Valverde Country Hotel - Green at Heart

Valverde is embracing the trend to go green, which seems quite apt considering that Valverde literally means ‘green valley’ in Spanish and Italian.

Valverde believe that it is time for businesses to take environmental responsibility seriously! More and more individuals and businesses are concerned about the environment. What is the impact of our activities on the planet? What are small, simple things we can do in our day-to-day operations to reduce our carbon footprint?

By building environmentally conscious practices, we can take steps toward sustainability. There’s always more you can do, but the most important thing is to do something! Baby steps in the right direction are certainly better than going backwards or not moving at all. Thankfully, many green business practices are not only eco-friendly, but they’re friendly on the company budget as well. So even if the benefits to the planet are hard to see, benefits to your bottom line may be more visible.

• Print less – use less paper
• Pull the plugs on all equipment before you leave the office Separate waste – recycle
• Be aware of the water you use
• Work with like-minded companies This applies to all the suppliers that deliver goods to you, as well as to all companies that provide you with a service. Like for example a conference venue where you host seminars and workshops.

Valverde Country Hotel is truly green at heart. As a company, it is their mission to provide corporate clients with excellent value for money for their conferences and functions, whilst preserving the planet and minimizing their carbon footprint.

By choosing to host your next event at Valverde, you will support all their greening initiatives, namely:

• Grey water recycling system: All their grey water from kitchens and guestrooms is recycled through a bio-filter, where bacteria break down all waste products, rendering the water suitable for use in the gardens Water saving devices: They use lo-flo shower heads and reduced flushing systems
• Water heated by solar power: A solar farm of 10 solar geysers at the swimming pool heats up their water for use in showers, baths and kitchens. Only occasional use of electricity is needed.
• Use of energy saving globes - wherever possible!
• Separation of waste, recycling of glass, paper and metal, as well as composting of their own organic waste: This is achieved through a worm-farm for raw fruits and veggie peels and a bokashi composter for all other food waste, such as meat, dairy and cooked vegetables.
• Farming of aquaponic vegetables for their restaurants.

Aquaponics is the farming of plants and fish in a recirculating system. It is a combination of aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Fish and food waste accumulates naturally in a fish tank or pond. This leads to high levels of ammonia, which if not kept in check, becomes toxic to the fish. Plants, on the other hand, require nitrate and water for healthy growth. The trick therefore is to convert the toxic ammonia into nitrates and to clean the water at the same time by introducing a natural bio-filter. Valverde’s newest greening initiative is a 600m2 aquaponic farm with 2 big tunnels to keep temperatures stable for tilapia in fish tanks and hydroponically grown vegetables in raised grow beds.

This farming system is the cherry on the cake in terms of Valverde’s green mission. Aquaponics uses 90% less water than soil-based gardening. It is 500% more productive on a per square metre basis, compared with soil-based gardening. It allows us to plant more densely than conventional gardening and the plants grow up to three times faster. We can grow our own mercury-free fish and enable our customers to enjoy safe, delicious meals. Aquaponically grown produce is totally organic – no chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or additives required.

Want to know more?

Enjoy a free tour of the Cradle Aquaponics Farm during your next conference or event at Valverde. Alternatively, you may wish to enjoy a delicious meal at The Fat Olive Restaurant with the family.