In a small corner of the vast Mar de Plástico greenhouse area near Almería, Lola runs her sustainable tomato and mini pepper nursery. Both vegetables and Lola are in demand throughout Europe.
Miles of greenhouses pass by our windows as we drive from Almería one early morning towards the giant greenhouse area, also known as the Plastic Sea (Mar de Plástico), located 30 kilometers southwest of the city of Almería.
Lola Gómez, one of the Plastic Sea’s best-known, and first female, vegetable farmers, has picked me up at my hotel in Almeriá and now, morning-groggy, we’re off to her nursery, located in the middle of the greenhouse district that is not only the locals’ but the whole of Europe’s vegetable drawer. Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and melons are the main crops.
I’m fascinated by the area, which I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw the Netflix series, Mar de Plástico, in which the Plastic Sea is the location of a murder mystery.
The vast greenhouse area is the size of 20,000 football pitches and is the only man-made one, visible from space.
I’m fascinated by the area, which I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw the Netflix series, Mar de Plástico, in which the Plastic Sea is the location of a murder mystery.
As Lola and I drive through the plastic landscape, however, I think the whole area may seem like a huge provocation to the environmentally conscious at this time when we are finally waking up to how important it is to look after our environment. As if she had read my mind, Lola suddenly breaks the silence.
– All the greenhouses have their plastic changed every three years, but it’s all recycled. Not many people are aware of this.
Ideal area to grow prime vegetables
It’s quiet at Lola’s greenhouses in El Ejido, with the most beautiful views as a backdrop when we arrive at her little spot, where she immediately invites me inside her greenhouses.
The lush tomato plants with beautiful red and green tomatoes hang heavily over Lola’s head as we enter the first greenhouse, where the green and lush sight is in stark contrast to the barren exterior of the greenhouse area.
– In my nursery I grow small vegetables, which are different varieties of tomatoes and mini bell peppers, Lola says. She can’t help but nuzzle and caress the tomatoes as she talks.
– The climate of the area and the protective greenhouses mean that our crops are of high quality and we can harvest twice a year. That’s why the concentration of vegetable growers is so high in this area, she says.
I grow the tomato plants in a low layer of sand, which we turn a couple of times a day to simulate the wind not entering the greenhouses.
Pioneeress of organic vegetables
Lola took over the nursery from her father and transformed it into an ecosystem that has made her a pioneeress in sustainable greenhouses. Today, she gets help from her son and six employees to grow her organic tomatoes and peppers
– I grow the tomato plants in a low layer of sand, which we turn a couple of times a day to simulate the wind not entering the greenhouses. The plants are supplied with organic minerals from a spraying system, and they are also trimmed daily, she says.
Drip irrigation, insects and recycling
We move on to the greenhouses where Lola grows her baby peppers. Before entering the greenhouse, we have to pass through a passage that acts as a lock to ensure that as little pollution as possible enters the greenhouse. Here, employees change shoes before entering.
Lola shows me some insects crawling around on the plants and says:
– I use insects as a natural remedy to ensure that the plants are not attacked by harmful insects that eat the vegetables. The right mix of insects, which I buy and put in the plants, replaces any need for artificial sprays. I also use pheromone traps to check and ensure that my efforts are optimal.
Lola also developed the electronic irrigation system for the greenhouses herself. Her vegetables get drip irrigated, to save water. Once the plants are watered, the excess water is collected in a container and recycled.
– My irrigation system prevents my nursery from being certified as organic in the EU because you are not allowed to recycle the water. I simply do not understand that. It’s only good for nature that we save as much water as possible, she says with such indignation that I’m sure she isn’t done trying to get her system approved.
I guess I’m an idealist because I think we should take good care of our earth. And why fill our vegetables and ourselves with poison when organic vegetables taste so much better
Sustainable pioneer worldwide
When the vegetables are harvested, it’s done with some primitive iron wagons. There are both mounds that Lola and her staff can stand on to reach the top vegetables, as well as a pile of soft cushions that they can sit on to harvest the low-hanging vegetables.
Lola has become so well known for her simple and sustainable ecosystem for greenhouses that she is a sought-after woman worldwide. She travels and lectures on sustainable horticulture and is often used as an expert advisor by other sustainable vegetable growers.
– I guess I’m an idealist because I think we should take good care of our land. And why fill our vegetables and ourselves with poison when organic vegetables taste so much better, she says.
Lola is far from retiring. Still, she thinks about the future a lot.
– I hope that my son will take over the nursery when I can’t do it anymore. So far, he’s keeping my dream alive. Because my son is studying sustainable agriculture, she laughs.
Tomatoes that taste of love
We leave the greenhouses and finish our meeting in Lola’s big hall, where she gives talks to school classes and other groups. Here she serves a selection of the different tomato varieties and mini bell peppers she grows in the greenhouses.
As a Dane used to eating relatively tasteless tomatoes throughout winters, it’s a real pleasure to sink my teeth into Lola’s sweet, spiced tomatoes. They taste heavenly with a drizzle of the good local olive oil that Lola pours over.
– Many of my tomatoes and peppers are exported to Northern Europe – including Denmark – so you may have already tasted them, she says.
I can’t say whether I’ve tasted Lola’s tomatoes in Denmark, because I never notice which company the tomatoes come from. But in the future, I will look out for the Clisol logo when I buy small peppers and tomatoes. Because Lola’s mini vegetables taste of more.
You can take a guided tour of Lola’s sustainable greenhouses. Book an appointment via the website.
Clisol, Paraje La Cumbre, Tierras de Almería, El Ejido
