Biodiverse pastures

Contributing to productivity and improving agricultural economic performance: This campaign will allow the promoter to advance the funds approved by the Portuguese Rural Development Program (PDR) 2020 for the installation of permanent pasture and the acquisition of equipment for livestock farming. Ponto Mais Alto's application was approved for contributing to improving economic performance and facilitating the restructuring and modernization of farms, as well as increasing market participation and agricultural diversification. The criteria for its selection were land and plantation improvements, organic production, and family farming.

Sustainable and resilient food production system: Ponto Mais Alto implements the organic production method on its extensive cattle farm. The promoter has an organic farming certificate for the animals and plants on the land. The promoters' farming and livestock activity is based on the implementation of permanent biodiverse pastures with livestock rotation on the land. These elements complement each other and result in various benefits, such as the accumulation of organic matter and better soil health, and better long-term grazing conditions and animal nutrition, due to the diversity of plants. There are currently 150 hectares and 40 animals.

Land reclamation and responsible management: the promoter implements responsible management of 150 hectares of land by restoring land that was previously marginal - that is, degraded to the point of being unusable. Today, the area has been restored and can be used for productive activity. The restoration of the land, in addition to treatments to the land, involves the implementation of biodiverse permanent pastures, which allow for the accumulation of more organic matter in the soil, more and better food for the animals, are more resistant to weather variations and are adaptable.

Ponto Mais Alto is a family business created in 2017, owned and managed by Joaquim Vargas and his daughter Laura Vargas. 

The promoter operates 150 hectares of its land, dedicated to organic farming and extensive cattle rearing, respecting the soil and the environment. 

The company's first focused on recovering land damaged by an old forestry project that included 1.5-meter ditches where it was impossible to move around. At the moment, Ponto Mais Alto has permanent biodiverse pastures, which are considered the best way to manage grazing from an environmental point of view. The rotation of livestock on the land allows organic matter to accumulate in the soil and improves grazing conditions, soil health, and animal nutrition.

The promoter has never felled any trees, has always respected the water lines so that they follow their natural course, has regenerated degraded soils with deep ditches where the vegetation was prone to forest fires, and has restored existing buildings such as shepherds' houses, centuries-old walls, and other structures.