Buying Organic Fruit and Vegetables in the Costa Cálida
The best way to buy organic fruit and vegetables is directly from a certified farm. There are a number in the area that will send you a spreadsheet every week with the products and prices and you can choose exactly what you want and how much you want. They have a variety of pick up points such as Cartagena, Santiago de La Ribera, Sucina or Torre Pacheco. You fill in the spreadsheet, email it back to them and pick up the vegetables at a specific place and time every week. Generally the standard of the food is excellent and it is harvested on the same day that you pick it up.
A few large supermarkets, such as Al Campo (in Murcia and La Zenia) and Carrefour have some organic products. Carrefour has a seperate area in the fruit and vegetable secion dedicated to organic. It isn't common to find any ecological products in smaller supermarkets such as Mercadona, however Aldi and Lidl have a growing range. Buying from a friend who has a vegetable patch (Huerto), who you know doesn't use chemicals is another great way to get fresh vegetables. The locals tend to be quite aware of how many chemicals are used in normal agriculture in the area and like to cultivate their own vegetables in their huertos. How to order from a farm |
Antigua Vida Nueva The farm is between Torre Pacheco and Cartagena, and you can pick up directly at the farm, or at points in Cartagena, Santiago de La Ribera or Torre Pacheco. Their website is in Spanish, but the spreadsheet isn't too complicated, so if you can speak a bit of spanish and have a dictionary to hand it will probably be OK to fill in and email every week. They sell a very wide selection of organic products including fruit and veg, eggs, goat's milk, goat's cheese, herbs, breads and cakes, teas and dried goods, such as beans or rice.
To become a client you can fill in the Antigua Vida Nueva Contact Form and they will start sending you a weekly spreadsheet. At the time of writing this website, their spreadsheet was getting emailed on a Wednesday, with orders required by Saturday at 10am. Most of the pick-ups being on a Tuesday of the following week. You pay 10 Euros as a deposit on the large crate the vegetables come in every week, and when you give your crate back you will receive your 10 Euros again.
Orgavita: This firm is based in Torre Pacheco and deliver a wide range of organic food to your door for a delivery charge of just 3 Euros. They have fruit and vegetables, oils, dried goods, meat, breads, milk etc. Their website is very easy to use, as it has photos of all the produce and there is no need to fill in a seperate spreadsheet as you order directly from the website by clicking on pictures of the produce. (Meat is only is on the website from Saturday to Tuesday.) www.orgavita.es
Biosegura: Biosegura is large association which sells a wide range of organic produce and also runs courses. You need to become a member of the association. You can pick up food in Caravaca, Murcia, Lo Pagan, Molina, Alberca, Guadalupe, Ñora and Espinardo. Their website is in Spanish.
Isoeco: Isoeco is an assocation based near Fuente Alamo, where they have their organic finca. They also have distribution in Murcia, Cartagena, Molina de Segura and Alcantarilla. Their website is in Spanish.
To become a client you can fill in the Antigua Vida Nueva Contact Form and they will start sending you a weekly spreadsheet. At the time of writing this website, their spreadsheet was getting emailed on a Wednesday, with orders required by Saturday at 10am. Most of the pick-ups being on a Tuesday of the following week. You pay 10 Euros as a deposit on the large crate the vegetables come in every week, and when you give your crate back you will receive your 10 Euros again.
Orgavita: This firm is based in Torre Pacheco and deliver a wide range of organic food to your door for a delivery charge of just 3 Euros. They have fruit and vegetables, oils, dried goods, meat, breads, milk etc. Their website is very easy to use, as it has photos of all the produce and there is no need to fill in a seperate spreadsheet as you order directly from the website by clicking on pictures of the produce. (Meat is only is on the website from Saturday to Tuesday.) www.orgavita.es
Biosegura: Biosegura is large association which sells a wide range of organic produce and also runs courses. You need to become a member of the association. You can pick up food in Caravaca, Murcia, Lo Pagan, Molina, Alberca, Guadalupe, Ñora and Espinardo. Their website is in Spanish.
Isoeco: Isoeco is an assocation based near Fuente Alamo, where they have their organic finca. They also have distribution in Murcia, Cartagena, Molina de Segura and Alcantarilla. Their website is in Spanish.