Tag: Building

  • PDC August 2016 – Natural Building Day

    Our Permaculture Design Course participants making adobe blocks and beginning a cob bench on the Natural Building day of the August PDC.

  • Scout Camp 2016 – New Parking Space & Learning to Render

    We’ve enjoyed hosting a Belgian Scout Group for their annual camp. As one of their activities they’ve built a brilliant new parking area here, already in use as we now have a PDC group on site. Jeroen has also been teaching the Scouts how to render, and they’ve been practicing on one of the exterior more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 8th September 2014

    It’s been another week of harvesting and processing. I’ve been making the most of the summer sun to dry as much as I can, with particular emphasis on things that can add variety to the animals’ winter feed. Left to right, top to bottom. 1. We discovered that the dead stalks of the parsnips we more »

  • Showered with Good Fortune (part 3)

    We’ve won the 2013 WWOOF Host Grant, which we’re thrilled about. This is the story of the new shower block we’re funding with the grant.    Cue the drums and trumpets, I’ve an announcement to make! It’s now possible to take a warm shower at Casalinho. No more dunking yourself, shivering, in the river (unless more »

  • Volunteer / Training Space Update – Door

    Our intended training room has served multiple uses since we completed it; volunteer hang out space, kids party venue, bedroom, storage space, cinema and even a training room where we’ve hosted three Permaculture Design Courses. But all would probably agree that proper doors would help no end with keeping the temperature steady. Cue Pete, recent more »

  • Showered with Good Fortune (part 2)

    We’ve won the 2013 WWOOF Host Grant, which we’re thrilled about. This is the story of the new shower block we’re funding with the grant.  I recently posted pictures of the intended site of our new shower block, which demonstrated the huge amount of sheer hard work required  before building could begin. We’ve been blessed more »

  • In the Doghouse

    Blue needed a home. Pete needed a project. Blue reminded us that volunteering at Casalinho isn’t just about goats! Blue’s new house is based on an old pallet and uses leftover planks and greenwood for the structure. Coloured offcuts from other projects create the lovely shingles effect. Finally, it’s roofed with broom over some old more »

  • Showered with Good Fortune

    Each year, WWOOF Portugal award one host farm a small sum in the form of the WWOOF Host Grant. We proposed that we build a shower block for the use of wwoofers and other farm visitors, with the water supplied from the river using a RAM pump, heated using the power of the sun, and recycled more »

  • Straw Bale Building course

    We were recently asked why our new communal area / training room is built using conventional building techniques. If I’m honest it’s simply because it was quick and easy, the materials were easily available and will fit in with the existing house. But Jeroen is very excited to be soon attending a Straw Bale Building more »

  • Volunteer Space pictures

    I couldn’t load these last time I updated, but I know you’ll have waiting with baited breath. So here is the volunteer space today, complete with a shirtless Nelson. It doesn’t take much to separate him from it!