Salkeela Bee

Anyone know anything about this Permaculture course in Cantabria please?

It's called "FIGHTING FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING"

And aimed at young people. All funded apparently with just a contribution being made to flights.

My daughter is interested, but we can't find much more info. There are some typos (not corrected) on this... eg dates are actually 17th-31st July.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1X1yR19ypZ1uDXbXHwiZXp_B1HtzEiK8cTyKBNHAAxZE/viewform

I would be very interested to know if any of you have any knowledge of this course or the environment in which it is being run.

Many thanks.

Sally

Off The Grid wrote:
There's a video in there too, and that's from Groasis. They have a bunch of videos and a great website full of information. http://groasis.com/page/uk/index.php

This is very interesting - thanks for putting the info up for all to see.

A small bit of plastic, re-used a dozen or so times to start trees in an inhospitable environment.... probably no worse than using diggers for berms and swales.

Here in Ireland water tends not to be such a problem, but I can see how this Groasis could be a really useful bit of kit in hotter harsher climates.  It seems it can be used for seed planting or for small transplants.  Anything that encourages the re-greening of desertified areas should be encouraged.....

Quick update on my apple pip trees.

They have finally all got put in the ground.  The strongest looking ones went closer to the house in a double row to make a sort of apple arch walk way.  The remainder where then planted in a closer-spaced double row as a boundary to an new area of hard-standing close to a reclaimed barn we are about to reassemble!

The dwarf root stock plants look strong and this week end I plan to bud graft onto them.  (I know the book says August, but things were hectic then.... )

I guess it'll be a few years before I can report on the taste of any of the fruit!   

We were given a barn for dismantling recently..... and while there I discovered that  that some lovely climbing garden plants had been pulled down during their house renovations.

So while hubby took down the barn I rummaged through rubble for bits of living root or rootable side shoots.  I think much of what I took will take. (Clematis and something else...) 

I took my teeshirt off from under my sweater and soaked it to wrap round my pickings til I got them home.  They are now in soil in a nursery area.....

If they take I can give some back to the owner as well.....

What NATURE wants from plants is not necessarily the same as what PEOPLE want from the same plants.

Leave a species that humans have selected over many centuries to produce a desirable crop to it's own breeding devices and the plants that don't waste energy producing the desired human product may well out compete the rest.

So left to nature your peas and beans may get smaller because perhaps nature favours a slightly smaller size than you want. 

I wonder where Jasmin has gone? 

I sometimes wonder about the "observe for a year" thing..... certainly I wouldn't landscape a whole area without some long-term local knowledge, but I think "strike while the iron is hot" is also an important phrase.  There is much that can be done as an early project that may or may not stay in the final plan.  But doing something brings the individual to the area frequently, so observation is happening as a by product of the other projuct not just as an end itself.

In the horsey world there is a good phrase "The eye of the master maketh the horse"... and this is also relevant to permaculture.  Be there and do stuff with your horse/garden often and you cannot fail to observe something.  Actively think about what you are doing and make multiple small decisions towards a desired end.... and you will get there.

Don't do nothing but watch for a year, because you will not be up there often enough, or trying enough things to have the time to make appropriate observations.

So I'd bung a few raised beds in.  Plant a few fruit bushes (that can be either moved or cuttings taken in later years) and make sure you have enough reason to go to the area often.....

William wrote:
Sorry, my idea was that if you have some ponds plus some swales that are directing water to them, the ponds themselves would be constantly fed. No swales, no water moving toward the ponds.

  Okay... indeed much more sensible!

A slope can be detected with and A frame structure.  Tie a pendulum weight to the apex of the A.  Hold the A upright on a known level surface and mark where the string crosses the cross bar of the A.  Then when you move this around you can see when there is a slope due to where the string to the pendulum ends up.  The larger the A structure (easiest made from light pieces of timber) the greater the reach of the thing and so the better a judgement can be made. 

Edit.... 2 poles an a rope in your link seems to be the same idea.

On the topic of the swales.  Why would the swales be constantly fed water when the pond goes dry?  I agree they can create a catchment system on a slope, but if the land is flat, and the climate dry, then there may be little run off to catch?

Hi Jasmin,

Welcome  - and I'm sure you'll get loads of advice on here.

Looks like you've got quite a project on your hands!  Personally I would advise you to look for some work in the world at large in order to help you both pay for projects on the land and to give you something to live on.

I'm almost 50.  We've lived on our land for over 20 years through various financial situations.  I've found that:  when you have time you don't have money, and when you have money you don't have time.

Yet for getting things done, I have done best when also working beyond the land.  For the first ten years we were cash poor and so could do little on site.  Lately, now that I work out 4 days a week, we have had more cash flow and we've got lots more projects going.  I still save seed like mad, try to graft, and use every ruse I can to cut the costs..... but I CAN now buy in materials, equipment and plants to make the jobs happen.

Sounds like you have a nice site.  Here the thorns and dog wood also thrive.  I must try grafting onto the blackthorn - I've heard plums do well on them, but not yet tried it.

Clay is a good base I think as it is supposed to be mineral rich.  I imagine a few ponds might work.  We have clay and dug a pond here which filled itself from the water table.    Just it is at the bottom of our land.  Luckily Ireland is fairly wet most of the time. 

We also have some bees - but 100 hives!  WOW... you must have some fairly good sources of flowers locally. I can't imagine managing so many hives.


Anyway best wishes with your field...  you're bound to get loads of ideas on here.... and probably a few disagreeing with my advice on work.... 

Quick reply from a Helpx host...  ( www.helpx.net )

As a host I like the following in a Helper profile:

A full profile on the Helpx site as this shows some committment at the start
A photo - preferably looking at the camera and smiling
Details of your motivation and interests and where you might like to help (country, duration of stay, etc.)
Your special skills
Your past travel or work experiences
Something about you that makes me think you might be good company... a little about what you enjoy I guess

When a helper makes contact:

Try not to ask questions that are answered in the Host profile
Tell me why you liked the sound of my place (and not just because you think we live a wonderful life and you'd like to share it!)
Indicate some enthusiasm for the projects mentioned in the host profile
Give an indication of the ideal dates you'd like to stay and your degree of flexibility
Offer to send more info or to answer further questions if required.  (And poss offer references.)

However even the little I've read above suggests to me that you'd make a great helper.... Good luck and Happy Travelling!