'Masseiras' of Apúlia

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The “masseiras” or “masseira” fields are a unique form of traditional farming practised in Portugal, in the parishes of Apúlia and Fão – municipality of Esposende – and in the neighbouring parishes of Estela, Navais and Aguçadoura – municipality of Póvoa de Varzim.

This type of agriculture relies upon making a large rectangular hole in the dunes. In the corners of the pit, known as "valos", vines are grown in order to protect the central area from the winds. The central area contains fresh water, not salty as we might suppose, and everything can be grown. These high fertility fields are optimized by the fertilizer used and the presence of abundant water (water table). Fertilization, mainly with seaweed (marine algae and rotten crab), is another of the secrets to the achieved productivity.

This pit, only a few meters deep, achieves a heat level that, combined with the "valos" and the vineyards that protect the field from the wind, turns the “masseira” into a kind of greenhouse.

The making of the “masseiras” was manual, with no machines or transport capable of carrying the surplus sand to other places, thus remaining on the edges of the pit. The “valos” are formed by these “sand walls”.