Maria da Visitação, 82, has been connected to agriculture since childhood in the Algarve, later embracing organic farming in Sesimbra for health reasons. Facing prejudice as a woman and as an organic farmer, she persisted, co-founding the PROVE project to promote direct sales. Passionate about seed preservation, she values biodiversity and believes sustainable agriculture is key to the future. Despite bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of support for small farmers, she remains proud of her work, emphasising that farming is fundamental to life: “Everything we have comes from the land.”