Hi, we are so glad to see you here!
You clicked on this page - we are impressed and a little surprised! The best way to get to know us, though, is to get in touch!
Grow With Us
What's with the name?
From Wiktionary: alō (present infinitive alere, perfect active aluī, supine altum or alitum); third conjugation
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- I foster, I nourish
- I raise (as a child, an animal, etc.)
- I feed, I maintain, I develop
Alo Land Strategy Summary
Alo Land is a regenerative initiative by us - Petru and Inês. We are former tech professionals who moved to Portugal with our two children. We currently manage a 1-hectare plot with a food forest and own an additional 2.5-hectare undeveloped plot nearby.
Vision and Goals
- Land restoration using regenerative practices
- Supporting holistic well-being (physical, emotional, spiritual)
- Cultivating eight forms of capital (financial, material, living, social, intellectual, experiential, spiritual, cultural)
- Building community resilience
Current Challenges
- Overwhelming workload maintaining the food forest
- Potential for more social connections, particularly for the adults
- Gaps in food production despite potential
- Restrictions on travel due to land care responsibilities
Strategic Approach
The family has shifted to an incremental growth strategy that focuses on:
- Leveraging existing resources and activities
- Attracting people to the land (as participants or volunteers)
- Creating a volunteer pipeline
- Thoughtful development of their 2.5-hectare plot
From our visual diary...
Lasagna-ing the area around the established fruit trees in zone 1.
Lasagna-ing the area around the established fruit trees in zone 1.Cardboard, manure, and shredded pine mulch to kill the weeds, fertilize, and keep it moist.
Placing fence posts for a new #windbreak to protect the playground shade tree line and the berry patch.
Placing fence posts for a new to protect the playground shade tree line and the berry patch.The soil here was a dry, compact mixture of clay and sand. Besides shovel and drill, we had to run water into the holes to be able to dig deep enough. Once the holes were about...
The butterfly bush (buddleia) is thriving! And so is the blackberry.
The butterfly bush (buddleia) is thriving! And so is the blackberry.We transplanted the buddleias last Autumn, and they really suffered with the transition. But now they are really starting to grow, and flower.The butterfly bush is super resiliant, being tolerant of...
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