Phoebe Swartz, University of Vermont
Our 2-day trip to Alma Verde and getting to learn about the permaculture practices that take place here was truly an amazing experience. We pulled into Alma Verde around dinner time, and the first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the van was the amazing view of the mountains over the water. We then walked up a small road to see a whole complex of small buildings, gardens and greenhouses. As we entered the main structure we were greeted by Christopher and his adorable dog Truco who have run Alma Verde for the last 8 years.
View of the Andes from Alma Verde
Inside there was so much beautiful artwork hung up and painted on the walls. The center of the room had a table with up cycled chairs and comfy couches along with a fireplace lined the walls. A few minutes later we were served the best meal that I’ve had so far on the trip. We ate rice with a stew of corn and beans, salad and a homemade raspberry Kombucha. I was excited to learn that all the produce had been grown right here on their land. It was safe to say that everyone’s bowls were empty.
Wall inside the main building of Alma Verde
In my first night here, I learned that Alma Verde is a place dedicated to being beautiful, environmentally sustainable and efficient. Outside they had a system for separating waste into plastic, paper and metal. For single use plastic, we were able to wash and dry scraps to turn them into eco bricks for building future infrastructure on the property. The bathrooms had composting toilets that created valuable compost for the garden. Even the showers we used had local natural soap so that the water can return to the earth without contamination.
After we set up our tents for the first time, we all decided to take a little walk to the water for sunset. The view of the sun going down over the snow capped peaks was truly magical. In this time, we walked along the beach looking at birds like the Southern Lapwing and studying the rocks we found. As it got darker, we all walked back to Alma Verde and retreated to our tents for a good night sleep.
Our cohort walking to the beach
The next morning, we had class with Chris about the origins of Alma Verde and permaculture. Chris told us that he originally went to school for business but then decided he did not want to live a capitalistic life. With this idea he took this 14-acre property and turned it into Alma Verde as a place for self-sustainability and living with the land. This place is dedicated to the practice of permaculture which Chris describes as both a way of life and philosophy. I learned that Permaculture is an idea that came about in the 70s that investigated how we can live on the land in a permanent way that will sustain future generations. The 3 ethical principles of permaculture are to take care of nature, take care of people, and share the resources.
Chris also talked about the 12 design principles of permaculture using a lovely hand painted chart. 1) observe and interact with nature before making changes to land. 2) Capture and store energy. An example of this is using energy from food scraps to create compost that plants use for energy. 3) Always obtain a yield, meaning always ensure your actions create something of value. 4) Apply self-regulation and feedback which can look like making wise decisions when it comes to resource use. 5) Use and value services and renewable resources. See the value in what’s already around you like the sun, bodies of water or local building material like trees and soil. 6) Do not produce waste or at least try to minimize it. To do this you can recycle, compost, repurpose and buy second hand. 7) Follow the patterns of nature and then focus on the details. 8) Integrate aspects of nature rather than segregate them. Letting components of nature work together to accomplish a goal is powerful. 9) Use small and slow solutions. It’s better to take time rather than spending a significant amount of money or using machines that could have harmful impacts on the environment. 10) Use and value diversity of both nature and ideas. 11) Use edges and value the marginal. This means look at the edges of nature like coastlines where most cities are built due to the abundance of resources. To value the marginal, we must look at what society may have overlooked. 12) Use creativity to both respond to and create change. For example, what was once just a campground at Alma Verde, became a garden and greenhouse which then turned into a school about permaculture.
Chris teaching us about the 12 design principals of permaculture
After our lesson, Chris gave us a tour of the whole property to see all the projects going on. First up was the gazebo. The gazebo was built with the help of students and volunteers, and it used native trees from the property. All the beams were constructed in a spiraling pattern where they help each other up. Chris said “ The beams support each other like people do. If one falls, they all fall”. They are also implementing a green roof on top that will consist of native plants and only use local soils and clays. Next, we went to the garden and greenhouse. The garden was completely self-sustainable and there were even 2 ducks waddling around eating all the slugs. The garden is also organic meaning that no harmful chemicals are used and there is no tilling of the soil. Instead, they lay out tarps to cover and prep the soil for planting. Inside the greenhouse an aspect I really liked was that they left natural feature like boulders in the ground. Not only was this maintaining the landscape, but they also provide extra heating for the plants when sun hits them. Chris also ensures that they plant strategically so they have food year-round. After that, we got to see the process that food and human waste go through to become nutritious and valuable compost for the plants. Everything really has its purpose here.
Something I took away from this experience is that you don’t need a huge property or a large amount of money to live a suitable lifestyle that benefits yourself and the nature around you. This is what permaculture is all about. I can’t wait to try and implement aspects of what I learned here in my life back at home.
Truco, the Alma Verde pup