Millet at sunshine in Las Rosas (Agulo)

Phoenix Canariensis

Traditionally the economy of La Gomera, as in the rest of the Canary Islands, has been based on agriculture, both for local consumption and for exportation. This model of cultivation of the soil, introduced after the colonization of the island, has distributed certain crops accordind to the location of streams and the humidity of the regionas of medium altitude, so that the farm lands are located in the valleys and ravines tha have access to water and in the wet zones wich allow the development of dry farming. This gives rise to an unequal distribution of the population, wich is concentrated in the main valleys to the north of the island; the settling and development of Valle Gran Rey and of Playa de Santaigo have only occurred during past century. The mains crop of dry farming have been cereals and pulse (peas, beans, lentils…) potatoes and certain fruits sucha as grapes. On irrigated land the crops have changed progressively form cane sugar in the XVI and XVII centuires, to tomatoes, potatoes and crops for local consumption sus as corn and fruis, and in the XX century, bananas. During the 1960s this model of cultivation was threatened, firstly because of emigration, and later because of the increase in transportation and communication systems and in the tourist industry which nowadays constitute the economic base of La Gomera. La Gomera presently has about 300 hectares (741,3 acres) of vineyards which are cultivated on uneven land and steep slopes, on wich samll terraces have been built un by means of an impressive construction of dry stone walls. Two systems of cultivation are prominent:  one on the more fertile lands of Hermigua, Montoro, Agulo and Vallehermoso, which use cane to support the vines, and the other on less fertile land that grown close to the ground. The varieties of vineyards  most cultivated are white:Forastera blanca, listán blanco and marmajuelo, and, to a lesser degree, the redslistán negro and negramoll. The most usual wines found on the island are the white wines, although lately some reds have begun to be elaborated. In general they are warm wines distinguished by their consistency and particular bouquet, a product of the forastera blanca variety.

Potatoes in Hermigua

Chipude´s vineyards (Municipality of Vallehermoso)