From Oryx Ridge:

We aim to farm as sustainably as possible . No weed killers are used and we allow natural vegetation to cover the rows . We have used vetch and lupins as nitrogen fixing legumes under the trees which reseed themselves in the winter . Chickens are kept in a chicken “tractor” at night that moves around the orchard and stimulate microbial activity.

Fertilizer is applied in spring and again in January depending on the fruit set . This is done based on soil analysis ,with only the required amounts applied . The longer term aim is to improve the natural balance of the soil so that fertilizers are hardly needed . This is done by adding carbon in the form of straw or wood chips and chopping prunings in the rows . We then add humic and fulvic acid ( natural and organic) as well as mycorrhiza and organic stimulants to encourage algae and microbial activity in the soil .

Organic Bioneem oil is occasionally used for olive beetle and other chewing insects. Only certified organic fertilizer is applied. Organic foliar feeds are applied in summer to keep the leaves healthy. We are not certified organic but only used Certified pest control products.

Questions

Do you practice Biodynamic / organic farming? No, we farm regeneratively and still rely on chemicals at times
Do you treat soil with live cultures? Yes, we use organic foliar feeds in summer
What is your fertiliser use: We rotate our chickens daily under our olives. We plant lupins and vetch to nitrogen fix. We use fertilisers in spring and January, but long term we hope to remove all use by balancing the soil using the methods above.
Do you use natural predators and / or chemical sprays? Only during the dormant winter period