An eco-alternative, a permaculture farm
Dio Pigadia is an eco-project established as a non-profit organization (“AMKE”) in 2018 with the primary objective of implementing and exploring an alternative and sustainable ecological model. Addressing solutions to the environmental crisis is imperative to prepare for the challenges of the future. Permaculture is more than an agricultural technique; it is a philosophy rooted in local production/consumption, aiming to envision a new sustainable paradigm.
The task at hand is immense: we must reevaluate our methods of food, energy, and material production/consumption. We must reconsider our way of living together to shape a sustainable society. Dio Pigadia strives to establish a community environment that allows meaningful coexistence among individuals. It is much more than just a farm, it aims at proposing a truly holistic ecological alternative.
The initiative commences by revitalizing the soil, recognizing it as the fundamental component of the ecosystem.
A different way to consider the soil
Soil is not only this thing you walk on. It is the base of the ecosystem. 95% of land’s biodiversity is in the soil (mostly in the form of plants, bacteria, mushrooms, insects…). All life forms feed directly or indirectly on it. Us humans included.
Conventional agriculture has considered soil as a substrate. By working the soil and adding the elements necessary for growing crops (fertilizers, pesticides…), humans have managed to produce food but at the same time, they have destroyed the resources they rely on in the long term, underestimating its complexity. Fertility is dropping everywhere to the point that conventional agriculture is today failing to produce, even with massive inputs.
Bringing back life in the soil – the base of the ecosystem – is the key.
We do that by using organic matter as mulch to cover the ground. This ground cover reproduces a forest´s soil, regulates humidity and provides food and shelter for the micro life, bacteria, mushrooms… The living activity in the soil is a complex resilient system where fertility is created, nutrients exchanged, sun energy harvested and water stored. The mecanical tilling of the soil will destroy this complex habitat.
Rich soil provides biodiversity. It prevents invasive pests by providing their natural predators just like it happens in nature. Biodiversity brings balance.
Most of the invasive pests that traditional agriculture fights with pesticides are just a consequence of an unbalanced ecosystem where monoculture prohibits biodiversity. Conventional agriculture considers biodiversity as a problem, we believe it is the solution. We work with biodiversity, not against it. We create and protect micro habitats where it can thrive (ponds, rock piles, old wood piles). All our system is made to welcome life, not exterminate it.
We are part of a fertility circle. Biodiversity is not just something to protect, it is what keeps us alive.
A different way to consider food
Humans now seem quite disconnected from what makes us live and be part of the natural cycle: food.
Food production/consumption is today the major cause of ecological problems/health issues.
It is today vital to create a sustainable farming model respectful of the environment.
Bringing back biodiversity and fertility in the soil ensures a rich and complex substrate where plants can find what they need to be healthier and stronger.
When we in turn eat the products of these plants we not only enjoy the delicious taste but also become healthier and stronger by providing our body with qualitative food.
Recent studies have shown how the biodiversity of our intestinal flora has weakened drastically in the last 50 years. This is related to the poor quality of our food as well as the consumption of antibiotics, preservatives, or pesticides. This low intestinal flora explains many health problems since our body is not able to break down essential vital elements from food. Digesting healthy plants is the way to have a better intestinal flora.
It also relates to our mental health since there is no healthy mind without a healthy body.
Food is not only a source of good health, it is also quite pleasurable! We consider food production and food processing as two sides of the same coin. The diversity of cultures that meet in Dio Pigadia is reflected in a variety of recipes inspired by local products and the variety of our production. Come rediscover food here, it is world´s cuisine at its best!
We are also encouraging the revival of traditional food preservation such as drying, canning, and salting. We produce a variety of transformed food, from our world-famous homemade olive paste and spicy ketchup to marmalades, dried fruits, pickles… The list is long and evolves over the seasons!
A different way to manage energy and resources
Since the creation of the farm in 2018, all facilities have been self-built by using mostly upcycled materials.
The first step was to establish a fully equipped workshop (80 m2 building available on site), enabling the construction of the necessary infrastructures. We try to make and repair everything ourselves, mostly with upcycled materials so we don’t have to import and buy expensive things. We always favor local materials.
We observed that the workshop encouraged creative approaches and design innovations from outside helpers. Learning how to use tools, how to design, and how to build with available materials is an essential part of the project. We need to know how to use our hands to repair and build things.
Solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and gravity systems have been installed on the site. The facilities themselves are intended to be part of a resilient and ecological approach.
For example, a plant nursery that is built out of recycled windows is combined with a shower, as these two functions are mutually beneficial (humidity, warmth, and water control).
Dry toilets contribute to soil fertilization. This is far from anecdotal. The fact that people flush their excrements in water that has been treated with chlorine to make it potable says a lot. Disconnected from the cycle of nature we transform fertility into pollution. And we then have to produce Urea, a chemical fertilizer that is basically chemical urine to fertilize our crops. We disregard our excrement as much as we do our food.
Natural building techniques are used for construction such as a wood oven or the greenhouse. Cob (a mix of hay, sand, and clay) is a natural material available on-site. We use it extensively and enjoy working with a magic material that is fun, easy and healthy to work with!
Building with cob makes for great moments of fun work where everybody participates, older and younger, bringing people together!
A different way to live and learn together
The project is evolving on a more social level with the participation of so many volunteers. There are on average 15 people living on the farm. They get to know and understand each other by sharing so much. We are open-minded and don´t discriminate. It is a place of exchange.
Organizing the living and working together has become a fun and exciting challenge. Community living involves an exchange of knowledge, practices, and general life experiences. This sharing is now at the heart of our purpose.
As this is a pioneer project, leading the way, the role of education is central. We see it above all as a process of learning together, encouraging everyone to find their place, according to their interests and skills. We try to give great autonomy to the volunteers participating so that they are fully involved in the project and can take responsibility. The aim is that people feel at home here.
People often come with a need to find meaning, some have felt loneliness and are burnt out or just disillusioned by the standard urban lifestyle and consumerist/productivist values. They need a place to share, a place for bonding, for dreaming. A place to act and feel useful.
They come here tired and leave full of good energy, thankful for the experience. This might be the main function of a project like this, to heal and give hope.
It is hard to grasp the magic happening here. Come check it out for yourself: it has become a place of hope for the future where people get inspired and believe in an alternative for the future.
We aim to rebuild the soil in an ecological approach but also the human substrate, the bonding between people. The biodiversity of the soil reflects in the diversity and open-mindedness of the people supporting this project.
Let’s get together, work together, dream together!
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