Permaculture
Read about our visits here in English and French.
Juin 2018: Facebook devient (!?) intrusif (reconnaissance faciale, échange des données opaque, bof) donc on y va moins souvent.
C'est pour ça qu'on a ce site et vous pouvez nous contacter sur Contact, tout simplement.
June 2018: Facebook is getting (!?) intusive (facial recognition, unclear data management, mmm) so we go there less oftenly.
This site is complementary and you can can contact us here: Contact
Juin 2018: Facebook devient (!?) intrusif (reconnaissance faciale, échange des données opaque, bof) donc on y va moins souvent.
C'est pour ça qu'on a ce site et vous pouvez nous contacter sur Contact, tout simplement.
June 2018: Facebook is getting (!?) intusive (facial recognition, unclear data management, mmm) so we go there less oftenly.
This site is complementary and you can can contact us here: Contact
Pour les inconditionnels de FB: Plus d'infos et des stages amenés à notre attention FaceBook Initiation Permaculture.
mais n'oubliez pas Contact
mais n'oubliez pas Contact
For only French text and more info, go the Facebook page Initiation Permaculture (but it won't replace our Contact)
2018
City Pockets Farm est un jardin éducatif dans la ville de Sydney
Monté en pleine ville par des passionnés qui se sont lancés sans forcément beaucoup d’expérience mais avec beaucoup d’entousiasme – il invite des profils différents de la ville et d’ailleurs. Le résultat est joli et plein d’enseignements.
…plus d’infos sur la page Facebook Initiation Permaculture…
Monté en pleine ville par des passionnés qui se sont lancés sans forcément beaucoup d’expérience mais avec beaucoup d’entousiasme – il invite des profils différents de la ville et d’ailleurs. Le résultat est joli et plein d’enseignements.
…plus d’infos sur la page Facebook Initiation Permaculture…
2017
3 décembre 2017 : Contactez nous si vous êtes intéressé(e) par un Projet de Mini Forêt (Tiny Forest Project): à bientôt sur Contact?!
3 August 2017 Hey!! We are looking for an organic cook with delicious and beautiful recipes - fast!
Last Sunday: Thanks to the association Zonmé and Olivier de Shilakong for allowing us to take part in an amazing day, in an incredible place, in the shade of the “Mandarin Bamboos” to share with friendly permaculturists, listen to an Apprentice / Master of yoga and meet smiling and enthusiastic people just a step away from home - especially in Cagnes sur Mer (with baskets and recipes, beautiful and appetizing aaaah). The links below (Yes, we are really looking to help prepare for a great picnic in early September !!).
https://www.facebook.com/LaZonme
http://www.yogaeducationsolidarite.fr/
http://www.paniers-bio-cagnes.com/content/31-betterave-sushi-vegan-burger
Last Sunday: Thanks to the association Zonmé and Olivier de Shilakong for allowing us to take part in an amazing day, in an incredible place, in the shade of the “Mandarin Bamboos” to share with friendly permaculturists, listen to an Apprentice / Master of yoga and meet smiling and enthusiastic people just a step away from home - especially in Cagnes sur Mer (with baskets and recipes, beautiful and appetizing aaaah). The links below (Yes, we are really looking to help prepare for a great picnic in early September !!).
https://www.facebook.com/LaZonme
http://www.yogaeducationsolidarite.fr/
http://www.paniers-bio-cagnes.com/content/31-betterave-sushi-vegan-burger
23rd of April. I vote today. And I vote for them above all the rest. Aujourd'hui je vote et je vote pour eux par dessus tous les autres
12 March: Hi Permaculture Enthusiasts ! Tarn and Garonne needs you !
This friendly Englishman posted on a permaculture forum « How can I make a living from the place ?»
La VF de ceci sur notre page FB
Simple question yet this is a real challenge. In 2009, the couple decide to sell their place in England and settle in France. They finally get 12 ha of an agricultural land, not far from Castel Sarazin, west of Montauban, north of Toulouse…with no land experience! He was working in construction, and so they made a leap of faith. 8 years later, inspired by what they know of Permaculture (?), they are asking for advice. On picture and according to the description of their land, the site is promising.
I would like to give them a first hand –in providing a permaculture approach.
What would be your ideas on the framework to propose to reflect very concretely on a productive site?
With your answers, I would like to help this family and also identify your subjects of interests – to strengthen or develop. If you are interested to receive news on this project or the transformation of a site into a permaculture project, thank you to tell us where you live and how far you would be from Castel Sarazin in hours and by what transport means
This friendly Englishman posted on a permaculture forum « How can I make a living from the place ?»
La VF de ceci sur notre page FB
Simple question yet this is a real challenge. In 2009, the couple decide to sell their place in England and settle in France. They finally get 12 ha of an agricultural land, not far from Castel Sarazin, west of Montauban, north of Toulouse…with no land experience! He was working in construction, and so they made a leap of faith. 8 years later, inspired by what they know of Permaculture (?), they are asking for advice. On picture and according to the description of their land, the site is promising.
I would like to give them a first hand –in providing a permaculture approach.
What would be your ideas on the framework to propose to reflect very concretely on a productive site?
