Tania and Douglas started this project in 2015, when they moved from New Zealand to the Azores with their 1 year old son, after acquiring this property, which was degraded at the time.

The renovation work took several years, always prioritising the endogenous and local resources, such as the basaltic stone and the cryptomeria wood from the island.

During this time, we also invested in food self-reliance, building vegetable gardens and a greenhouse, inspired in the principles of permaculture e using methodologies that build up the soil, allowing for a recycling of nutrients and a maintenance of a rich, life full and productive soil (mulching, compost, companion planting, succession planting, fallow, collection and usage of rain water). Also installed an apiary in order to contribute to preserve bee populations and biodiversity. This allows us to produce part of the food we consume, despite the challenges imposed by the ocean proximity.

We’ve invested in energy production by implementing a solar power plant, with storage, from which the unused energy goes into the grid for further distribution.

Also, we’ve implemented efficient solutions, regarding consumption and management of resources, such as investments in the insulation of buildings (roofs/windows), heat pumps (for water and air heating/cooling of indoor spaces), water savers for taps, collection and usage of rain water, composting and recycling of residues.

During this time, the family grew, with the birth of the twins in 2018 and the adoption of several other animals which also made of Sea Roots their home.

Find out more about the life on the farm and the island.