Hot compost maniacs

Hot composting is our preferred method of getting a good, nutrition rich compost for our garden.
Its fast, easy, and you can compost pretty much any organic material in it even smaller twigs and branches.
We just cant get enough!

So after we had some spring cleaning of the herb garden me and "Rebella" made a new even better hot compost than the last on.
This one was made lasagna style with kitchen waste, half ready cold compost, goat manure and straw.
Throw in some humus between the layers for effective microorganism and finish with an urination ceremony to wet and kick start it and we are on track!

Before...

After :)

Compost maniacs!

Permaculture design on la Gomera

Just got home from an amazing Permaculture Design Certificate course on la Gomera, canaries islands. A really interesting and educating course with some amazing people set in a magical subtropical paradise!

Tought by Helder Valente with the New School permaculture this gives you a deep dive into the world of permaculture.

But whats "permaculture"?

"Permaculture is a branch of ecological design and engineering that develops sustainable human settlements and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems." said someone but this doesnt really give total justice to the full understanding of "whats it all about".

he core ethics of permaculture are:

Take Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. This is the first ethic, because without a healthy earth, humans cannot flourish.

Take Care of the People: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their existence.

Share the Surplus: Healthy natural systems use outputs from each element to nourish others. We humans can do the same. By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to further the above ethics.

This together with some basic principles you get a picture of the basic concept.

Not wanting to go into to much detail in this very large subject called permaculture, I recommend anyone who is interested in learning more to participate in one of the many PDC courses offered around the world or why not volunteer on a permaculture project? Or just applying and trying in your own way, in your garden, your social life or elsewhere where the ethics and principles might be applied.

Here are as follows some pictures from the recent course. ENJOY!

Permaculture Ethics and principles.

Design in progress

Drawing contour lines at the playa using an A-frame

Making a hot compost pile

Breaking into the dry toilet

Using the sand as a educational tool the beach is a creative and fun place for a classroom

Designing a foodforest

Making Biochar using recycled materials

Cooking on the rocket stove!!!

FoodForest designs!

Finding order among chaos in the patterns of nature

Coffee infused composed

Yesterday we had some coffee while making our designs for the future. The coffee was kicking in and in a poof the drawings were done. Restlessness was building up as expected and boredom soon followed as I realized I had nothing more to draw or do, or so I thought.

Inspired by the lack of good compost available I made a hot compost pile, lasagna style with kitchen waste,  straw, goat manure and mix of other random organic material lying around.
Water it cover it and let it sit for 3 days before turning it. About 1 cubic meter big.
The goal is to turn this into ready to use compost in 21 days. We shall see...

Compost pile is ready. So am I!

how to transport a wheelbarrow