Beautiful 1000-ha Regenerative Farm in Portugal 🇵🇹 with João Valente

In this episode of the Deep Seed Podcast, we travel to Monte Silveira in Portugal to meet João Valente, the trailblazing farmer restoring a 1,000-hectare landscape using the ancient wisdom of the Montado ecosystem, cutting-edge soil health science, and profitable regenerative agriculture practices.

👉 Learn how João rebuilt soil from 0.7% to over 5% organic matter, planted 8,000 cork oaks using keyline design, integrated rotational grazing with four species, and ditched monocultures forever.

Whether you’re into agroecology, sustainable food systems, or just want to see what a future-proof farm looks like... this episode is for you!

The episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital - a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health 🌿

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Why João Chose a Life on the Land
00:35 – From Industrial Tobacco to Organic Farming
03:08 – Becoming One of Europe’s First Regenerative Lighthouse Farms
04:17 – Overview of Monte Silveira's 1000 ha Farm System
06:01 – What Is the Montado Ecosystem?
08:28 – Managing Livestock for Regeneration (Pigs, Sheep, Goats & Cows)
12:09 – How Rotational Grazing Builds Soil and Perennial Plants
16:17 – What Changed After 15 Years of Regeneration
19:13 – Planting 8000 Cork Oaks with Keyline Design
26:30 – Inside the Arable System: No-Till, Cover Crops & Intercropping
31:51 – Why Stacking Crops Boosts Profit and Soil Health
34:48 – Integrating Livestock Into Croplands
36:22 – Soil Evolution: From 0.75% to Over 5% Organic Matter
36:57 – Climate Resilience: Thriving in Droughts and Floods
39:02 – João’s Biggest Lesson as a Farmer
40:17 – A Perfect Day on the Farm
41:29 – Closing Thoughts & Teaser for Part 2 with Diogo

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🔥 KEY TOPICS COVERED

🌳 Montado system regeneration
🐄 Rotational grazing with multi-species herds
🌾 Intercropping millet, sunflower & legumes
💧 Keyline design water management
🧬 Soil organic matter increase in arid conditions
💸 Profitable regenerative farming in Southern Europe
🌍 Ecosystem restoration & climate resilience

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🎶 MUSIC was kindly borrowed from @oakstudiosok thank you 🙏

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💬 Tell us in the comments: What’s one message from Joao you particularly resonated with?