With your answers, I would like to help this family and also identify your subjects of interests – to strengthen or develop. If you are interested to receive news on this project or the transformation of a site into a permaculture project, thank you to tell us where you live and how far you would be from Castel Sarazin in hours and by what transport means
17 février: Davy Cosson, fondateur de Kiwi-Nature, sortira son livre " la Permaculture en Ville" et le présentera le 1er mars à Tours. Hâte de le découvrir. Qui à Tours ourrait nous faire un retour?
http://www.kiwi-nature.com/
http://www.kiwi-nature.com/
14 janvier 2017: Ce weekend, nous avons découvert un lieu qui sera extraor di naire dans le sud pour faire des Initiations à la Permaculture et rencontrer des personnes vraiment super.
Les évènements à venir seront relayés sur ce site, merci de nous dire si vous serez intéressés d'en savoir plus ou de participer ?
Des premières photos et quelques mots sont sur la page Initiation Permaculture, en attendant la suite.
Note for the Anglophones: in short, a great place soon to see Permaculture blossom in the center of Riviera's Capital - come back here for later news, let us know if you want more info too.
Les évènements à venir seront relayés sur ce site, merci de nous dire si vous serez intéressés d'en savoir plus ou de participer ?
Des premières photos et quelques mots sont sur la page Initiation Permaculture, en attendant la suite.
Note for the Anglophones: in short, a great place soon to see Permaculture blossom in the center of Riviera's Capital - come back here for later news, let us know if you want more info too.
2016
Initiation à Grésillon ... a Permaculture Sleeping Beauty ...
Obtain yourself a yield (formidable Vegetable Sound System)
Fortier tools and tips on vids to grow on 1 acre and some (great stuff)
Fortier Le Jardins de la Grelinette à St Armand
www.lagrelinette.com
« C’est absolument débile mental » ('t is absolutely insane) dixit JM Fortier
His paper pot transplanter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLuTNvjLHg&index=4&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm
Quick Cut Greens Harvester with JM Fortier, The Market Gardener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gu8vFwz5nM&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm&index=5
The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier - Book Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVG8Ew4iGdY&index=6&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm
www.lagrelinette.com
« C’est absolument débile mental » ('t is absolutely insane) dixit JM Fortier
His paper pot transplanter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLuTNvjLHg&index=4&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm
Quick Cut Greens Harvester with JM Fortier, The Market Gardener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gu8vFwz5nM&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm&index=5
The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier - Book Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVG8Ew4iGdY&index=6&list=PL8pJMTMthW1t68OKX61XqEMh-OosUfxrm
Keys to Profitability and “Earth Links” - on 1/4th of an acre
- from Farm of La Berthe (1000m2 or 1/4 th of an acre)
Train strike …I am stuck again in the City this morning, I watched videos and the other sites below for about an hour. If you do not have much time, I propose this one-page summary. Greetings to Corentin and thanks to him for giving out all this information. Corentin has not yet read this: if I wrote anything incorrectly, mea culpa. Let me know and I will correct it.
So I watched this video made in July 2015 detailing the potential and then realized financial return of the farm La Berthe, near Chambery, 600 m up in the Alps (correct?), on 1000m2 or a fourth of an acre, land is "cultivated using three technical tools - very high density cultivation (eg carrots on 12 rows and 80 cm width beds) – a great intensity of crop rotation (up to 4 crops per year on a bed) – reduced operating expenses"
Corentin (inspired par Fortier) explains the ingenious beds system where each bed, if it produces annually 3 times, accounts for a turnover of 1,000€. The numerous beds, greenhouses and gardens together would produce a maximum potential figure of 48,000€ (all organic). Less costs of 6,000€ (3,000€ in seeds and plants, € 1,000 in irrigation, € 1,000 in transportation, € 1,000 in compost and amendment) leaving € 42,000.. less agricultural taxes of 13 to 15%, or 6000 €, leaving 36,000€ to share between two people or 18,000€, or 1 500 € per month each. With weeks aiming to be 40h long, except that since they were quite inexperienced, and there is still a learning curve, at the top of the season they worked more like 70h per week. The real turnover (what I translated freely "we did"/ “on a fait”) was actually 10,000€ due to the fact the entire surface was not worked and because of the learning curve and starting phase. It's already pretty good looking in any case, and certainly very tasty and I can only hope and think quite probable that what will follow will go in the right direction.
I looked for the current website of the La Berthe farm and not 2 but 5 people appeared as reinforcements: a beekeeper, a cheese maker, and sparkling and motivated profiles to complete the picture. Photos of the products made my mouth water. If there is success it is already in the smiles and appetizing products. And for the rest, well it makes you want to be there.
Corentin mentionned Terre de Liens (Earth Links) without which this would not have been possible ... So I went on the website of the organization whose goal is to cope with the overwhelming and yet so childish machine of land speculation – it helps agricultural land and what’s more agriculture that is more respectful to nature (organic, permaculture ..) - to resist that machine. Apparently open to farmers and donors ... but still? I must look into this more thoroughly..
In a video near Marseille, a photo shows a completely built up coastline. Not being able to rely on a healthy local food production and having to rely on food brought from unknown faraway farms, makes me think of “Ravage” ("Devastation"), the well-inspired novel from Barjavel, written in 1943 on 'the sinking of a mature society in which one day electricity disappears and no machine can run"...
