scrubbedexpat137 

Hi,

Latest crop fad people hope to make money from is growing truffles (and as it is becomeing more well-known, expect future glut so prices will plummet - like oranges, mandarins, peaches, olives, almonds, etc.), can be done with innoculated hazelnut tree roots. Long-term investment. Money usually made more from state subsidies for large landowners than those smallholders who produce something, complicated area to get a piece of that action, to put it bluntly.

Olives or almonds are not a good idea unless you have hundreds of hectares. Carob is also more going in than comes out.

If you really want to live off the land here, you need to properly research e.g. a truly unfashionable but high-value niche product and keep very quiet about it (for reason stated above about ingrained copycat mad dash into xyz crop making them worthless). And combine this with other revenue-generating activities. Some people with teaching qualifications offer rural intensive English courses. Maybe some sort of flowering plant(s) that is (are) profitable could be an add-on to flog each spring. True lemongrass (tall grass that repels mosquitos, not silly, useless flower sold in its name) - no idea if it's profitable, but it's hard to find in your average garden center. Spain is more who you know than what you know.

Best of luck with everything.

philat98

If Spain is anything like Italy it is quite difficult to find a fertile hectare of land with a reliable well that you can still pump from in August after 12 months of draught. You want land that gets sunshine in January so you can grow stuff in a polytunnel and get early spring crops. Even olives dont care much for north facing slopes with infertile soils.
A good fence is useful to keep the neighbours pigs off your plot and passers by stealing your stuff.
Safron is easy to grow. The bulbs are expensive and harvesting is back breaking. Once planted it grows every year without much maintenance. I grow it between rows of vines.
Good luck with your project.

Moses2013

It really depends where in Spain but water shortages are a big problem. As you say, it's a lot easier to grow in polytunnel but there's nothing you can do when it's too hot.

Cape Blue

Really top notch advice on this thread, well done all.

philat98

I open the sides of the polytunnel when it gets hot. I am just harvesting tomatoes and courgettes now.

Moses2013

I do the same in Ireland and tomatoes are growing very fast but in the extreme heat like you get in some parts of Spain, even opening the sides won't help. You could use shade cloth or plant trees to create shade, but that's why location is vital. Courgettes we grow outside, as in the heat they can develop Cucurbitacins and outside they will grow like mad anyway. Last year I planted some different fruit trees outside, such as Brown Turkey Fig, Apricot & Plum + some Goji bushes.

missile

There are many acres covered with plastic growing tomatoes near Mazzaron. It gets really hot there. I believe they are owned by Tesco?

Moses2013

No idea if it's Tesco but this was 2015
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/2...-and-mazarron/

Heat damages up to 60% of tomatoes in Águilas and Mazarrón

The Agrarian Association of Young Growers (ASAJA) in the Region of Murcia has reported the loss of 60% of the tomatoes planted in areas of Águilas and Mazarrón.

ASAJA-Murcia has stated that the damage was caused by the high temperatures on Thursday, which exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, which follow up on similar levels registered in recent weeks.

Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca, general secretary of ASAJA-Murcia, said that temperatures above 40 degrees can take "a very negative toll, especially in the cultivation of tomatoes, which according to our estimates could have registered losses of up to 60 percent."

For his part, Jose Martínez Quiñonero, vice president of Asaja-Murcia, expects temperatures to drop and consequently for "the climate to become more benign, since these heat waves are very harmful and negative for Murcia's entire food industry."

Martínez Quiñonero stressed the need for "greater flexibility in the general conditions of agricultural insurances, as producers increasingly have to pay more money themselves and receive fewer benefits. In fact, the impact of the heat on tomatoes is not covered by agricultural insurances."

philat98

My polytunnel regularly gets to 50C in the afternoon even in May. The toms seem to cope with it as long as they are well watered. A low night temperature probably helps. I concentrate on early varieties for the polytunnel.

Free4ever

Thanks. After reading all the various replies, we are looking into different options

Free4ever

We are currently growing potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, little gem lettuce, mixed leaf lettuce, strawberries & blueberries; all of which is our first proper trial and so far we have a really healthy crop.
We are not looking for something to make us a fortune, just enough to be able to pay the bills, pay for shopping etc.
It's just my husband and me, no kids, and we are in our early 50's.
Love to be on the go all day, as originally from a farming background.
There are so many different things to look at, it's mind boggling, and our timing isn't the best as we're not even sure we'll be able to move over after 31st December, it's just something we'll have to see.

Moses2013

At the end of the day it all comes down to budget. Why not spend less on property to actually not rely on income? If you want to be on the go a smaller garden is also a lot of work + you have time to walk and swim.

Barriej

Don't give up on your dreams, they might work. At least you have taken the advice given so far in good faith. You would be surprised at the number who come to these forums wanting advice but are not really interested.

If its any help, we know a couple who live 'off grid' no water, electric. They grow crops and have some animals and swap these for things they need. Of course they both speak reasonable spanish but it can work.

Moses2013

Fair point and one should always have dreams. I feel it's easy to get carried away though and does one need that much land attached to a property directly? Personally I would look at the home first and see if I can get something cheaper near the coast that's actually classed urban and also has rental income potential with a bit less land. Start small and with a good layout you can get the best out of it. If that works, you can maybe consider buying a bit more land later close by. Often you'll find these non urban plots are a lot cheaper.

missile

I really do hope you make it. Better to try and fail than give up on your dream. Please bear in mind farm produce is much cheaper in Spain.