Oranges · Lane Late · Testing the 2026–27 season
El Rubial
Brenes, Seville, Spain
- Organic since 2019
- Demeter biodynamic since 2021
- Converting to regenerative
- 60 hectares
- Oranges
Juan Francisco Ruiz Gil has farmed since 1994, when he rented his first farm while studying to be an agricultural engineer. His family has farmed for several generations around Brenes, in the citrus country north of Seville.
The family moved from conventional to organic citrus in 2013. Today Juan Fran farms more than 60 hectares of biodynamic citrus, certified by Demeter, with his son Juan Antonio. He also leads CITRAN, a local farmers’ association helping the area move to organic and regenerative farming.
This campaign would test El Rubial’s Lane Late oranges three times through the 2026–27 harvest, so backers can see how the fruit changes over the season.
Three samples, four reports
The produce is sampled three times through the harvest season, and each sample gets its own report. A fourth, final report brings the season together with the conclusion, so backers receive four reports in total.
- 1Sample 1Start of the harvestReport 1
- 2Sample 2Middle of the harvestReport 2
- 3Sample 3End of the harvestReport 3
- Final reportThe conclusion across all three samplesReport 4
What gets tested
Panels unlock in order as the total grows. The Core panel is the minimum for the campaign to run. Every funded panel is run on all three samples.
- A
Core
Next€880 to go · unlocks at €2,800
- Vitamin CAscorbic acid in the juice and flesh.
- Brix (sugars)Dissolved solids, mostly sugars, in the juice.
- AcidityTitratable acidity, mostly citric acid.
- Dry matterWhat is left once the water is removed.
- Potassium (K)A mineral the tree takes up from the soil.
- Calcium (Ca)A mineral the tree takes up from the soil.
- Magnesium (Mg)A mineral the tree takes up from the soil.
- Iron (Fe)A trace mineral, present in small amounts.
- Zinc (Zn)A trace mineral, present in small amounts.
- B
Extended
Stretch goal€2,680 to go · unlocks at €4,600
- PolyphenolsA family of plant compounds, measured as a total.
- Antioxidant capacityA lab assay of the extract (ORAC or FRAP).
- CarotenoidsThe pigments behind orange and yellow colour.
- NitrateNitrate stored in the fruit, often linked to fertiliser use.
- C
Full
Stretch goal€5,280 to go · unlocks at €7,200
- Pesticide residue screenA multi-residue screen of several hundred compounds.
- Heavy metalsCadmium, lead and other metals from soil or water.
- Shelf-lifeHow firmness, weight and vitamin C change over 21 days.
Practices
- Certified organicsince 2019
Under the EU organic farming label.
- Biodynamicsince 2021
Certified by Demeter.
- Conversion to regenerative
Regenerative techniques to build up the health of the soil.
- Picked the day before shipping
Harvested at the right ripeness, with no post-harvest treatment, and shipped in plastic-free boxes.
The farm
- Farmer
- Juan Francisco Ruiz Gil
- Size
- 60 ha
- Altitude
- 18 m
- Variety tested
- Lane Late
Rewards for backers
From €10
All four reports
One lab report per sample and a final report with the conclusion for the season, with the reviewer’s notes. Sent to you first, whatever they show.
Back this campaignFrom €35
Presale box
A 5 kg box of El Rubial oranges from a sampled harvest, plus all four reports.
99 / 120 left
Back this campaignFrom €60
Your name on the report
Listed as a backer in the report, plus the presale box.
Back this campaignFrom €120
Farm visit
A visit to El Rubial on one of the three sampling days, plus everything above.
10 / 12 left
Back this campaign
Where the money goes
Shares of the Core panel cost for all three samples. Larger panels add lab costs only.
- Lab analysis 64%
Accredited lab, three farm samples, each tested next to a retail sample.
- Independent sampling 16%
Three sampler visits, retail purchases, cold courier, chain of custody.
- Scientific review 12%
A named reviewer checks the method and signs off the report.
- Platform and publishing 8%
A flat fee, the same whatever the results show.
If the goal isn’t reached
- If the Core panel isn’t funded by the deadline, every backer is refunded in full and the partner’s match is released.
- If Core is funded but a stretch goal isn’t, the Core panel runs and nothing is charged for the panels that didn’t unlock.
- Rewards are only sent once a campaign is funded.
Funded by
- El Rubial
- €600
- 46 backers
- €660
- CrowdFarming (match)
- €660
Updated as pledges come in. Our fee is the same whatever the results show.
Sampling and publishing rules
At three points in the season, an independent sampler picks produce at random from outgoing shipments. The farm doesn’t choose it.
The same kind of product is bought at retail the same week and tested side by side.
An ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab runs the analysis, and a named scientific reviewer checks the method.
Backers receive all four reports first. When the results arrive, the farm decides whether they go public under its name; if not, they join the database anonymised.