There is a clear need for people like Corentin and his friends and associations with much experience and apparently they exist! I look at the farms map in France on Terre de Liens. They are in all the big regions. What has been achieved gives many ideas and makes me want to meet them. See for yourself and talk to us about your findings? Let us your know about your experiences..Waiting for the train, I'll see the film “Demain” (litt. Tomorrow) this weekend..have a good one, Olivier Video with Corentin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FngiPoQbz8
The http://fermedelaberthe.fr/ and https://www.terredeliens.org/-les-fermes-terre-de-liens-.html and http://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/film et http://www.lejardiniermaraicher.com/film
Train strike …I am stuck again in the City this morning, I watched videos and the other sites below for about an hour. If you do not have much time, I propose this one-page summary. Greetings to Corentin and thanks to him for giving out all this information. Corentin has not yet read this: if I wrote anything incorrectly, mea culpa. Let me know and I will correct it.
So I watched this video made in July 2015 detailing the potential and then realized financial return of the farm La Berthe, near Chambery, 600 m up in the Alps (correct?), on 1000m2 or a fourth of an acre, land is "cultivated using three technical tools - very high density cultivation (eg carrots on 12 rows and 80 cm width beds) – a great intensity of crop rotation (up to 4 crops per year on a bed) – reduced operating expenses"
Corentin (inspired par Fortier) explains the ingenious beds system where each bed, if it produces annually 3 times, accounts for a turnover of 1,000€. The numerous beds, greenhouses and gardens together would produce a maximum potential figure of 48,000€ (all organic). Less costs of 6,000€ (3,000€ in seeds and plants, € 1,000 in irrigation, € 1,000 in transportation, € 1,000 in compost and amendment) leaving € 42,000.. less agricultural taxes of 13 to 15%, or 6000 €, leaving 36,000€ to share between two people or 18,000€, or 1 500 € per month each. With weeks aiming to be 40h long, except that since they were quite inexperienced, and there is still a learning curve, at the top of the season they worked more like 70h per week. The real turnover (what I translated freely "we did"/ “on a fait”) was actually 10,000€ due to the fact the entire surface was not worked and because of the learning curve and starting phase. It's already pretty good looking in any case, and certainly very tasty and I can only hope and think quite probable that what will follow will go in the right direction.
I looked for the current website of the La Berthe farm and not 2 but 5 people appeared as reinforcements: a beekeeper, a cheese maker, and sparkling and motivated profiles to complete the picture. Photos of the products made my mouth water. If there is success it is already in the smiles and appetizing products. And for the rest, well it makes you want to be there.
Corentin mentionned Terre de Liens (Earth Links) without which this would not have been possible ... So I went on the website of the organization whose goal is to cope with the overwhelming and yet so childish machine of land speculation – it helps agricultural land and what’s more agriculture that is more respectful to nature (organic, permaculture ..) - to resist that machine. Apparently open to farmers and donors ... but still? I must look into this more thoroughly..
In a video near Marseille, a photo shows a completely built up coastline. Not being able to rely on a healthy local food production and having to rely on food brought from unknown faraway farms, makes me think of “Ravage” ("Devastation"), the well-inspired novel from Barjavel, written in 1943 on 'the sinking of a mature society in which one day electricity disappears and no machine can run"...
There is a clear need for people like Corentin and his friends and associations with much experience and apparently they exist! I look at the farms map in France on Terre de Liens. They are in all the big regions. What has been achieved gives many ideas and makes me want to meet them. See for yourself and talk to us about your findings? Let us your know about your experiences..Waiting for the train, I'll see the film “Demain” (litt. Tomorrow) this weekend..have a good one, Olivier Video with Corentin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FngiPoQbz8
The http://fermedelaberthe.fr/ and https://www.terredeliens.org/-les-fermes-terre-de-liens-.html and http://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/film et http://www.lejardiniermaraicher.com/film
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Thank You Lisa Isherwood!
Before my notes on Awhi Farm (pronounce Efi Farm), the next 2 paragraphs provide a greater outlook.
45 minutes north of the farm is the largest freshwater lake in NZ. Lake Taupo lies in a huge cauldron made from the world’s largest known eruption in the last 70 000 years. The huge space was filled by more than 30 rivers and today, one, Waikato, is the longest in NZ. Lake Taupo compares in size to Singapore. Its perimeter is about 193 kilometres; its deepest point is 186 metres. Fumerolles can be seen escaping from some of the mountains around it as the volcano is now dormant. The water is so pure you can see your feet on the black sand underneath. When you dig your feet under the sand, the heat burns them so you dig them out quickly and they cool instantly in the water. A moment of simple joy.
The residents of the city of Taupo always had free water yet there are ever more persistent rumors to change this so that people are “being prepared” to pay for their water. I wish this stays a boogey man’s tale and to see innovative ways to manage this great resource. Water should not become a way to make us more dependent financially whilst not caring how it is actually shared. The meters which have recently been set in place can be a very useful end of the pipe tool - say or metering consumption - but not a solution. How about answering prior questions: How is the water shared? What other benefits does it provide besides tap water? How important is its beauty? and to think it provides life to the entire region? What parts of nature contribute to this abundance and this purity? Healthy diversified forests? What can human actions do? Can we ensure pesticide-free fields? Could new parallel rumors be that some people are starting to look for ways to encourage the best producers and users so they never have to pay? Why not make only the biggest polluters/ users pay first? I hope the locals decide on definitions and benefits for the “best users” and wish them well in their innovative ways to share this heavenly place that the whole Taupo region is with its many resources, like this huge amount of freshwater, and the life and pleasures it brings.
