QUINTA PEDAGÓGICA DOS PRAZERES

Rui Sousa, the parish priest, had a brilliant idea for revitalizing his village: to found a cooperative to exploit the produce of local farmers, some of whom had become too old to harvest the fruit from their orchards. Rui Sousa's strong ecological sensibility has made him a key player in local ecology, as well as a cultural vision: we remember the day when the parish distributed a camellia to each inhabitant to put the village back in bloom, or the day when Prazeres hosted its own small contemporary art gallery! In addition to the farm's cultivated areas (and a small area with animals), it also boasts a Casa deCha (tea room and jams produced in situ) and a Casa da Sidra (where the local cider is delicious!). A small terrace under the trees invites you to take a breather and sample the local produce. Today, the story continues: the farm's organic products (rose cider vinegar, cider, jams, organic flour, etc.) are sold in local supermarkets. The farm has recently been joined by a new gallery displaying the herbarium of priest Manuel de Nobrega (b. 1928), who was commissioned by the government to contribute to Madeira's botanical archives. A fine example of transmission. As you can see, Quinta Pedagógica is much more than just an agricultural cooperative.