Some classrooms are built of concrete, brick, and glass. Others are shaped by wind, volcanic soil, and the patient rhythm of the seasons. It is often in these latter places, where learning emerges from observation rather than instruction and wisdom is cultivated alongside the crops themselves, that education acquires its deepest meaning. During their month-long internship on Terceira Island, four Agricultural Sciences students from California State University, Fresno, discovered this truth precisely. Their stay in the Azores, made possible through the extraordinary generosity and vision of Liliana Borba and her family, became far more than an academic placement. It evolved into an immersion in the culture, philosophy, and human values that sustain Azorean agriculture, helping them understand that farming is never simply about producing food but about cultivating relationships among people, land, history, and community.
While Quinta dos Açores served as the students’ principal internship site, where they experienced the daily realities of agricultural production and food processing, Liliana Borba envisioned something far richer than a conventional placement. From the very beginning, she carefully designed an educational program that would expose the students to the extraordinary diversity of agricultural life on Terceira Island. Every visit was thoughtfully selected. Every meeting introduced another dimension of the Azorean rural economy. Every conversation expanded their understanding of agriculture beyond textbooks and laboratories. Assisted tirelessly by her husband, António Borba, and their son, André Borba, she transformed what could easily have been a routine internship into a remarkable educational journey that intertwined science, sustainability, entrepreneurship, culture, and human generosity. Their commitment required months of preparation, countless phone calls, coordination with farmers, researchers, organizations, and institutions, and above all an unwavering belief that true education is built through personal encounters and meaningful experiences.
Among the many unforgettable moments of this carefully orchestrated program was the students’ visit to BioFontinhas, the ecological farm created by Avelino Ormonde in the parish of Fontinhas, Praia da Vitória. Hidden among the green fields of Terceira, BioFontinhas occupies only two thousand square meters, yet its influence extends far beyond its physical boundaries. It is not simply an organic farm; it is a living philosophy, a continuous experiment, and an example of what agriculture can become when productivity is balanced with respect for nature. Walking through its cultivated beds and greenhouses, the Fresno State students entered a landscape where every plant, every seed, every handful of soil reflected decades of observation, study, patience, and love for the earth.
Avelino Ormonde is widely regarded as one of the true pioneers of ecological agriculture in the Azores. His journey into organic farming began more than thirty years ago after spending years working both in conventional agriculture and at the American military detachment on Terceira. His encounter with the writings and teachings of Eliot Coleman, one of the world’s most respected pioneers of organic farming, profoundly transformed his understanding of agriculture and inspired him to dedicate his life to building an alternative model founded upon biodiversity, ecological balance, and long-term sustainability. At a time when organic agriculture was still viewed with skepticism by many, Avelino embraced a path that required courage, experimentation, and extraordinary perseverance. Decades later, that vision has become one of the most respected examples of ecological farming in the Azores, inspiring farmers throughout the archipelago while demonstrating that environmental stewardship and commercial success are not opposing goals, but complementary ones.
Every corner of BioFontinhas reflects this philosophy. There are no tractors compressing the volcanic soil, no synthetic fertilizers forcing unnatural growth, no pesticides disrupting the delicate biological relationships that sustain healthy ecosystems. Instead, every task is carried out by hand with remarkable care and precision. The soil is gently aerated using broadforks rather than mechanical equipment, preserving its structure and the countless microorganisms that give it life. Agriculture here unfolds at nature’s own pace, recognizing that healthy soil produces healthy plants, healthy plants nourish healthy people, and healthy communities begin with healthy landscapes. The farm itself becomes an ecosystem rather than a factory, where biodiversity is valued as much as productivity and every decision is guided by observation rather than haste.
