Field notes from the salt pans.
Stories, essays and dispatches on salt, place, and the people who still harvest by hand.
Tomorrow, Brussels Votes on Whether Salt Still Counts as Organic
Tomorrow the European Parliament’s agriculture committee votes on two amendments that would strip salt from the EU’s organic regulation. We want you to know before the vote, not after — and why we believe the case for removal doesn’t hold.
The first bloom: the 2026 Safra is born
It happened today: the first flor de sal of the year formed on the surface of the pans. June sun, an Atlantic breeze, the salinity just right — and there it was. A note from the first harvest of the 2026 Safra, in photographs.
White Gold, Blue Carbon: The Science Comes to Our Salinas
A team from CCMAR — Centro de Ciências do Mar — spent the day at our salinas, sampling soil, mud, and water for Project SAL C, the cross-border study of how traditional salt pans store carbon. A look at the fieldwork, in photos.
The Final Exam: What Brussels Wants to Know About Our Salt
The Portuguese government has approved our DOP application. Now Brussels sends its technical feedback — and we have two months to answer. We’re sharing the questions, the answers, and what they reveal about Radical Transparency.
Tradition Meets Science: What Lives Inside Our Salt Pans
We’ve always known our salt pans are alive. Project SAL+ — a research initiative funded by Fundación “la Caixa” — is now producing the peer-reviewed evidence to prove it.
The Crown Jewel: Castro Marim Salt Is Now Officially DOP
On 9 March 2026, Portugal’s Diário da República published Aviso n.º 5717/2026/2 — a national decision favourable to the registration of Sal de Castro Marim as a Protected Designation of Origin. It had been a long time coming.
When the Waters Recede, the Real Work Begins
Last week, something important happened — not on our salt pans, but in a meeting room in Olhão. What happens after the storms.
After the Storm: A Salty Tale of Resilience
The aftermath of storms Kristin and Marta met a rare alignment of natural forces. What we call the Triple Threat — and why a hard winter often means a pristine harvest.