Quite related to these large scale issues, here are my notes on what is done at Awhi Farm:
From Maori descent and knowledgeable on the history of the farm’s city of Turangi, Lisa reminded us how in 1964 the modern city of Turangi was created. Bulldozers came and made roads and around about the same time much of the existing self-reliance of the existing communities was pretty much destroyed, as with the burning of the trading posts around the water ways, and the strong push/introduction in everyday’s life for cigarettes, flour, sugar, and – as I understood, non-local disconnected , outside - money.
40 years later, on 10 acres or 4 hectares, Awhi farm is proud to propose alternatives to the youth and to all interested. “The revolution is here”, says Lisa. When we arrived we saw happy woofers* from all around the world who came for a few days and often ended up staying at least a month. The food we saw in front of them, coming straight from the plants and life around us looked great in looks and quantities. They were housed in different casitas, some greatly painted and with a great history (we let you discover) and sweet decorations, others, earthdomes made from sand bags, with the help of Jo and Bryan, who were also involved in the solscape beauties. In a few years, Awhi Farm works and is a model which can be reproduced.
A suggestion to the cities? Lisa said: “Go to the schools. Ask them how we can help. What do they need. Children are the future. We are merely holding the space for them.” On one of her best experiences in the city, Lisa remembered a project in a drug infested street with mothers smoking behind the doors she knocked on. She and others came and gave plums, peaches, apples from their orchards. Kids there felt loved and something happened. Teaching them was great.
Lisa told us that her daughter is fluent in Maori. She knows how to plant trees, grow food, live on the land. She also knows songs and dances, whakapapa** and useful proverbs.
There should be a festival in Autumn 2017. Ask about a project regarding 100 fruit trees. Ask?
https://www.facebook.com/Awhifarm
Ahwhi farm is happy to get global money to re-invest in making this place a better one: 5 beds are actually on AirBnB. Note: the AirBnB pics don’t show it as well as they could. Read the reviews. It is a great way to rest around Taupo or in that oasis by the desert on the way to Wellington. See Turangi, NZ, last seen under : “Cozy private round house” We left Lisa wishing we could have tasted her next meal: steamed beans using the vulcano’s heat..
*woofers? Here is the explanation on https://www.wwoof.org.uk/
** Whakapapa (Māori pronunciation: [ˈfakapapa]), or genealogy, is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Māori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'. It is in fact a paradigm of cultural discourse and provides the basis for establishing, enhancing, and even challenging relationships between individuals, whanau (families), hapū (local tribal entities) and iwi (regional tribal bodies).
45 minutes north of the farm is the largest freshwater lake in NZ. Lake Taupo lies in a huge cauldron made from the world’s largest known eruption in the last 70 000 years. The huge space was filled by more than 30 rivers and today, one, Waikato, is the longest in NZ. Lake Taupo compares in size to Singapore. Its perimeter is about 193 kilometres; its deepest point is 186 metres. Fumerolles can be seen escaping from some of the mountains around it as the volcano is now dormant. The water is so pure you can see your feet on the black sand underneath. When you dig your feet under the sand, the heat burns them so you dig them out quickly and they cool instantly in the water. A moment of simple joy.
The residents of the city of Taupo always had free water yet there are ever more persistent rumors to change this so that people are “being prepared” to pay for their water. I wish this stays a boogey man’s tale and to see innovative ways to manage this great resource. Water should not become a way to make us more dependent financially whilst not caring how it is actually shared. The meters which have recently been set in place can be a very useful end of the pipe tool - say or metering consumption - but not a solution. How about answering prior questions: How is the water shared? What other benefits does it provide besides tap water? How important is its beauty? and to think it provides life to the entire region? What parts of nature contribute to this abundance and this purity? Healthy diversified forests? What can human actions do? Can we ensure pesticide-free fields? Could new parallel rumors be that some people are starting to look for ways to encourage the best producers and users so they never have to pay? Why not make only the biggest polluters/ users pay first? I hope the locals decide on definitions and benefits for the “best users” and wish them well in their innovative ways to share this heavenly place that the whole Taupo region is with its many resources, like this huge amount of freshwater, and the life and pleasures it brings.
Quite related to these large scale issues, here are my notes on what is done at Awhi Farm:
From Maori descent and knowledgeable on the history of the farm’s city of Turangi, Lisa reminded us how in 1964 the modern city of Turangi was created. Bulldozers came and made roads and around about the same time much of the existing self-reliance of the existing communities was pretty much destroyed, as with the burning of the trading posts around the water ways, and the strong push/introduction in everyday’s life for cigarettes, flour, sugar, and – as I understood, non-local disconnected , outside - money.
40 years later, on 10 acres or 4 hectares, Awhi farm is proud to propose alternatives to the youth and to all interested. “The revolution is here”, says Lisa. When we arrived we saw happy woofers* from all around the world who came for a few days and often ended up staying at least a month. The food we saw in front of them, coming straight from the plants and life around us looked great in looks and quantities. They were housed in different casitas, some greatly painted and with a great history (we let you discover) and sweet decorations, others, earthdomes made from sand bags, with the help of Jo and Bryan, who were also involved in the solscape beauties. In a few years, Awhi Farm works and is a model which can be reproduced.
