You might have heard that the weather has been kinda crazy in Portugal this winter…
And wow they were not joking!
We have been in survival mode for sure the last several weeks, with nonstop pummeling rain, sideways winds at 100kmph and nighttime temperature far below what anyone in this area has experienced in recent memory.
I have received a lot of emails from folks checking in to see how we have fared here on the little farmstead quinta permaculture project, so I thought it would be nice to send out an update.
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
The good:
- We haven’t had any big trees fall over (yet!)
- Our local water supply is fully replenished (and then some!)
- Power is on, roads are open, and we have enough firewood to get us through.
The bad:
- We did lose a few baby trees to the extreme cold. I covered most of them, but I should have covered all of them, so really it was “designer error” here. But it’s still sad!
- The 100-year-old farmhouse has some water-intrusion issues, even in areas that I already spent a lot of time and money repairing, so that’s been frustrating. I think that, if it hadn’t rained nonstop for months, it probably would have been ok, but as it is we are constantly mopping up big puddles from many places inside the house where water really should not be coming in, and we will have to raise up some money to do repairs (and probably more mold remediation) once the storms finally stop.
>I guess this is a good time to insert a humble plea for support? If you have enjoyed my work and have a bit of cash to spare, please consider making a donation or enrolling in the paid permaculture course. Thank you!
The beautiful:
- The permaculture-style techniques we used to design the landscape here seem to be paying off in terms of preventing erosion and keeping the plants mostly protected.
- When I selected this location, it was because I could see that the microclimate and orientation was such that, even in a major weather event, we would probably be ok. So far, so good! #grateful
I’ve included some photos and a few more comments below.
Mr. Banana isn’t doing so well.
The bananas are hit-or-miss in this area, but previously this one was looking absolutely gorgeous and and it seemed like we might even get some fruit! However, after getting battered by the wind and cold, I think we will probably have to cut these stalks down to the ground and hope the next round has better weather.
The antique shutters on our windows got smashed to bits.
And the old windows they were protecting haven’t held on that well, either. Water comes in all around the edges and we will definitely need to put in new windows all around, which is a major expense I was hoping to avoid. Ugh!
Poor Mr. Tamarillo gave up the ghost.
I covered all of the baby avocados, cherimoyas, guavas, etc, but the guy at the nursery told me the tamarillo (tree tomato) tree was hardy in this climate. Alas, I think he didn’t know that we would have one of the worst winters this area has seen in a century!
The passionfruit vines are mostly dead.
The wire arch here was almost covered in beautiful passionfruit vines that had been growing for over a year and were finally starting to fruit, but the cold weather slammed them back, hard. I think 2 of the 6 plants are still alive, but we’re pretty much starting from scratch on that one.
On the plus side, the fava beans we put in as a cover crop are doing ok, and the avocado trees under those covers you see in the back are actually looking much better than I though they would be.
I am so glad I didn’t put up a bigger greenhouse.
I debated extensively with myself whether to put up a proper greenhouse so that I could overwinter stuff like yacon and sweet potatoes, and get an early start on the summer crops. However, I am very glad I did not do that because most of the neighbors’ greenhouses were completely destroyed in the last few weeks! What you see here is my very simple system–just a clear tarp strapped over some metal shelves, and I have yacon crowns and a few other things in pots. The whole contraption is up against a west-facing wall under the stairs, and so far everything here has stayed nice and safe. Again, I am so grateful for my permaculture knowledge here! It has reallllly helped.
Lacinato Kale for the win, again!
This plant grows EVERYWHERE! It’s one of my favorite things to grow, in any climate. It just goes and goes and goes, whether in extreme cold, extreme heat, rain, drought…just wow. These plants are about 4 feet tall, 18 months old, and show no signs of slowing down at all.
Spring is coming soon!
I went wild with bulb-planting a few months ago and they are popping up evvvverywhere! It’s such a nice lift to the spirits in the midst of all this dreary weather. Highly recommended.
We’re not entirely out of the woods, as it seems there are still some more storms coming next week, but so far we’re doing ok. I really appreciate everyone who has been checking in!
FAQs about the Permaculture Courses
I’ve had some recent inquiries about the programs, so I will answer questions below:
Are you still teaching permaculture online?
Yes! The courses are all still open. Most are free/donation-based. You can find the whole enchilada by clicking here.
Is the Permaculture Certification program still open?
Yep! We have lots of students and you can enroll anytime. In fact, I have recently added monthly payment plans and eliminated the time limit on the program, to make it more accessible. Pay as you go, study for as long as you need, and get as much support from me as it takes to get you certified as a permaculture designer!
Click here to get more info and enroll.
Will you be launching any new courses this year?
Yes! I am currently working on a special course focused entirely on how to grow food at home. This will be geared toward people who might not have the space, time, or money to go “full permaculture”, but who still want to grow as much food as possible, whether in an apartment, or a small yard, or a community garden, or all of the above. Watch this space, I will send announcements when it’s ready to go!
Will you be hosting in-person classes in Portugal?
I am open to it but still working out the infrstructure here. As of now, we have room for one guest at a time, in a beautiful room with private bathroom and its own entrance. I think it would be a perfect spot for a writing retreat or similar. Let me know if you want to come.
And finally, since I got so many joyful responses to the cutie-in-a-sweater pic that was in my last missive, here’s a photo of Lola in her poncho. Notice the blurry wagging tail!
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