Over time, society evolves and, with it, also the crops that have traditionally dominated Lanzarote. In recent years, new plantations have appeared on the island that have emerged as an experiment, as a "let's see what happens". After these attempts, onions, lentils or potatoes give way to accommodate other species such as purple sweet potato, pithaya, artichoke or asparagus. Added to this are other practices such as the new uses of the prickly pear leaves or the cultivation of alfalfa for livestock feed.
One of the conejera farmers who is betting on more tropical and unknown species in Lanzarote is Tibisay Morales, a farmer from the VegaCosta farm, located in Tinajo. After studying Tourism Business Management and working in the administration of her parents' restaurant, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic forced her to change jobs. In this way, she began working on her parents' farm "learning what my colleagues have taught me, listening and failing", she explains. The restaurant itself is the recipient of almost all the fruits and vegetables they harvest on the farm.
After turning the farm into an organic one, Morales took over it. Currently, at VegaCosta they have decided to take a chance on new crops that, until a few years ago, were not seen in the sands of Lanzarote. One of those that has gained rapid fame is the pithaya, a fruit produced by a cactus and that comes from Mexico. Its fuchsia pink color, its strange shape and its easy cultivation on an island as dry as ours have made many farmers like Tibisay Morales decide to grow it.
However, according to the farmer, she has had to uproot specimens of this plant because its roots expand so much that "it takes away the nutrients from the other plants." Also, the production of pithaya in VegaCosta is so abundant that it is the only product they sell outside the restaurant. However, the sale of pithaya is complicated because "normally the stores do not buy it as organic, but they do it at the conventional price", denounces the young woman. Due to both reasons, they have removed specimens of this fruit from their farm, since "it is a lot of work that it requires and it is not worth it".
A tropical variety
Apart from the pithayas, Morales also dedicates part of her land to cultivate other tropical fruit trees. An example of this is the soursop, very similar to the custard apple we are used to but larger, with spikes and a flavor between acid and sweet with hints of pineapple and strawberry. The red atemoya is also another of the varieties that she has on her land. It is a hybrid fruit of the custard apple, which has a juicy texture and a flavor that may remind you of a piña colada.
Another of the fruits that grow in this conejero soil is the longan, a fruit native to southern China. Its texture is very similar to that of the grape, covered with a hard shell and with a seed inside. Its flavor is sweet and with notes reminiscent of hazelnut.
Although the one we know in the Canary Islands is grown in El Hierro, some farmers like Tibisay Morales are also betting on the cultivation of tropical pineapple. Although it is a fruit that requires a lot of humidity, the reality is that "it grows very well", according to the young woman. Even so, they do not have a large production but they do not look for it on the farm either. "The pineapples that come out are very good because, as Lanzarote is so dry, they maintain much more sugars than those that are planted on other islands", indicates Morales.
Following the line of the tropics, the carambola, a star-shaped fruit with a sour and sweet taste, is also present on the farm of Tibisay Morales. Similarly, the achiote, one of the most valued red pigments in Mexican cuisine that is extracted from the seeds of the shrub. The canistel is a fruit that also joins the long list that the VegaCosta farm has. Yellow in color and fibrous in texture, it has a sweet and mild flavor that may remind you of a stewed sweet potato.
On the other hand, the young farmer also dedicates her effort to cultivate more exotic spices such as ginger, since "it grows very well because our farm has a quantity of sand mixed with the soil and, being a rhizome, it grows very well in that type of soil", explains Morales. Soon, they will try it in the same way with turmeric.
The wild asparagus, from Cordoba to Lanzarote
The new crops in conejeras lands also have Andalusian brushstrokes. Manuel Peláez is a farmer from Cordoba who has been settled in Lanzarote for more than 30 years and 15 years cultivating organically in his Finca Tres Peñas, in Tías, a precious and coveted delicacy, the wild asparagus.
Peláez has always been sowing the same variety and the same seed that his father planted in the Peninsula. In addition, it is a type of crop that needs a lot of labor for its collection, since its sowing and harvesting cannot be done with machines due to the characteristics of the asparagus that emerge from the earth. "It requires a great wait because the fruit takes a year and a half to form", explains Peláez.