A suggestion to the cities? Lisa said: “Go to the schools. Ask them how we can help. What do they need. Children are the future. We are merely holding the space for them.” On one of her best experiences in the city, Lisa remembered a project in a drug infested street with mothers smoking behind the doors she knocked on. She and others came and gave plums, peaches, apples from their orchards. Kids there felt loved and something happened. Teaching them was great.
Lisa told us that her daughter is fluent in Maori. She knows how to plant trees, grow food, live on the land. She also knows songs and dances, whakapapa** and useful proverbs.
There should be a festival in Autumn 2017. Ask about a project regarding 100 fruit trees. Ask?
https://www.facebook.com/Awhifarm
Ahwhi farm is happy to get global money to re-invest in making this place a better one: 5 beds are actually on AirBnB. Note: the AirBnB pics don’t show it as well as they could. Read the reviews. It is a great way to rest around Taupo or in that oasis by the desert on the way to Wellington. See Turangi, NZ, last seen under : “Cozy private round house” We left Lisa wishing we could have tasted her next meal: steamed beans using the vulcano’s heat..
*woofers? Here is the explanation on https://www.wwoof.org.uk/
** Whakapapa (Māori pronunciation: [ˈfakapapa]), or genealogy, is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Māori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'. It is in fact a paradigm of cultural discourse and provides the basis for establishing, enhancing, and even challenging relationships between individuals, whanau (families), hapū (local tribal entities) and iwi (regional tribal bodies).
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Thank You Rick Thorpe and Liz Stanway!!
Read about our visit here in English if you like
Oui, la V.O. en anglais de notre visite est ici. Pour une version en français, allez sur ce lien..
Oui, la V.O. en anglais de notre visite est ici. Pour une version en français, allez sur ce lien..
Rick Thorpe gave us a great tour yesterday morning. Thank you and thank you Liz Stanway for building such a great place.
(Pictures on the FB website)
Most of the plants are roughly on one acre (or 4000m2) – Rick told us 50mx80m - but there is also a food forest and plenty of very happy animals. The dogs were first too lazy to leave their cozy sofas when we arrived. But in separate luscious green spaces we saw many chickens, then quacking ducks, and finally three oinking pigs. The dogs finally came and followed our walk and then Rick arrived and he-was-just-a Torrent of Knowledge.
We had many prepared questions but before we could ask them Rick answered all of them and provided us with much more interesting info by giving us a great tour of the place.
We could not say we did transcribe everything as much was also to be seen, touched and smelled, even tasted but here are the key anecdotes.
Starting. Liz and Rick found their place after it had been grass land for cows for at least 80 years. It was highly compacted by the “1 ton hoofs” through the years and the first work was to get the cows out, plant wind breakers, let the grass grow and .. go to Fiji for 2 years and the Pacific islands for 1 where they learnt about making multi-layered canopies that look completely natural, invisible to the untrained eye. So they let the soil do its work, with worms airing the soil, so that life and nutrients could circulate again. Back from Fidji, Ragwort - undesirable flowers which thrive from cow dung and low cut grass - had disappeared, along with their parasites.
Looking ahead. One singular achievement was to “plant their children houses”. Looking forward, as they had their two children, they planted trees according to what was going to be needed to construct their future houses and even the furniture inside. Now or a little over 20 years after, the trees are ready to be harvested for precisely that. Rick is very modest about their incredible foresight and told us that this or eventually more could have been done with hemp. In just 12 months, one can grow enough hemp which, collected with the mud underneath can act as structure and also insulation and many other uses for and around the house. He suggested us to look for a German example building such a house from 2 acres of hemp cultures. Rick and Liz also worked according to their children’s ages – meaning that when they were babies and needed to be close to the house they created their seedlings shed by the house so they could run in when needed; later they built tree houses by the fields they were working in so that the children would play near where they were. Permaculture design is a constantly evolving process of fulfilling needs as they change.
Observe: When birds only nest once vs. three times, it means that they sense there won’t be enough food to feed their offspring, meaning insects or water/in other terms it will be a dry season/drought and it may be a good idea to do aubergines instead of melons ;) Bird migration is also pegged on the wind changes and they will migrate when they know there won’t be any more frost. Being aware of their movements can allow you to begin or wait with your planting with less risks as frost can appear up to 6 weeks before or after the calendar dates.
Diversity Learning trough Trials and Errors. Liz and Rick undertook to actively work on their land, building a place for a multitude of food plants, a food forest and orchards. The animals they chose could be fed on the beautiful sun flowers, whose heads are easily stored in winter and are full of goodness for ultimate chicken health but also on the delicious crickets which live under the straw they used for their potato growing, and became a feast once the cultures were fenced to let the chickens have a great time and later produce beautiful orange yolks. As for fallen fruits, the hogs were happy to eat the fallen or rotten fruits from the orchards. Rick showed us the amaranth which really looks and grows like a bad seed yet is highly nutritious and all the mentioned animals love it! It is extremely easy to get the seed out and later uproot it to make mulch and the famous ‘lasagnes’. The family eats it too as part of their salad. The earth can rest and biodiversity thrives: rotations are in 4 years cycles as between say, garlic and pumpkin
Monoculture or permaculture specialization? Rick told us that some part of his parcel may not be 100% permaculture, because they might be doing some kind of monoculture there by growing 2 tons of garlic. Well, combined with the onsite basil, macadamia nuts, oil from the olive trees and their neighbor’s organic pecorino cheese, the whole mix turns into a ‘mean’ (great) pesto. This produce of a product makes a good source of income and is produced in the local community building’s kitchen. We could not count nor remember all the sorts of plants that were cultivated in the little tour we made and the whole looked like very beautiful permaculture to us actually. And we wished we could achieve half of all we saw..
