How Greek growers use nature to clean leek

Farmers placing bundles of leeks into the slow-moving water in the village of Dorothea near Aridea, northern Greece. Photos: Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP

Beneath a cluster of plane trees, the crystal clear waters of a stream are mustered by Greek farmers to rinse their leek crop, a time-honoured tradition that saves money and reduces its carbon footprint.

"(The water) keeps the leeks live and fresh...and it saves us using tap water to rinse them at home," explains 48-year-old grower Costas Antoniou.