Rede Local de Permacultura / Local Permaculture Network

Excelente media aqui

O Caminho Natural is moving to Murtinheira Studio on Saturday 24th July.

The full address is: Casa da N. S. Isabel, The Studio- O Caminho Natural STIO Roda , Murtinheira, Vila Nova do Ceira 3330-424.

The studio will be a space for events, yoga, meditation and workshops. We shall also have a storage space for our products available to purchase . We shall be distributing through our new online shop www.caminhonatural.com/shop our local delivery service and you may visit the warehouse too.
Our general opening hours will be
Monday 9.30am – 3pm
Thursday 9.30 am– 1pm

Please make an appointment 235778185 – email ocaminhonatural@gmail.com – text 911167909 if you wish to call in outside of these times.

We look forward to seeing you at our new premises and will be announcing the date of our opening party shortly.

With best wishes
Celia, Hannah and Carol xxx

–
www.caminhonatural.com

Hello,

Are there people out there who want to live in harmony with nature, practice permaculture, growing own organic fruit and vegetables, and enjoy life at a slower pace? I’ve got some experience of this in the last two years, and would like to do more, with an eclectic mix of folks from different backgrounds, with different skills and interests.

Either by joining an existing eco-community, run along sustainable lines, or to set one up with other like-minded, free-spirited individuals, couples, or a group.

The location of interest to me right now is the coastal part of Baixo Alentejo and northern Algarve, between Vila Nova de Milfontes and Aljezur, but I’m open to other areas and ideas too, if the land and people ‘click’.

The main criteria for land are predictably enough: a continuously flowing stream or river (or some other year-round water source), perhaps some ruins for reconstruction, or the possibility of getting permission to build, sufficient space to grow stuff on and to expand into in the future, and a peaceful location far from the madding crowds. I’m keen to build using taipa, adobe, palha and/or other styles and techniques of construction, having seen the benefits for myself.

So, is anyone else out there interested too? Please get in touch with me if you know of anything that might fit the bill, or if, like me, you’re looking to do something similar.

Alan Walton
email: delta_free (AT) yahoo.co.uk
or you can find me on http://permaculturaportugal.ning.com/

I have been meaning to write a post for months and months now.  Many times I am inspired to update everyone with the newest infrastructure leap, other times I am just overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this place and want to share it with others.  The problem I run into is that so much is happening that it is impossible to keep up with and even harder to document.  There is the outer practical infrastructure leaps and there are the inner infrastructure leaps in consciousness that are occurring all the time.

Life here is a little like living in a whirlwind while simultaneously being in the eye of the storm and not moving. It is like being in complete quiet and at the same time being completely involved with the sounds and movement of nature and human activity that are all around. More and more my experience is of being completely in the world and simultaneously standing in something that transcends time and space.  There is nothing about our existence that is outside spirit and this is what I am so excited about!

So let me fill you in a bit about the happenings of here at the Awakened Life Project.  This may read a bit funny as I am going to just write about different events as they pop into my mind.  It will probably not be in any order of time or importance.  I had to say this because the first thing that popped into my mind is a major infrastructure leap for the quinta – we have a washing machine and a clothes line!  After 2 years living here and having to use a friends washing machine in the village, this is a very big life quality enhancing experience!  I laugh when I think of the delivery man coming with the washing machine and ALL of us coming to greet him and then ALL of us watching him unpack it and hook it up.  I don’t think he has ever had such a happy group of customers!

I have also started a new women’s group.  I had started another group about a year ago and this new group is the result of the evolution of the old group.  There is a group of us that meet once a month and the whole purpose is to become purer vehicles for consciousness.  We do this through inquiring into anything and everything that gets in the way of us being our True Selves. Facilitating this group has inspired me to start doing workshops and possibly a weekend retreat, both events focussing on the evolution of consciousness through a woman individually and for women collectively.  Stay tuned –there is much more to come on this subject!

Pete has been busy doing seminars in Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon entitled “Discover a New Consciousness”.  These events have been very successful and a momentum is building to go deeper into what it means to awaken to our True Selves in an evolutionary context that embraces the challenge of our times. He did a weekend retreat near Coimbra which was fully embraced by all those who attended, the next one will be held at a beautiful retreat centre near Lisbon.

Last weekend in Lisbon, Pete did a seminar and afterwards a woman said to us, “this is going to snowball, you know”. It was one of those moments that something is said and one knows that the truth has just been spoken and its coming from somewhere beyond the individual that said it.  The Awakened Life Project is expanding beyond the confines of the actual quinta space, something is happening, there is no doubt about it, so again stay tuned…

The yurt is now available for rentals and retreats.  We are just getting this together and it’s exciting as more and more people will be able to come and experience the vortex of stillness of being and unleashed creativity.  If you are interested in renting the yurt or coming here for a personal retreat just click and you will be on your way!

