As we heard in the Repúblicas, knowing where to find advice on gardening is of utmost importance – especially in the face of other challenges, social and ecological. Coimbra is lucky to have the Agrarian School, situated not so far from the city centre.

Founded in 1887, the Agrarian School of Coimbra (Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra) is the oldest institution of the Coimbra Polytechnic Institute. The area of the school used to have strong ties with the Coimbra monasteries – before the school was established, the area belonged to a bishop, who used to keep the gardens and fields.

Nowadays, the Agrarian School of Coimbra actively refers to this heritage, as we heard from Kiril Bahcevandziev, professor and coordinator at the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra. We were lucky to join him to hear about the school’s operations and to have a tour of its grounds. We heard that the school teaches students about organic and conventional agriculture: all the processes needed to grow vegetables and fruits, keep farm animals, manage the land, adapt to changing weather conditions, and ensure profit.

As we heard, the school is not a place that shares its knowledge with its students. It’s a space open for visitors, open for sharing advice and knowledge with anyone who might need it – no matter one’s background. Agriculture has various forms, and the key to sustaining a strong discussion about it is interdisciplinarity, academic and non-academic fields coming together.