Voyage. The Farm Ibiza
Welcome to The Farm Ibiza, the farming universe of Alonso & Francesca. July 2021. San Miguel de Balasat, Ibiza.
Alonso Colmenares, a biologist by training, farmer and publicist by profession, together with his Chilean wife Francesca, a floral artist, settled in the north of the island in an old 19th century farm to turn it into their life project. The Farm Ibiza is an agrotourism with an agricultural operation in continuous evolution, a very living laboratory from which, in addition to the organic garden, a floral workshop and The Farmers Club, a training project for farmers, have been born. The organic garden produces mainly native vegetables. And from here, under the "from farm to table" model, the genre is served to the island's restaurants. Inside her greenhouse, Francesca, inspired by the flowers of the Mediterranean and those from her own garden, gives free reign to her imagination to create the most exquisite floral arrangements on the island. The interior of the house follows the same philosophy, there is nothing new here, vintage , old and soulful pieces rescued at the San Jordi market, unpacking, or auction houses rule.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT IBIZA THAT HAS CAUGHT YOU?
Francesca - To settle in as a family, it is the ideal place because of the freedom that is breathed. I, who grew up in Chile under a dictatorship, always knew that my children had to live in freedom. To be free to be whoever they wanted to be.
Alonzo- Ibiza is made by local people, but also by the people who have come to the island, they are extraordinarily cosmopolitan. There are interesting people from all over the world who arrive with a lot of baggage behind them, and start a second life by deciding to settle here.
HOW DOES THE FARM IBIZA START?
Alonzo- After meeting Francesca, we started with the idea of building an agrotourism. And in that search, they called us to show us this Indian house from 1870. I had imagined a house with a forest or terraces. And this house was totally far from what I had in mind. There were 8 flat hectares and the building with its characteristic Indiana façade was more important in façade than the traditional country house. The house was not loved at first sight, until I entered the living room and immediately changed my mind, spacious, with a brutal energy charge and different from any interior of a house in Ibiza. Buying it was the best decision of our life. And the fact that it is 8 flat hectares has allowed us to reach what The Farm Ibiza is today.
Francesca- Much more has been developed from the idea of building a hotel. The goal was for our children to be born here. This house has given us a lot, we have developed on a personal and professional level, it has given us a garden, flowers, children, interior design, having a common couple's project in addition to the family.
WHAT DOES YOUR FARM CONSIST OF?
Alonzo- We started the farm from scratch, it had been without activity for 40 years, we made a permaculture design, we planted the 1800 pomegranate trees, then the almond trees, olive trees, vegetables and lastly the flowers and recently chickens. Olive and citrus trees are more for self-consumption. But with the rest of the harvest we serve it to restaurants on the island. Planting pomegranates is a more long-term project because we plant them when they are one year old and we will not have pomegranates for five years. The objective of this plantation is to make our own pomegranate juice.
WHERE DOES YOUR LOVE FOR FLOWERS COME FROM?
Francesca- I have always liked flowers. I had my children and I stopped working, and as soon as I had my space again, it was something totally natural, I had the idea in my head, they started kindergarten and I went to study in London. In my philosophy it was also very important to grow flowers to close the circle. In Ibiza there is only one flower supplier and growing them was a necessity, I love the idea of having ours organic.
This laboratory is absolute happiness, having a space where you can create and work with flowers right in front of a field of flowers, it connects you so much with them! I look at them, I take care of them, I water them, I clean them...
"We don't buy anything, things find us, that is the great wonder of vintage" |
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WHAT IS THE MOST GRATIFYING THING ABOUT HAVING YOUR GARDEN?
Alonzo- Here we are very purists in regenerative agriculture, we work all winter to ensure that the soils are the most fertile and thus have the best produce. The most gratifying thing about all this is delivering to restaurants, I take the two horses, I put my boxes in and I start delivering. My contact is directly with the cooks and chefs and when you see the excitement they have with the quality of the product you give them, all the work, all the effort and all the love you have put in has been worth it. They are our allies, they value it and that is a luxury.
WHAT IS THE FARMERS CLUB?
Alonzo- It is helping people to have the same thing that we have here. It is a school for farmers, people who are not farmers but they have the house and the land, and they are motivated by this care for the environment and for themselves. With this project we want to give back to the island everything it has given us, here there are only 8 hectares, but in this way we are recovering what the island was in a much more organic and holistic way.