Cycles of nutriments on site. Amongst a great mix of plants, the sunflowers, after providing beauty, and of course food for the animals and humans, are cut high to let beans grow on their stems, providing more food, to then be harvested to make the best combination of carbon and, with grass, nitrogen - prepare a great mulch. Indeed, growing beans to balance nitrogen provides a crop and is preferred to alfalfa because you can eat the beans.
Closing the loops: at the bottom of the hill where the plants are cultivated, the nutrients flow towards a line of robust hay which acts as shelter but also captures the nutrients and can be cut and transformed into mulch to feed the trees and plants at the top of the properties where the numerous interactions start again before it flows down to the hay and again and again.
Energy savings and more: Potatoes were a really great example of this: sown and covered with a half meter of hay, they grow faster and bigger, with a thicker skin and are left unmarked by inexistent forks as they are harvested effortlessly by hand just by uncovering the hey when ready. After 3 months, all sorts are found (we were reminded that there are 2300 varieties to choose from*) and the area we saw which I quickly measured as a 7m (our apartment length) x 15m patch and can be harvested in 2 days to feed 5 families for a year. And no digging! Aso because the skins are naturally thicker the potatos store better and don’t damage easily. Ifyou leave them under the hay they just ait and won’t regrow until the next year.
Medicinal values The food grown is also chosen for this: on Thursdays, when children come to enjoy an educational tour, they learn that a scrumptious spoon of pesto is more nutritive than a whole broccoli head. Elder flowers make great cordials to fight hay fever. Netle and fennel are also grown.
The food forest is just amazing: a wild green blur at first, Rick made us discover how constructed and reactive this all is. From one season to the next, the permacultor chooses to favor this tree or that plant by leaving or cutting a branch and it is perpetually evolving. Meanwhile the density shows great life and we were given to sink our teeth in a delicious and very juicy pepino fruit. I also got to pick a chili pepper from the 2000 to 5000 that can be harvested yearly. The chili climbs on loquat tree serving as their frame. Shown: great banana trees/plants. Cut the banana tree trunk into 4 parts and put around the base of a tree. They are made of 90% water and their cells will release the water to the tree roots and also serve as sponges when it rains or it gets too wet so they automatically water the trees for around 4-6 months. The food forest is dynamic and evolving.
Making a negative a positive: In the first 15 days in NZ, we were told all kinds of terrible things about what was called a pest: the possum. As big as a large cat, this furry animal thrives so much that the desperate yet apparently not permaculture-aware government lately decided to throw 1080 pesticide from planes in the most affected areas, not thinking of the sinister consequences for the ecosystem affected (including humans). Well, Rick found a simple solution. In fact they love possums. The price of the bullets to kill 3 possums is covered by selling their fur and they can give their meat to their 2 dogs - trained to spot and warn the presence of chicken eggs predators (wild cats, hawks andpossums). Even better, the remains and bones, buried at the feet of their fig trees translate into roughly 1 ton of figs. They have about 50 traps for the many rats that their luscious plants attract yet are very happy to use them to feed the animals and plants. Nothing is wasted.
Undesirable bugs? Hardly. Rick showed us a tiny colony of Paper Wasps – and their first out of three warnings of pointing at his approaching hand. These are great against ‘parasitic’ insects in the way that they feed on caterpillars and beetles who suck the sap of plants. They are active in low temperatures and hence most of the seasons. Wild carrot is food for these insects and can be kept at the edge zone.
We ended up only asking only one of our prepared questions:
How to connect permaculture to the city? and its lack of space? From Rick answers: “Small space allows to make sprouting on window ledges or cultivate micro greens. Beans can grow on roofs. And as flowers are more plentiful in cities, growing them can help bees. Grow bee food (smile). (In disorder of what he said: ) Use buckets, also use water areas to reflect the light and provide baths for the birds. Take part into CSA associations sharing the risks of the local organic farmers. Buy in bulks and have parties and celebrate = making jars of tomato sauce, jellies… in the winter show videos on permaculture, discuss (hot topics like the) Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), where does food come from, bring in experts..”
*or was it 4000 varieties of potatoes found? http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-thriving-biodiversity-of-peru-potato-park
(Pictures on the FB website)
Most of the plants are roughly on one acre (or 4000m2) – Rick told us 50mx80m - but there is also a food forest and plenty of very happy animals. The dogs were first too lazy to leave their cozy sofas when we arrived. But in separate luscious green spaces we saw many chickens, then quacking ducks, and finally three oinking pigs. The dogs finally came and followed our walk and then Rick arrived and he-was-just-a Torrent of Knowledge.
We had many prepared questions but before we could ask them Rick answered all of them and provided us with much more interesting info by giving us a great tour of the place.
