Polini, the first in the family of MJ Agroasesores
José Francisco Martin, alias ‘Polini’. He is the oldest in our family at MJ Agroasesores. He started organic cultivation with Miguel and Jose, the founders of the company, over 10 years ago. He is the original MJ veteran, and calls himself an “aubergine expert”.
In his three farms in Poniente region of Almeria, only aubergines are planted. “It’s my best crop. I have specialized in this vegetable and it’s what I do best,” affirms José Francisco. Just by looking at each of his plants, he knows what is going on in that moment.
José Francisco was a forerunner in the field of organics. One of the few things that was clear from the beginning was that in “organic was the future, setting up this system then was betting on thinking ahead”. This can be considered the start of MJ. “They were certifying farms in Andalusia for organic production, and they encouraged me to begin producing for them. First they certified me and then I reorganized.” That more than ten years ago.
“Polini” explains how the techniques for organic farming have evolved since then. “Before we had to be creative and do a lot of testing. Sometimes it went well for you, and sometimes not so well.” Today, thanks to research in organic vegetable production, “there are many natural products that help us advance the crops”.
Such as, explains the farmer, “the development of natural products with drying effects, and given the humid climate of our land, it’s great for us to be able to apply them to the plants, which dries out the ground atmosphere and therefore we can avoid fungus developing”.
As an expert in aubergine cultivation, together with MJ Agroasesores technicians who accompany him daily in the production process, Jose Francisco strongly defends the high value of this product. “Organic aubergine has more flavour and longer shelf life, and is very sweet, but above all, the guarantee that you have when you eat it, that it’s something 100% natural, as it was planted many years ago, that is priceless.”
The visit to Jose Francisco Martín’s farm concludes as he teaches us that integrated into the soil as natural fertilizer is waste from already harvested plants, crushed to make the soil more fertile. Thus, with the culmination of the integral cycle, ends our visit to the oldest farm at MJ Agroasesores.
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