Photos from Permaculture Design Course Sept 2022

Photos from our September 2022 certified two-week Permaculture Design Course.

  • Week 1 had two theory classes per day and two practical classes per day.
  • On the weekend, students had the opportunity to visit another local farm for a work exchange.
  • On week two, students were split into design groups; each had to complete a permaculture design with implication steps. During the week were two theory classes per day to help them with their project.
  • We finished the week with group presentations and a pizza party

Join us for our future Permaculture Design Courses

more “Photos from Permaculture Design Course Sept 2022”

Permaculture Diploma Portugal

If you would like to start or continue your Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design with the Permaculture Association you may do this at Keela Yoga Farm. We have opportunities as Teaching apprenticeships, teaching assistants and design work experience at our Permaculture Farm with Tom Henfrey, the only official registered Diploma teacher in Portugal.

Permaculture Diploma Portugal
A class with Tom Henfrey at Keela Yoga Farms’s PDC in March 2022

Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design

Tom Henfrey is a Permaculture Diploma tutor based in Portugal. He co-teaches the Permaculture Design Courses at Keela Yoga Farm. Tom can assist you as your diploma teacher or help you with your continued learning and experience as a Teaching Apprentice in our Permaculture courses.
For more information on the Diploma check out the Permaculture Association Website

Tree Planting and Ally Cropping in our Silvopasture

This year we have had a bit of rain in September so we started our tree planting early. On top of that we further planted into the layers of our silvopasture plantation.

Thank you to our Permaculture interns for buying trees and planting them. We planted cherries, nectarines and almonds into space that we had in our silvopasture. We also planted cabbages between all the grapevines that were added last winter.

more “Tree Planting and Ally Cropping in our Silvopasture”

Life During Lockdown

During the lockdown, we had 5 guests guaranteed with us for 3 months after they were meant to leave and then we enjoyed the farm to ourselves for a while. For those of you that are not following us on social media for our daily updates, here are some photos of all the things we were up to. We are now open for guests and are running permaculture internships. more “Life During Lockdown”

Introducing our pigs

We have just got two piglets from a friend to help us manage our farm and give us sustainable food. We look forward to learning how to look after pigs and use them as workers in an effort to offset more carbon and produce more food.

The breed of the pigs are half Mangalitsa, half Bisaro and they will live in our pig house for two weeks whilst they get used to us. Our farm is officially called ‘Vale Leitao’ meaning Valley of the Piglet. There were already three stone build pig houses on the land when we purchased it. We had been using one of them as a chicken house until the recent completion of our new chicken house and run, so the pigs are currently in the old chicken house. more “Introducing our pigs”

Silvopasture for Chickens & Sheep

Over the past year, we have planted one field using silvopasture principles. Silvopasture is where you grow trees and shrubs with animals integrated into the system that benefit each other. The idea is to reduce carbon based inputs into the system such as tractors to cut grass and fertiliser for trees whilst getting extra forrage for the animals. more “Silvopasture for Chickens & Sheep”

Photos and updates from 2019

We have had a very busy year on the farm with more than 100 volunteers, many courses and retreats. We have started some new permaculture systems, continued in the food forests and with our reforestation project and the natural building projects. Here is an update on some of our current projects for those not following us on facebook or Instagram.  more “Photos and updates from 2019”

New permanent beds this winter

We have planted several new permanent beds this winter mostly by students and volunteers participating in this year’s food forest course. A permanent bed is one that requires a lot of extra work up frot, up but shouldn’t need to be tilled, dug or have as much work in the future. It also usually consists on perennial edible plants. There are many techniques which we experiment with including sunken beds, raised beds, woodchip beds and polycultures.

more “New permanent beds this winter”

Sunken Beds

As opposed to building soil above ground with a raised bed, a sunken is a bed below ground where it is cooler and wetter. This type of bed appears to work better than a raised bed in Portugal’s hot and dry summers. more “Sunken Beds”

Composting Worms Portugal

Our compost worms are critical to our organic gardens; they are a must for any organic gardener. They not only reduce waste by eating your leftovers but create a liquid fertiliser for the garden, compost and more worms.

We sell composting worms, they are available for collection from our farm or via post.

Cost for worms

€5 per 100 worms (approximately 1kg) + €5 postage and packaging

Includes our booklet on keeping worms

Please contact us to order your worms

more “Composting Worms Portugal”