HOW CONNECTED IS YOUR LIFE WITH THE DECORATION OF THIS HOUSE?
Alonzo- We like to give a second life to things, we are the soul of the market. We try not to buy new clothes, we try to make everything vintage , consumption for the sake of consumption in fashion does not apply in this house, we love the pre-loved concept. We like old things, patinas, rust, things that have had a life. And the same in clothes. When we move away from vintage , we try to support brands committed to the environment.
We don't buy anything, things find us, that is the great wonder of vintage . When I go to a market I am not going to buy anything in particular, it is the other way around that things find you. And that is for me one of the greatest pleasures in the world. Here there is neither order nor reason, this is eclectic, we put things in. Travel has had a lot of influence, so much so that we choose destinations for their markets.
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"Working with flowers right in front of a field of flowers, it connects you so much with them!"
HOW DO YOU SUMMARY YOUR LIFE PHILOSOPHY?
Alonzo- I am in the process, I continue to do it every day, we are building the entire path towards sustainability day by day, it is not that we are like that, it is that we are doing it. This house has given us, Josian, my partner and teacher, has given us. But the one who has radically changed my way of seeing life has been my son León. It is he who is 4 years old who is making me 100% like this, he is the one who really has no doubts, he is honest with himself and I am behind him. He is radicalizing me in caring for the earth, because I see it in his eyes. While Lola lives it and enjoys it in a more naive way, she observes, touches it, eats it and savors it.
Francesca - We believe in regenerating the earth, it is our way of life. We weren't like that at first, but living on a farm has changed our priorities.
IBIZA SPOTS
Here we leave you our favorite places, walks, coves, restaurants and artisans on the island.
STAY
Located in the north of the island just above the sea, it is eclectic, fun and cool like its owners. It also has the best shopping on the island with a very special curatorship.
DAY RESTAURANTS
It is in a lost cove, you eat the best salt fish and crayfish on the island. You can go during the day or at night, it is always wonderful.
In a more modern beach bar with exceptional fish and seafood.
We have a fishing hut, it is in the area of Es Cubells, we have a small dingi that we leave in the sea all summer and when the island is full we have our place in the sea just for us, a paradise! Next door is this restaurant, a place without any pretensions, its owners are fishermen and they have a spectacular genre. The padrón peppers, the calms and a good baked fish do not fail.
farm to table food , a mix between Italian and Middle East. In a wonderful place with the most delicious waiters and atmosphere on the island. It is totally child friendly , something very important to us.
It is a creative hub, a concept store, also with a restaurant, the food is simple and delicious, it is beautiful, it is full of toys, games, there are workshops and creative spaces for children and adults. We love it for breakfast and afternoon tea, it is next to the Santa Gertrudis playground. At home we lived all summer in their organic cotton dresses.
NIGHT RESTAURANTS
Without a doubt the best Italian on the island, an institution.
HUNGER
It opened a year ago and is the new hot spot, located in Santa Eulalia, it is a small, unpretentious place, but with the best food on the island, young, well-traveled, fun and very professional.
The best Japanese in the city of Ibiza, he Japanese, she an Ibizan countrywoman, without pretensions like a restaurant lost in Tokyo.
WALK
IN SERRA CAVE
It is our favorite beach and it is lost in the north of the island, without a beach bar or chairs, it is wonderful, the best bathroom on the island.
CHIRINGAY BEACH
It is the closest thing to Formentera on the island, the same sea, you have to walk from Es Caballet and that is scary in summer, but it is so worth it.
CRAFTS
I am addicted to vintage in Ibiza, we always buy here for our home and to wear. There is a stall called @loveibizavintage , She has sensational pieces, a mix of big brands with beautiful clothes from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
Alba is an artist who makes natural silk kimonos that she dyes with botanical dyes with flowers and fruits, each piece is unique, works of art for a lifetime.
ARTISAN CANDLES BY INÉS VENTOS
Daughter of the best nose in Spain, she has created a collection of candles based on the smells of the Ibizan countryside, totally natural essences, at home we are addicted.
Unique pieces with a brutalist tendency, with soul and a lot of character.
Deco and fashion, an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
Clothing and accessories for children and mothers.
Your store, in addition to the collection of Indian dresses and kurtas that are beautiful, has a vintage part in which I love to get lost to find treasures.
DRESS TO IMPRESS! If you want something to go out and dazzle on one of those crazy Ibiza nights this is the place.