The permaculture garden is exploding with life. The gota gota (drip irrigation) system that Mim spearheaded and the garden that Pete, Laura and Mim have planted and nurtured is taking on a life of its own.  Everyday there is something new to see, a new courgette or five, more berries, more flowers, pumpkins expanding, corn reaching to the sky, peas, beans and on and on…

Lizzie is now Laura and Billy is now Adam.  Names have changed as people have out grown out of their old names and have been inspired to have new names that suit their current sense of who they are. This has been an interesting and evolutionary event for not only the people involved but for all of us who have witnessed it.

We now have 5 chickens and a new kitten.  Lola is the kitten and the chickens names are Glenda, Bianca, Bella, Dorothy and Ursula. The naming was a careful communal process! I am not quite sure who is who but I know them all by sight and personality.  The chickens chase the dogs, the donkeys chase the chickens, the cats don’t really care about the chickens but all in all everyone is harmonious. They are all such sweet creatures and add so much to the quinta.  AND this is hot off the presses!  One of the chickens laid her first egg today!

Ria Panen Godesberg was here for 10 days in May and gave 2 seminars here at the quinta as well as a free talk.  There were lots of activities for the residents here and it was quite an evolutionary time.  Ria will be coming back in Sept and will be doing seminars here, Porto and Coimbra.  The details are not set so again, so again stay tuned!

A new shower is being built down by the yurt.  This started out as a simple outside shower and then has evolved into a rustic, elegant structure that in my humble opinion will be a pleasure to use!  It will be solar heated water in the summer and wood heated water in the winter, lots of windows with the back wall being the existing terrace slate wall. Adam is spearheading the project (and doing most of the work with the occasional helper) and it should be done in a week or so. This shower has been in the works for about 6 months and has been planned in 3 different locations.  Every time we made a plan it wasn’t quite right, most of the time it was the location that was being considered.  Well now it is in the perfect place and the design and structure are just as they should be. Tiling is happening tomorrow, next the walls and then the roof.  Plumbing is in, the floor is down, soon the water will be running and showers will be occurring!

Nuno checked that all the carpentry is up to standard!

I am now offering sessions in Etheric Osteopathy.  I have been studying with Ria Panen Godesberg and when she was here I got the go ahead to start offering private sessions.  If you are interested you can read more about it soon when I write a post about it and if you want to book a session just drop me an email or give me a call! (967 098 280).

Laura has decided to stay long term so now we are 5.  Laura joins Adam and Mim as co-creators of this project with us.  They are volunteers but they are much more than that as they take our vision seriously and they have all changed dramatically.  They support this project in not only physical and creative ways but also in their interest in evolving consciousness, which means taking full responsibility for ones own life with the intention of transcending all limitations. This is no small thing and we are grateful that 3 such dedicated and sincere people have found their way here.

What more…Adam has built a beautiful stone patio outside our house. Glen made our new terrace above it and Adam built a picnic table out of the original chestnut front door. The garden outside the house has gone from a pile of rocks with a little dirt to beautiful flowers, trees and sky high sunflowers.  Infrastructure leaps include cat flaps on 2 doors.  Pete and I laugh as it sounds like the mail is in every time a cat comes through the door.

There is always so much to do, buildings to renovate, tracks and decks to repair, more trees to irrigate, fences and gates to keep the donkeys and chickens under control, more volunteers to feed, and many, many more things.  All of it takes money.  My work on the computer is the main financial source to keep it all running and there are occasional other income sources that help out.  What recently has happened is that Mim, Adam and Laura have all naturally and spontaneously offered to help financially in whatever way they can.  Mim and Adam are both trained massage therapists and are now offering massage here at the quinta.  If you are interested please call me at 967 098 280 and I can book you an appointment!  Laura has ideas for importing herbal teas harvested on the quinta to the UK, so we will see where that goes.  Lots of ideas rising out of the stillness, all supporting the evolution of consciousness as it manifests through this Project.

Recently we had our first two Portuguese volunteers.  As well as their light and happy energy Hugo and Ines brought a lot to the project with their knowledge of plants, fermenting, soap making and much more.  Hugo made a wonderful raised bed that is so high that one doesn’t need to bend over to plant, weed or harvest!  This bed is called the “no back pain” bed!

Both Ines and Hugo helped us all with improving our Portuguese.  Ines will be coming back in September and possibly giving a workshop on fermenting.  We will be posting the details as they become clear.  They also embraced the vision of the project through the interest in their own freedom in the bigger evolutionary picture. We look forward to working with them more as they are enthusiastic about bringing what we have to offer to more people in Portugal.

