Keela was started by Laurence and Kimberly Manchee who want to see a healthier, happier world through the practice of Permaculture, sustainability, reforestation, Yoga, and producing food.
We have Permaculture Design Courses, yoga retreats, natural building courses and volunteers starting every month.
We are located in the centre of Portugal near Fundao
Our Projects
Food Forest Program
We have 5 food forest areas, one planted each year since 2017 (man-made edible forest of trees shrubs, ground covers and climbers) covering 1 hectare of land, which will keep expanding until 18 hectares of land is entirely full of food forests or similar concepts (e.g. restoration agriculture).
Daily Yoga
Kimberly Manchee (resident yoga teacher) and guest yoga teachers provide optional free daily classes to volunteers and students on the Natural Building and Permaculture courses. Kimberly also teaches drop-in classes at Keela Yoga Farm.
Natural Building
We try to use materials from our land as much as possible. So far we have built two large straw bale houses, a wattle and daub chicken house, a long drop compost vermiculture dry toilet, a non-flush pee station, two compost toilets, a straw bale greenhouse, a natural sheep barn and a vermiculture flushing toilet.
Permaculture Vegetable Gardens
One of our many growing areas
A big focus of the farm is gardening and growing food for ourselves and guests. We work in the gardens every day of the year. We are growing perennial vegetables and fruits in the food forests, we grow annual vegetables in the growing gardens, we have sunken beds, raised beds, wood chip beds, hugelkultur beds, herb gardens, a herb spiral, traditional beds, a kitchen garden and we are working on reviving some springs and systems built on our land by the Moors.
Where we do not grow food, we buy organic from a local organic permaculture farm or the local market bio stalls. All of our dry food is bought in bulk from an organic distributor of food and other products such as washing up liquid and floor cleaner (we purchase this with a local bulk buying co-op that we coordinate).
Permaculture system research and experimentation
Daily Harvest of Food
Wine Making
We make wine and other fermented healthy drinks such as kombucha and kefir. Next year we would like to try making cider.
Natural Products
We make soaps, moisturiser and cleaning products. We usually do free workshops on these for guests
Preserving Food
We make jam, chilli sauces, and fermented foods all from our own produce, every week. We also dry herbs for cooking and making tea blends
Reforestation
We commit time, money and space for reforestation. We like being able to offer people a cheap option to offset their carbon footprint.
Offgrid and sustainable
We have our own drinking water from the land, our own electricity, a lot of our own food and we make our income to live and expand the farm.
Fun
We have pizza parties with our stone-built pizza oven, BBQs, fires around the stone circle, film nights, visits to the cafe and fun during all courses and work. ‘Smile, it’s your birthright’ – Sudhir Rishi
Glamping and Caravans
Enjoy sleeping in nature, with stars, birds and views all around us. We have tipis, various caravans and eco huts or you can bring your own tent.
Animals
We have two chicken houses, a chicken tractor, a duck house (currently empty), bee hives, cats, dogs and sheep that help us keep the grass down.
Contact Us
Email: info@ keelayogafarm.com