We could not say we did transcribe everything as much was also to be seen, touched and smelled, even tasted but here are the key anecdotes.
Starting. Liz and Rick found their place after it had been grass land for cows for at least 80 years. It was highly compacted by the “1 ton hoofs” through the years and the first work was to get the cows out, plant wind breakers, let the grass grow and .. go to Fiji for 2 years and the Pacific islands for 1 where they learnt about making multi-layered canopies that look completely natural, invisible to the untrained eye. So they let the soil do its work, with worms airing the soil, so that life and nutrients could circulate again. Back from Fidji, Ragwort - undesirable flowers which thrive from cow dung and low cut grass - had disappeared, along with their parasites.
Looking ahead. One singular achievement was to “plant their children houses”. Looking forward, as they had their two children, they planted trees according to what was going to be needed to construct their future houses and even the furniture inside. Now or a little over 20 years after, the trees are ready to be harvested for precisely that. Rick is very modest about their incredible foresight and told us that this or eventually more could have been done with hemp. In just 12 months, one can grow enough hemp which, collected with the mud underneath can act as structure and also insulation and many other uses for and around the house. He suggested us to look for a German example building such a house from 2 acres of hemp cultures. Rick and Liz also worked according to their children’s ages – meaning that when they were babies and needed to be close to the house they created their seedlings shed by the house so they could run in when needed; later they built tree houses by the fields they were working in so that the children would play near where they were. Permaculture design is a constantly evolving process of fulfilling needs as they change.
Observe: When birds only nest once vs. three times, it means that they sense there won’t be enough food to feed their offspring, meaning insects or water/in other terms it will be a dry season/drought and it may be a good idea to do aubergines instead of melons ;) Bird migration is also pegged on the wind changes and they will migrate when they know there won’t be any more frost. Being aware of their movements can allow you to begin or wait with your planting with less risks as frost can appear up to 6 weeks before or after the calendar dates.
Diversity Learning trough Trials and Errors. Liz and Rick undertook to actively work on their land, building a place for a multitude of food plants, a food forest and orchards. The animals they chose could be fed on the beautiful sun flowers, whose heads are easily stored in winter and are full of goodness for ultimate chicken health but also on the delicious crickets which live under the straw they used for their potato growing, and became a feast once the cultures were fenced to let the chickens have a great time and later produce beautiful orange yolks. As for fallen fruits, the hogs were happy to eat the fallen or rotten fruits from the orchards. Rick showed us the amaranth which really looks and grows like a bad seed yet is highly nutritious and all the mentioned animals love it! It is extremely easy to get the seed out and later uproot it to make mulch and the famous ‘lasagnes’. The family eats it too as part of their salad. The earth can rest and biodiversity thrives: rotations are in 4 years cycles as between say, garlic and pumpkin
Monoculture or permaculture specialization? Rick told us that some part of his parcel may not be 100% permaculture, because they might be doing some kind of monoculture there by growing 2 tons of garlic. Well, combined with the onsite basil, macadamia nuts, oil from the olive trees and their neighbor’s organic pecorino cheese, the whole mix turns into a ‘mean’ (great) pesto. This produce of a product makes a good source of income and is produced in the local community building’s kitchen. We could not count nor remember all the sorts of plants that were cultivated in the little tour we made and the whole looked like very beautiful permaculture to us actually. And we wished we could achieve half of all we saw..
Cycles of nutriments on site. Amongst a great mix of plants, the sunflowers, after providing beauty, and of course food for the animals and humans, are cut high to let beans grow on their stems, providing more food, to then be harvested to make the best combination of carbon and, with grass, nitrogen - prepare a great mulch. Indeed, growing beans to balance nitrogen provides a crop and is preferred to alfalfa because you can eat the beans.
Closing the loops: at the bottom of the hill where the plants are cultivated, the nutrients flow towards a line of robust hay which acts as shelter but also captures the nutrients and can be cut and transformed into mulch to feed the trees and plants at the top of the properties where the numerous interactions start again before it flows down to the hay and again and again.
Energy savings and more: Potatoes were a really great example of this: sown and covered with a half meter of hay, they grow faster and bigger, with a thicker skin and are left unmarked by inexistent forks as they are harvested effortlessly by hand just by uncovering the hey when ready. After 3 months, all sorts are found (we were reminded that there are 2300 varieties to choose from*) and the area we saw which I quickly measured as a 7m (our apartment length) x 15m patch and can be harvested in 2 days to feed 5 families for a year. And no digging! Aso because the skins are naturally thicker the potatos store better and don’t damage easily. Ifyou leave them under the hay they just ait and won’t regrow until the next year.
Medicinal values The food grown is also chosen for this: on Thursdays, when children come to enjoy an educational tour, they learn that a scrumptious spoon of pesto is more nutritive than a whole broccoli head. Elder flowers make great cordials to fight hay fever. Netle and fennel are also grown.
The food forest is just amazing: a wild green blur at first, Rick made us discover how constructed and reactive this all is. From one season to the next, the permacultor chooses to favor this tree or that plant by leaving or cutting a branch and it is perpetually evolving. Meanwhile the density shows great life and we were given to sink our teeth in a delicious and very juicy pepino fruit. I also got to pick a chili pepper from the 2000 to 5000 that can be harvested yearly. The chili climbs on loquat tree serving as their frame. Shown: great banana trees/plants. Cut the banana tree trunk into 4 parts and put around the base of a tree. They are made of 90% water and their cells will release the water to the tree roots and also serve as sponges when it rains or it gets too wet so they automatically water the trees for around 4-6 months. The food forest is dynamic and evolving.
