I am constantly amazed about things one can find in Mallorca that I had never imagined to find here. Like rice-growing, for instance.
Believe it or not, rice was cultivated in Mallorca as early as the 10th century when the Moors brought the crop to the Iberian Peninsula and to Mallorca. Here, rice cultivation seems to have stopped though after the Christian conquest, during the 13th century. Rice was reintroduced to Mallorca in S’Albufera at the beginning of the 20th century where it became one of the major crops of that area. Some 1,800 quartons were cultivated there with rice (approx. 320 ha) in 1905. Smallholdings continued to grow rice there until the mid-Seventies. About ten years ago, rice was planted in the area of Sa Pobla to combat the drawbacks of monoculture of the potato crop. Currently, about 100 tons of rice are harvested in Mallorca of a more than decent quality.
The organic farm of Sa Teulera near Petra took up the planting of rice paddies two years ago, where the photograph (above) was taken. Rice is cultivated there on only 1 hectare of land but, under organic conditions. I recommend a visit to the organic farm any time. The farm shop is open to the public only three days a week (Tuesday and Friday, 12h00 to 18h00, and Saturday, 08h00 to 13h00). If you can’t make your way to Petra, there is a home delivery service offered by Susan Sell who shops at Sa Teulera every week and is willing to accept shopping lists and to deliver to your front door. Check her website for details.
The photo (top) was taken near Petra, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 16th, 2011. The time was 13:28:02. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es.
Muchas gracias.
The Mallorca Photo Blog 
Hi, I always find your blog really useful when I am here in Mallorca for getting answers to questions about plants etc. I have found a lot of vines growing by the roadside here near Felanix today. They have lots of red berries, long tendrils, small arrowhead shaped leaves and thorns. They are growing alongside lots of blackberries. I’ve tried to research them via the internet but with no luck. Do you have any idea what they are and whether they are edible? From my research I’m pretty sure they are not red currants. Thanks for any help.
hi pam, i’m not quite sure what plant it might be. could you not take a photo? i have a slight hunch that it might be one of those creepers that one can find near vines, thorny with a heart shaped leave and red berries. not sure what they are called but, the berries are not edible. i have a feeling that these wild plants are actually beneficial to the cultivation of grapes. there are no red currents in mallorca. if you would manage to send a photo i’ll do my best to identify the plant.
you might want to watch an interesting video on the subject of weeds and wild plants in symbiosis with vines at the 4 kilos website (http://www.4kilos.com/index.php?/ruralhome/cobertura-vegetal/).
thanks for visiting the blog.
klaus
Hi Klaus, thanks for speedy response. I do have a photo but I cannot figure out how to attach it to a comment. Might be because I am working from an iPad.
Your reply does though look like it might be the right plant, as this one is definitely thorny, small heart shaped leaves, red berries. Pam
hi pam,
the plant with the red berries you are looking for is called Smilax aspera.
take care.
klaus
You are a star! Thanks Klaus. Shame though, I was looking forward to eating it!! Better stick to the blackberries I have been foraging instead.
Pam