I was born in the Minho Valley and moved to Toronto when I was 18 years old. I always knew that one day I’d be living on my grandparents’ land once again.

After welcoming children into the world, I started to prioritize my health. As my passion for healthy living grew, so did my curiosity about sustainable living. I started to imagine selling my automotive business, moving out of the city and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

As my kids grew older, and after meeting my wife Amor, I did just that, putting put all that I knew into practice on my new farm - Quinta do Conde near Prince Edward County, Ontario. Every single day on the farm was a learning experience for me.

At Quinta do Conde, we offered subscription-based farm-fresh food boxes, nature camps for children, pop-up lunches in the community, farm-to-table dinner experiences, and a variety of products including my own line of olive oil.

After 10 years of making many new friends and curating wonderful experiences, Amor and I sold the farm and set off to bring to my ultimate dream to life. That dream was, and is, to be doing what we were doing at Quinta do Conde, but doing it on the land I grew up on.

These days, you will usually see me with a smile on my face because I feel incredibly lucky to actually be here, doing what I love.

Joaquim Conde