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Stepping Stones
It’s been an exciting week at our permaculture homestead here in Portugal! We’ve accomplished several achievements that have made a real difference on the farm.First up, we built another bird coop! We’ve been wanting to keep some additional birds and have more room…
A photo is easier than a thousand words
Writing a long form post takes time, so many things just don’t get written about here. Taking a photo is easy, but posting it here was not. To reconcile this, we started posting as @alo.on.the.land on Instagram since their app makes it very easy.As of today, the final…
Making Pistachio Butter
Making pistachio butter is easy, once you have a pistachio supplier. It will be tastier, healthier and probably cheaper than the store bought. More importantly, you can adjust it to your preference in terms of texture, and flavour. Soak the pistachio overnight, by…
Field GIS for permaculture
As the map from the GIS project started to take shape, we wanted to take it outside with us. Many things only get noticed when standing in the garden and looking around. Because we were in a hurry, we started with printing paper maps: lines of trees and their relative…
Giving out a hippie vibe
It seemed inconsequential the first time: a local acquaintance confirming, somewhat surprised, that we eat meat. Perhaps there had been a misunderstanding? It keeps happening, though: many friends, acquaintances, and family somehow seem to assume that we don’t…
Nitrogen fixing plants for central Portugal
Here is a list of the nitrogen fixing plants we have in our garden. They are present in order, according to the following: short herbs, climbers, bushes, trees. Trevo branco anão, Dwarf White Clover, Trifolium repensThis perennial doesn’t grow beyond 10 cm tall, but…
A visual diary…
Um cubo pode nascer da terra, resolver-se com as mãos, ou crescer devagar num copo de água.
Um cubo pode nascer da terra, resolver-se com as mãos, ou crescer devagar num copo de água.Esta semana exploramos o cubo em três formas bem diferentes: a que a natureza esculpe sozinha (pirite), a que a Montessori usa para ensinar matemática, e a que um cristal de sal…
A cube can come out of the earth, get solved with your hands, or grow slowly in a glass of water.
A cube can come out of the earth, get solved with your hands, or grow slowly in a glass of water.This week we’re exploring the cube in three very different forms: the one nature carves on its own (pyrite), the one Montessori uses to teach math, and the one a salt…
A map of the world. A map of the continent. A map of the country. And then, a map of the garden.
A map of the world. A map of the continent. A map of the country. And then, a map of the garden.In the Montessori geography materials, the child travels this whole path, from the entire world down to the smallest and most personal place: the quinta where they play…
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