Brothers Turn Grandpa's Farm Into €65M Food Revolution

Gonzalo and Gabriel Úrculo never planned to become farmers, but when their grandfather died, they couldn't let his orange grove disappear. In 2010, the two brothers traded their city lives for pruning shears and dirt, teaching themselves regenerative organic farming from scratch.

Their secret weapon? Let customers "adopt" individual trees. For an annual fee, adopters receive all the fruit their tree produces, shipped fresh from the farm. The model gave the brothers something rare in agriculture: predictable income.

"Tree adoptions help us secure a certain stability in demand," Gabriel explains. That stability meant they could afford to farm organically, even when conventional farmers told them it was impossible.

The brothers launched CrowdFarming in 2017 to share their model with other farmers drowning in unstable markets. The platform lets customers choose their farmer, adopt trees, and order produce delivered straight from the field. No middlemen. No warehouses. Just fresh food and fair prices.

Fernando Agramunt, who manages an organic olive farm, says the difference is night and day. "Selling 10,000 liters in bulk is not the same as selling to families willing to pay a bit more for very high quality olive oil." His entire harvest now goes to 3,000 customers who sponsor his trees.

The company's Valencia logistics hub ships nearly two million parcels annually, working without inventory to keep food moving fast. In 2024, CrowdFarming posted €65 million in revenue and acquired French platform La Ruche qui dit Oui, expanding their reach across Europe.

The Ripple Effect

CrowdFarming's growth means more than business success. It's proving that small farms can survive without toxic chemicals or exploitative pricing. The platform now supports over 300 partner producers who've switched to regenerative methods, healing soil while feeding families.

When extreme weather threatens conventional farms, CrowdFarming's regenerative partners build resilience through healthier land. The direct connection between farmers and eaters means producers earn enough to invest in sustainable practices that protect their futures.

Co-founder Juliette Simonin sees the bigger picture. "From producers forced into unsustainable production models to prices that no longer allow farmers to survive, the whole system needs rethinking." The platform gives farmers an exit from a broken system.

Today, 300,000 adopted trees across Europe produce fruit for families who know exactly which farm and farmer grew their food. That connection transforms both ends: farmers get stable income, customers get fresh organic produce, and Europe gets healthier farmland.

"Our dream is to show that regenerative organic farming is possible, that it can be highly profitable, and that it can feed all of Europe," Gonzalo says, standing in the same orange groves his grandfather once tended.