The philosophy of Naranjas del Carmen is the result of different influences and experiences made in our working and family life, as well as in our social environment. We are thrilled by various social and agricultural approaches which have sustainably shaped our philosophy until today. A few techniques we have learned from books, some others resulted out of our common sense and most of them we got to know from other farmers of all different age groups while having lunch together.
In our fields, we grow everything in accordance with European organic farming regulations. But we don’t stop just there. We like to go further. What we do and how we do it isn’t just about complying with regulations, but also being true to our way of thinking.
Cultivation
We don’t produce. The trees produce. We only play a role in a tiny part of the production cycle. Our work focuses on fostering the ecosystem around us: invigorating the microbial life of the soil, managing irrigation and the use of water, pruning our trees, and encouraging the balance between pests and their predators.
Our golden rule is quality instead of quantity. Quality stands above all for pure and fresh products ripening in a completely natural way. The appearance of our fruit doesn’t matter. Neither does size matter. But what does matter is that the fruit ripens on the tree and that you receive it without any post-harvest treatments.
Harvest
This is the magic of Naranjas del Carmen because we only harvest what is actually ordered. The moment you place your order on our website your fruits are still ripening on their tree and we pick them just for you. Therefore, you will always receive freshly picked oranges and mandarins.
Hence, the harvest is never stored. We are crazy about fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables. After they have been picked they are sent directly to your home without passing any further processes or ripening chambers. This is why perhaps the date you choose during the purchase process is within a few days or a few weeks. Even though you can order in advance, we only dispatch the product when it’s ripe on the tree. We go against the tide of what most home delivery apps do. We can’t offer you food in ten minutes because we need to pick it off the tree, pack it (always in plastic-free packaging) and send it to your home efficiently.
Our work
Naranjas del Carmen and Crowdfarming® were created by a team consisting of human beings with open minds. We are not only a website or a smartphone app. We are farmers, beekeepers, computer specialists, engineers, designers and ambassadors with ten different nationalities and with an average age of 33 years. The fruits mature on our own trees, the honey is produced by our own bees and the water comes from our own well. We care about our environment and fellow human beings. Therefore, we work based on our own convictions.
If you ever visit Valencia, we’ll be delighted for you to visit us and find out for yourself about our farming philosophy and our way of life!