Michaelangelica
30-08-2010, 08:25 PM
Self-sustainable hamlet promotes ‘Permaculture’ in Western Algarve
28/8/2010
An innovative project named ‘icanfeedmyself’, which promotes self-sufficient living based on ‘Permaculture’ design, is emerging in the Cerca Valley hamlet (Várzea da Gonçala, Western Algarve), carved from eight hectares of hill and meadowland that is being actively nurtured to create a productive, balanced, eco-system.
An open day is being held this weekend, on Sunday, August 29th, to which individuals, groups and families are invited to attend.A variety of practical courses and workshops promoting self-sufficient living and Permaculture design are being held at the location over the Autumn, as well as accredited Permaculture Design Courses.
The ‘icanfeedmyself’ small-holding is nurtured and managed by a collective of creative, like-minded families, dedicated to developing the living potential of their self-contained community.
Amongst these are key founders Christopher (Chris) and Christine (Kris) Lewis, who have a BSc in Ecology and a Certification in Education, respectively.
Chris was born in Wales and educated there and in London. He graduated in Ecology at Edinburgh University before a change of career led him to qualify as a brewer. He became a partner in a successful micro-brewery, one of whose products was awarded the prestigious Bottled Beer of The Year Award by CAMRA.
He moved to Portugal with his wife Kris in 2006, where his interests have come full circle to ecology and he is now a qualified Permaculturist.
Kris lived on a variety of boats on British canals and rivers for 10 years, before studying Interior Design. She then progressed to qualifying in Education, and taught Interior Design at college in Wales, before moving to Portugal with husband Chris in 2006.
They explained the reasoning behind their project, stressing “having even a little knowledge about how to survive outside an unsustainable system isn’t a bad idea”.
“The problem is that little or nothing that our society teaches or instils in us or our children is designed to help us face the fundamental necessity of all life, human or otherwise, namely how to feed ourselves. We are told an awful lot about politics, the necessity of economic growth, how to manage debt or afford a new car or keep safe in a paranoid world, but little about basic practical survival skills or the ways of nature”, it was explained in an email to The Portugal News.
“Living in a fairly remote area brings these considerations to immediate attention”, it continued, adding “we now see, working with the ways of nature to bring our eight hectares of land - whether fertile valley floor or rough hillside - to productive life, is the only way to live”.
The community produces its own food, energy and building materials
“Having come to Varzea da Gonçala, in the Cerca Valley, near Aljezur, in 2006 without a particular vision of our future here, our relationship with the land and the valley has moved steadily and continuously towards self-sufficiency, Permaculture, and reviving not-so-old ways of cooperation among neighbours and friends – regardless of country of origin”.
A wide variety of hands-on workshops and courses are being held at Varzea da Goncala, and those interested are welcome to “come and stay with us for a flexible duration, participating in the day-to-day activities of a working Permaculture smallholding”.
“We hope that by getting a practical feel of what is involved in developing one’s own land for long-term productive use, people or families may see sustainable living as an endlessly creative experience, whilst removing the daunting sense of entering unknown territory”, it concluded.
For more information, to see what courses and events are being hosted over the coming autumn or to confirm presence at this weekend’s open day, call: 282 995 060 visit website: www.icanfeedmyself.com.
http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1076-36
28/8/2010
An innovative project named ‘icanfeedmyself’, which promotes self-sufficient living based on ‘Permaculture’ design, is emerging in the Cerca Valley hamlet (Várzea da Gonçala, Western Algarve), carved from eight hectares of hill and meadowland that is being actively nurtured to create a productive, balanced, eco-system.
An open day is being held this weekend, on Sunday, August 29th, to which individuals, groups and families are invited to attend.A variety of practical courses and workshops promoting self-sufficient living and Permaculture design are being held at the location over the Autumn, as well as accredited Permaculture Design Courses.
The ‘icanfeedmyself’ small-holding is nurtured and managed by a collective of creative, like-minded families, dedicated to developing the living potential of their self-contained community.
Amongst these are key founders Christopher (Chris) and Christine (Kris) Lewis, who have a BSc in Ecology and a Certification in Education, respectively.
Chris was born in Wales and educated there and in London. He graduated in Ecology at Edinburgh University before a change of career led him to qualify as a brewer. He became a partner in a successful micro-brewery, one of whose products was awarded the prestigious Bottled Beer of The Year Award by CAMRA.
He moved to Portugal with his wife Kris in 2006, where his interests have come full circle to ecology and he is now a qualified Permaculturist.
Kris lived on a variety of boats on British canals and rivers for 10 years, before studying Interior Design. She then progressed to qualifying in Education, and taught Interior Design at college in Wales, before moving to Portugal with husband Chris in 2006.
They explained the reasoning behind their project, stressing “having even a little knowledge about how to survive outside an unsustainable system isn’t a bad idea”.
“The problem is that little or nothing that our society teaches or instils in us or our children is designed to help us face the fundamental necessity of all life, human or otherwise, namely how to feed ourselves. We are told an awful lot about politics, the necessity of economic growth, how to manage debt or afford a new car or keep safe in a paranoid world, but little about basic practical survival skills or the ways of nature”, it was explained in an email to The Portugal News.
“Living in a fairly remote area brings these considerations to immediate attention”, it continued, adding “we now see, working with the ways of nature to bring our eight hectares of land - whether fertile valley floor or rough hillside - to productive life, is the only way to live”.
The community produces its own food, energy and building materials
“Having come to Varzea da Gonçala, in the Cerca Valley, near Aljezur, in 2006 without a particular vision of our future here, our relationship with the land and the valley has moved steadily and continuously towards self-sufficiency, Permaculture, and reviving not-so-old ways of cooperation among neighbours and friends – regardless of country of origin”.
A wide variety of hands-on workshops and courses are being held at Varzea da Goncala, and those interested are welcome to “come and stay with us for a flexible duration, participating in the day-to-day activities of a working Permaculture smallholding”.
“We hope that by getting a practical feel of what is involved in developing one’s own land for long-term productive use, people or families may see sustainable living as an endlessly creative experience, whilst removing the daunting sense of entering unknown territory”, it concluded.
For more information, to see what courses and events are being hosted over the coming autumn or to confirm presence at this weekend’s open day, call: 282 995 060 visit website: www.icanfeedmyself.com.
http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1076-36