Ines repainted our sign to make it more friendly!

We get many more people wanting to come and spend time here than we can accommodate at this time.  It’s heart-warming to see how many people resonate with our vision.  It’s quite something to see this project evolve naturally as it is moulded into a vehicle for this transformation.

I think I could go on and on but I think you get the idea, there is a lot going on here at the Awakened Life Project.  As I mentioned at the beginning I am very excited as my own human life and spirit become one.  Evolving consciousness is rising out of stillness and will always be a mystery and yet it is also very practical and clear.  This Project is about bringing heaven to earth.

If you are interested in supporting what we are doing and would like to make a donation please click here. Any donations, however small are gratefully accepted. A little money can go a long way here and we really need more funds to continue developing the place. There are many ways to be involved, click on any of the following that may interest you:

Volunteer opportunities

Retreats

Yurt Rentals

Contact Pete or Cynthia about doing a seminar in your area

Book an Etheric Osteopathy session with Cynthia

Book a massage with Mim or Adam

Or

Leave a comment…

It was my initial intention to concentrate on our energy generation and building renovation this year, but the temptation to get started on growing our own food was irresistible and we dug over part of a couple of terraces in the Spring to create some temporary beds and plant a few vegetables.

The long-term plan is to create vegetable beds in a no-dig, minimal-rotation system of cultivation based on well mixed companion planting amongst the (eventual) forest garden, but the thick mat of nettle and bramble roots, mint and dock meant that initially the ground needed to be dug over to remove these very persistent plants and give the vegetables a chance. (The soil we’ve dug so far is good and deep, but needs a lot more organic matter and life in it. Very few worms.) We also opted for the conventional rows of vegetables, mainly for speed and convenience at this early stage. At least it would give us the chance to observe what works and what doesn’t.

Yurt vegetable beds

We planted an initial selection of vegetables outside the yurt before we went back to Scotland in April, but came back to find it had rained a lot while we were away and many of the vegetable seedlings had been squeezed out by the far more vigorous wild flora. Although some of that was edible (nettles, chickweed, fat hen), there were plentiful enough supplies elsewhere on the quinta, so, excepting the onions, radishes, rocket, rainbow chard, perpetual spinach and a handful of Lollo rosso lettuces which survived enough to be rescued, we started again.

Given the much later stage in the season, we opted to buy a lot of seedlings at market, rather than raise our own, but did re-sow carrots, beetroot and various leaf vegetables. The New Zealand spinach has consistently failed to germinate, ditto parsley and coriander, and we had little success with a sowing of lettuce since it was already too hot for lettuce seed germination (more than 18°C), so planted seedlings in a shadier location instead. Here the shade has favoured the slugs and the lettuce has grown much more slowly with less sun … hey ho!

We have experimented with seeding some of the vegetable beds with a ground cover of white clover to provide additional nitrogen, suppress weeds and retain moisture, and surrounding them with onions to deter pests.

Vegetable beds with white clover ground cover and onion borders

The clover seems to have worked well so far, though the ‘weeds’ still make it through. The onions have suffered from acting as the bed ‘borders’: rolling cats, galloping dogs, the odd accident with the hosepipe and the resident mole (which apparently enjoys chewing off the roots and popping them out of the ground) have taken a heavy toll, so we won’t be bordering with them again. The garlic was far too delicate for its location at the edge of a path, so ditto with that.

We now have lots of green beans, but it’s been noticeable the extent to which the beans at the bottom of the slightly sloping bed have done better than the ones at the top, purely as a result of the additional water they get being at the bottom of the slope. The bottom ‘wigwam’ has no blackfly either, while the top two do. This is despite a ‘swale’ at the top of the slope in the form of a drainage channel dug along the base of the terrace wall which, although not containing a lot of water, is never dry. We’ve levelled and banked the soil around the ‘wigwam’s to contain more surface run-off from the daily watering, and will see if this brings on the top beans to a greater extent.

Green bean ‘wigwam’s

Clearing a large quantity of well-rotted manure from the animal house provided an extra boost for the terrace below the building, and we planted courgettes, butternut squash, asparagus, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in this area. The plants here have really thrived, especially in comparison to the yurt area beds, and we’re already harvesting lots of courgettes. We also have about half a dozen cabbages and a couple of squashes on this terrace which appeared all by themselves. No idea yet what the squashes will turn out to be, but it will be fun finding out.

Courgettes and butternut squash

Tomatoes, asparagus, peppers and a stray cabbage

So lots of lessons so far and no doubt many more to come. I’m glad I put the effort in to do this this year, even though the daily maintenance (watering and weeding) is not inconsiderable. It’s a world away from growing vegetables in Scotland, where the problems are mostly the opposite to what they are here: too much water and not enough sun.