Acequia Real Market Garden
Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana
About this farm
A 14-hectare market garden in the Valencia floodplain, watered by the Acequia Real del Júcar canal and given over to citrus and seasonal vegetables. Orange and mandarin plots sit alongside open beds that supply nearby markets. The alluvial soil and traditional gravity irrigation set the rhythm of every crop.
Story
The farm began in 1952 when the Bisbal family bought a small bitter-orange plot near Alfafar and grafted it over to sweet oranges for export. In the 1980s the second generation added vegetable beds so the business would not depend on citrus alone. In 2009 it joined a regional cooperative that handles packing and sales, and since 2018 the third generation has run drip irrigation on the newer plots. Three partner families now work the land alongside seasonal staff.
Farming practices
Drip irrigation on the newer plots and traditional gravity flooding from the canal on the historic beds, with integrated pest management using traps and beneficial insects. Plant-based compost and green cover crops between the citrus rows keep the soil in place.
Crops
- Navelina orange
- Clemenules mandarin
- Valencian artichoke
- Tiger nut
- Penjar hanging tomato
- Spring onion