Within this relatively small space flourish nearly one hundred different cultivars representing an astonishing diversity of vegetables, aromatic herbs, edible flowers, roots, leafy greens, microgreens, fruits, and experimental varieties gathered from every corner of the world. Some are cultivated specifically for Terceira’s finest chefs, who seek unique flavors, textures, and colors unavailable through conventional suppliers. Others become carefully blended salad mixes containing more than twenty different cultivars. Still others are transformed into nutrient-rich green smoothies, specialty vegetables, or ready-to-cook products prepared for local families. Yet Avelino rarely introduces a new variety immediately. Each new cultivar undergoes years of careful observation before earning its place among BioFontinhas’s production, reflecting a philosophy in which quality is never sacrificed for speed and experimentation remains central to continuous improvement.
Perhaps one of the most inspiring aspects of BioFontinhas is Avelino Ormonde’s dedication to seed preservation. Rather than depending exclusively upon commercial suppliers, he continually develops his own seed stock, seeking greater self-sufficiency while protecting agricultural biodiversity for future generations. Seed by seed, season by season, he quietly contributes to safeguarding genetic diversity at a time when much of the world’s agriculture increasingly depends upon uniformity. His famous maxim, “Think globally and consume locally,” is not merely a slogan but a comprehensive philosophy that guides every aspect of his work. Everything produced on the farm remains on Terceira, supplying local restaurants, hotels, markets, and families while strengthening the island’s food sovereignty and reducing dependence upon imported products.
For the Fresno State students, the visit became a lesson that could never have been replicated inside a university classroom. They witnessed sustainable agriculture not as an abstract concept but as a living practice shaped by observation, ecological understanding, scientific curiosity, and profound respect for natural processes. They saw how innovation sometimes lies not in larger machinery or increasingly sophisticated technology but in rediscovering forgotten knowledge and combining it with modern scientific understanding. As they listened to Avelino explain the intricate relationships between soil biology, plant health, biodiversity, climate, and human nutrition, they encountered a farmer whose knowledge had been accumulated through decades of continuous learning, experimentation, and humble observation. Every question they asked received thoughtful answers, and every explanation reflected both scientific rigor and genuine passion for the land.
Experiences such as BioFontinhas illustrate why this internship program has become so exceptional. It does not merely teach students how agriculture functions; it teaches them why agriculture matters. It invites them to understand that farming is inseparable from culture, geography, ecology, economics, and community. It demonstrates that sustainable food systems are built not only through technological innovation but also through values such as patience, stewardship, generosity, and responsibility toward future generations. Every farm visited throughout the program offered a different lesson, and together they formed a comprehensive portrait of contemporary Azorean agriculture that no single internship location could ever provide.
Behind this extraordinary educational experience stands the remarkable vision of Liliana Borba. Her dedication to these students reaches far beyond hospitality or coordination. She has created an internship model that reflects the very best of the Azores by opening doors that would otherwise remain closed, introducing students to individuals whose life stories embody innovation, resilience, and service to agriculture. Working quietly beside her, António Borba and André Borba have become indispensable partners in this effort, contributing their time, energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm to ensure that every visit unfolds seamlessly and every student leaves with a richer understanding of the island they have come to know. Together, this family has built something that extends well beyond an internship. They have created a bridge between California and the Azores, between universities and rural communities, between future agricultural professionals and the farmers whose daily work sustains both landscapes and societies.
Long after these four Fresno State students return to California, the technical knowledge they acquired will undoubtedly accompany them into their future careers. They will remember the methods of biodynamic agriculture, the principles of regenerative farming, the importance of biodiversity, and the science of ecological production. Yet perhaps the most enduring lesson will be something far more profound. They will remember that true agriculture begins with humility before nature, that abundance is measured not solely by yield but by balance, resilience, and biodiversity, and that the finest education often grows quietly in places where generous people choose to share not only their expertise but also their lives. In the fertile fields of BioFontinhas, under the guidance of the visionary Avelino Ormonde and through the extraordinary commitment of Liliana Borba, António Borba, and André Borba, these students encountered far more than sustainable farming. They encountered an enduring philosophy of how to care for the earth—and, ultimately, for one another.
Diniz Borges for Novidades – the islands and the diaspora.