Regenerative agroforestry farm following syntropic principles
Évora
Hello WOOFers,
I am Afonso and for the past years I have been learning and applying the principles of syntropic agriculture to my farm, planting agroforests with vegetables, fruits and timber and other forestry species. I am currently living at the farm that has a few other permanent and temporary guests, namely one lovely dog, three very independent cats and around 30 chickens.
The farm is located in Alentejo, Portugal, a region that has suffered with ecological degradation for many years and that now is facing the pressure of climate change, undergoing a desertification process that is affecting all of southern europe. Through agroforestry we can reverse this process by creating functional agroecosystems that mimic the form and function of the original ecosystems this region once had, leading ecological succession forward towards abundance.
Activities are diverse and dependent on the time of the year, during fall and spring there is lots of prunning and planting, the maintenance of older systems (mulching, weeding, intercropping) and of course there is always time for some creative projects like landscaping, gardening or building. During summer we are mostly focused on caring for the systems and harvesting, also there is always time for a swim in the lake. We take care of the chicken everyday and soon the farm will have a few more animals.
I would love to share all the knowledge that I can regarding agroforestry, syntropy, setting up and running a farm, and of course life in general.
There is a house with bathroom and a small kitchen where you will stay, there is also a bike available for you to explore. We usually have meals together and we eat as much as possible products from the farm.
I practice movement and chi kung, love reading and debating about the books or just ideas in general. I organize a music festival at the farm because that is also one of my passions and I am a curious observer. There are lots of options of stuff to do, the farm is just 3km from the city of Évora, soon to be the European Capital of Culture. There is a big university and lots of student life and also you can always visit other towns and villages in Alentejo. To the east you can visit the Alqueva lake which is absolutely magic and of course you can always take a day to go to the beach on the west coast.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Grain farming
Poultry farming
Forestry
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Green Building
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Biodynamic agriculture
Fukuoka farming
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Production farm
80
Hectares
|
197.7
Acres
Afonso
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, Portuguese, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 4 days
Évora
Lisbon Airport/ Évora bus and train stations
Reviews
Ruben
Germany
•
February 2026
We had a very nice time at Afonso. Without any expectations, he gave us positive impressions of his project.
He is a very pleasant and balanced person and always tries to impart as much of his knowledge as possible to his woofers and explain them patiently.
He is also open to new ideas and exchange.p
He gave us a nice home for a week and always made sure that we didn't lack anything. We cooked together and were also invited to eat with his family. It was always a very friendly and appreciative interaction.
His plans and visions for his project are wonderful and definitely worth supporting in any way. If we can manage it, we would like to come back next year.
Sehr zu empfehlen
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Nanna
Denmark
•
January 2026
Thankyou so much for the week on the farm! Antonio and the animals are so welcoming and nice! The garden are beautiful and we liked the work and the variation between the tasks. It’s a really cozy house with everything you need. We were there during Christmas and it was so nice to see the Portuguese way to celebrate:) thank you a lot, and one day we will go to the festival!:)
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Letizia
Switzerland
•
December 2025
My woofing experience here was very positive! Afonso is an attentive and friendly host: he provided everything we needed in the house and was open to answering any questions we had. I really appreciated his motivation for his beautiful project and his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge, both specifically about syntropic agriculture and in general. The work was enjoyable and diversified, with flexible hours accomodating possible online commitments. The property is lovely and you can take wonderful walks among the oaktrees of the montado landscape :) Thank you, Afonso!
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