Its plantation on a semi-desert island like Lanzarote is not an obstacle for this vegetable to develop. It is a plant that needs moderate watering, so with a minimum of humidity, the production is stable. This asparagus harvest is unique, as it has to be done daily. "We make a schedule cutting in the morning and the next day of that collection, it is done again at the same time, and so on for the four or five months that the production lasts", says the farmer.
After the harvest, it is necessary to let the asparagus plant recover so that it can produce again. In this way, the plant can have a life of up to ten years. In the case of Manuel Peláez, he dedicates two plots of his farm to cultivate asparagus. In one of them he collects from February to June and in the other he does it from September until the end of December. "The reason for having two plantations is due to the climate of Lanzarote because here there is no harsh winter or frosts that there are in other places in Spain", clarifies the farmer.
Due to its manual harvesting, the price of asparagus is somewhat higher than that of other vegetables. However, it is a vegetable very demanded by consumers. "It is a product that gives good benefits because it sells well and is very beneficial for our health", points out Peláez. And the farmer sells his asparagus in the markets of Arrecife, Teguise and Mancha Blanca, but also to other shops on the island such as herbalists, organic stores and even exports to other islands such as Gran Canaria.
Manuel Peláez, like Tibisay Morales, has also opted for the cultivation of tropical pineapple. The farmer agrees with the young woman that the cultivation of this fruit in the sands of Lanzarote makes the production "of a superior quality".
The artichoke, another zero kilometer product
The new crops not only pass through farms that are dedicated to selling their products, but also arise in training centers. Teno Osorio, professor and agricultural technical engineer, is in charge of teaching his students of the intermediate level cycle of Higher Technician in Agroecological Production of the IES Teguise. One of those unusual crops in the volcanic lands of Lanzarote is the artichoke.
For three years, Osorio and the students have been planting artichokes with "very good results". The climate of the island makes the cultivation of horticultural crops correct and this in particular, has given good results to the agricultural technician and the rest of the students. "We are happy with the results we have harvested so far and the only problem we have had is the attack of aphids but we managed to solve it", he explains.
The importance of a product like the artichoke "lies in the production of zero kilometer" and all the artichokes that are sold in the shops of Lanzarote come from the Peninsula. "Coming from so far away, it has to be preserved in cold, which makes the fibers inside become harder and lose some flavor", clarifies the professor.
However, one of the biggest problems faced by Osorio and many of the farmers on the island is the lack of water. "The continuous water cuts that lately affect the island make this and other crops do not work well and, depending on the moment in which the cuts occur, the harvest can decrease or be completely ruined", criticizes the engineer.
The impact also occurs with the watermelon plantations of Lanzarote. "This summer and the previous one, a farmer suffered water cuts of several days during the growth stage of the fruit called 'tennis ball', which caused the plant to dry out and could not be recovered", he says.
In addition, he points to "recover crops that are not new but that have stopped being planted in Lanzarote, such as cereals and different types of grains." This includes barley, wheat or millet that, although the latter is planted, is not done in large quantities to be able to supply gofio mills on the island.
Variations in traditional crops
Although the introduction of new crops in Lanzarote is on the right track, other farmers have decided to reinvent themselves with those plantations they already have. This is the case of new uses that are given to the prickly pear leaves. The most tender leaves of this plant are historically used in Mexican cuisine as a vegetable.
After removing the spikes and cleaning it, it can be used in salads, roasts, fillings or in soups, there are a thousand and one combinations for this plant that abounds in Lanzarote. Its flavor is slightly acidic and may remind you of green beans or asparagus.
The same happens with the star product of Lanzarote, the sweet potato. Popularly known is the yellow and red variety with its white interior, but recently a more variety has been introduced, the purple one. Its purple color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, antioxidants that have many health benefits. In fact, they help reduce the risk of heart disease.
The volcanic soil of Lanzarote and the mild climate that bathes the island makes it possible to grow more types of crops than people think. The commitment to new species of these farmers diversify a local market that opens its doors to a new range of flavors, shapes and colors with conejeras roots.
