Hey there! This is Matze and Julia, we are a couple from Germany, traveling together for learning carpentry (Matze) and Permaculture (Julia). We came to Heal the Soil CSA, because Julia assisted the Permaculture Design Course which took place on the project related Sapney Farm in January 2012. In this course an international group of permaculturists developed a design for the Sapney Farm and the Heal the Soil Project. This design included transforming the pretty conventional farm (no rainwater harvesting, septic tank toilets, electricity from the grid and maintenance intensive but nice natural buildings) towards more self-sufficiency, resource-efficiency and a working model. Matze got hooked on the possibilities on this farm and in the project. Julia really liked the place, somehow in a Tamil village, somehow connected to the world. So we decided to stay a bit longer and this “bit” became almost six months and we became Long Term Volunteers.
As long term volunteers we further developed the farm towards a sustainable model system by applying Permaculture ethics and principles. This included e.g. building and maintaining composting toilets, managing our grey water, increasing the food production area and growing yummy veggies, planting fruit trees, seed saving from our veggies, maintaining and improving existing structures, bringing even more beauty to this place and much more. We also further integrated Heal the Soil in the existing community of Kottakarai village, trying to find out our neighbors’ needs on the one hand and encouraging them to grow their own organic food around their houses on the other.
Sapney farm is evolving into a Permaculture model and an international community, which is an ever changing experience. During our stay we had an estimated 50 volunteers sharing this experience. As Long Term Volunteers we also coordinated our lovely short term volunteers, which meant try to help them to understand our system and encourage their potential to be and work self motivated together with us. We did not want to be the boss. We wanted genuine interest, passion and participation from our volunteers and that they feel as an integral part in this community. We welcomed amazing people with a heartwarming diversity of skills, interests, ideas and stories and it was often hard to say goodbye. With most of them we are still friends, so our global family grew fast while we hardly left the farm ;)
Your challenge and fun as our next Long Term Volunteer is to handle all this… and more ;) You get the unique chance to live in and co-create a living Permaculture model, get numerous social and practical skills, think and explore in systems and get to know yourself. All it requires is your love, patience, creativity, curiosity and ideas. So what are you waiting for? Be a part of Heal the Soil and enjoy the process! Join our Green Gang!
Feel free to contact us under matthiaspaulneu [at] gmx.de
and
j.leuterer [at] posteo.de
Or email
food.people.planet [at] gmail.com
to register!
and
j.leuterer [at] posteo.de
Or email
food.people.planet [at] gmail.com
to register!
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