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 help the village blossom again, or the day when Prazeres welcomed 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.