece of land in rural Portugal. Alentejo — also known as Portugal’s bread basket, is the quintessential ranch territory of Europe’s most westerly country. It is still considered to be some of the most fertile lands in the country, but many decades of industrial agriculture have caused much of the land to become increasingly arid and unproductive. During various economic crisis’ that occurred in the past, many of the multi-generational inhabitants left to go and live in the city. This population is now being replaced by foreigners from various nationalities and backgrounds, who are drawn to this area for similar reasons — to live a simpler life, to work in harmony with nature and to live as self-sufficiently as possible.
A Quinta da Lage is a unique example when it comes to regenerative, off-grid projects in Europe. One aspect is the size of the land: 130 hectares of rolling grassy plains, ancient cork forests and a fertile valley filled with citrus fruits and an organic garden. Another aspect is the many types of people that this project attracts, from permaculture students to van lifers, every demographic of alternative living is attracted to this place.
Despite the beauty and impressive size of the project, it is not the utopian vision of the many new-age oriented expats that now reside in the region. It is a raw place. It’s real. The barriers between yourself and nature are stripped back. It takes time, effort and consistency to manage and execute a project like this. It can be messy. There is no blueprint, but that is also part of what makes this place special. It’s as much an experiment in community living and working together as it is with working with the land.
“It is challenging this life; it is not all beautiful here — but I would never want to change it anymore. No, it is all worth it.”
“We can achieve auto-sufficiency if we are willing to adjust our behaviour. I feel we have to do that any way in the future. The future will bring us there.” — Ferry Elsinga
Watch the video:
Directed by Nicolas Denis
Produced by Studio Collectif.
Original music from Pierre Sierro.
Photography serie by Nicolas Denis.