Making a negative a positive: In the first 15 days in NZ, we were told all kinds of terrible things about what was called a pest: the possum. As big as a large cat, this furry animal thrives so much that the desperate yet apparently not permaculture-aware government lately decided to throw 1080 pesticide from planes in the most affected areas, not thinking of the sinister consequences for the ecosystem affected (including humans). Well, Rick found a simple solution. In fact they love possums. The price of the bullets to kill 3 possums is covered by selling their fur and they can give their meat to their 2 dogs - trained to spot and warn the presence of chicken eggs predators (wild cats, hawks andpossums). Even better, the remains and bones, buried at the feet of their fig trees translate into roughly 1 ton of figs. They have about 50 traps for the many rats that their luscious plants attract yet are very happy to use them to feed the animals and plants. Nothing is wasted.
Undesirable bugs? Hardly. Rick showed us a tiny colony of Paper Wasps – and their first out of three warnings of pointing at his approaching hand. These are great against ‘parasitic’ insects in the way that they feed on caterpillars and beetles who suck the sap of plants. They are active in low temperatures and hence most of the seasons. Wild carrot is food for these insects and can be kept at the edge zone.
We ended up only asking only one of our prepared questions:
How to connect permaculture to the city? and its lack of space? From Rick answers: “Small space allows to make sprouting on window ledges or cultivate micro greens. Beans can grow on roofs. And as flowers are more plentiful in cities, growing them can help bees. Grow bee food (smile). (In disorder of what he said: ) Use buckets, also use water areas to reflect the light and provide baths for the birds. Take part into CSA associations sharing the risks of the local organic farmers. Buy in bulks and have parties and celebrate = making jars of tomato sauce, jellies… in the winter show videos on permaculture, discuss (hot topics like the) Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), where does food come from, bring in experts..”
*or was it 4000 varieties of potatoes found? http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-thriving-biodiversity-of-peru-potato-park
Février 2016: des questions sur la permaculture ? le zéro déchet ?
C’est le moment de les poser ce jour même ! ... ici...
Bon. OK. C’est toujours le moment mais là nous récoltons vos questions pour les poser à Liz Stanway et Rick Thorpe, ici à Raglan, NZ ...plus d'infos en français ici..
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11 au 14 juillet 2015 : C'était extra grâce à vous!!
Merci de nous contacter sur ce lien pour les prochains stages / pré-réservations dès à présent Stages d'Initiation à la Permaculture:
La permaculture est la science et l’art de concevoir et d’aménager des écosystèmes humains durables.
Cette initiation correspond à la définition du cursus International d’enseignement à la permaculture. Elle permet de bien cerner les multiples dimensions de la permaculture, son éthique, sa méthode de conception, sa philosophie, son utilité à différentes échelles. (On y découvre qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une liste de technique de jardinage…). |
Merci de diffuser cette page sur vos réseaux. A bientôt!
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Le weekend prolongé a permis plus de temps que d’habitude pour assimiler un programme dense avec concepts et plusieurs ateliers pratiques. De plus, le stage a été proposé à un nombre limité de personnes allant de 12 à 20 personnes maximum afin d'avoir une bonne dynamique de groupe et de faire de belles rencontres.
4 intervenants principaux: Brice Coussot (ancien maraîcher), P.Y Massy (Ingénieur des sols), Bruno Macias (Ingénieur des Arts et Métiers) et Olivier Pessot (Conseil en entreprise durable), tous les quatre certifiés selon l’Université Populaire de Permaculture. Egalement invités : un (autre) maraicher, une musicienne professionnelle, une potière..
Le lieu: le bocage du Boischaut Sud (18) à Maisonnais. Navettes organisées de la gare de St Amand Montrond : à 2h44 de la gare d’Austerlitz en train.
Programme: L'historique, les principes et les thématiques centrales de la permaculture (écosystème, sol, eau, jardin-forêt, permaculture humaine..), la méthodologie du design et des exemples concrets (visites de lieux, ateliers pratiques : initiation au maraîchage, à la poterie, rocket stove et encore d'autres échanges sympathiques et utiles prévus).
4 intervenants principaux: Brice Coussot (ancien maraîcher), P.Y Massy (Ingénieur des sols), Bruno Macias (Ingénieur des Arts et Métiers) et Olivier Pessot (Conseil en entreprise durable), tous les quatre certifiés selon l’Université Populaire de Permaculture. Egalement invités : un (autre) maraicher, une musicienne professionnelle, une potière..
Le lieu: le bocage du Boischaut Sud (18) à Maisonnais. Navettes organisées de la gare de St Amand Montrond : à 2h44 de la gare d’Austerlitz en train.
Programme: L'historique, les principes et les thématiques centrales de la permaculture (écosystème, sol, eau, jardin-forêt, permaculture humaine..), la méthodologie du design et des exemples concrets (visites de lieux, ateliers pratiques : initiation au maraîchage, à la poterie, rocket stove et encore d'autres échanges sympathiques et utiles prévus).
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