About us
Hubert and his brother Michael bought the 140 acres of land in the early 80´s. As soon as the first foundations were created, Hubert´s life companion Margit together with their three daughters came to the farm.
Hubert studied agronomic engineering, and it was here that he applied his knowledge and fundamentals in organic farming, Michael wanted to use the place to write his travel guides.
Looking at the old pictures you´ll see how scraggy and ravaged the land was and how simple life was at the time.
Hubert´s vision was to create a self-sufficient farm, rich in biodiversity.
Over the years Hubert planted around 80.000 trees to stop eroding the soils and to create a biodivers flora and fauna. Simultaneously he built the lakes, to retain water. The storage of water offered the farm a source of life: vegetable gardens and animals were introduced to establish the basic foundations of the farm as to provide the houses.
While Hubert was focused in his projects, Margit managed the family life and created alternative education conditions for their daughters.
1988, the “Escola Primavera”, the first Waldorf School in Portugal was founded.This project lasted 8 years.
Margit Co-founded “Jardim Internacional Infância Viva”, which still exists today.
Over the years, she developed others cultural and social initiatives and until today, she is strongly connected to these subjects. Margit became one of the references in Portugal in the anthroposophical community.
Over the years Hubert tried several different projects that were not always “successful”, but he did all with a lot of enthusiasm and idealism.
However, all of this would not have been possible without the help and support of many people over the years.
To support the farm financially, he run a carpentry business and was involved in the founding of a wind park, which until today provides green energy, for the farm.
Hubert's sudden sickness in January 2014 and his death in march 2017 sped up a generation shift in Vinha Velha. Now the daughters Clara and Delia, her partner Florian and Margit are in charge of the farm.
Michael still supports Vinha Velha from Germany.
Life at Vinha Velha
For many years this place has been attracting families from several countries.
At the moment there are 20 people from different social and cultural backgrounds living here. Some of them are staff, working on the farm others are long term tenants that work outside in other areas.
The inhabitants of Vinha Velha share values such as sustainability, diversity and responsibility towards the environment. We live in close neighborhood but everybody apreciates their own privacy and individual life-style.
In recent years, the number of children has been growing. Whether in the vegetable garden, at the harvest, the milking of the cows, the small ones are always welcome to take part. From an early age on, they are integrated in the everyday tasks of farm life.
