Permaculture & Surfing - Learn to grow your own food
Surfing provides the ultimate feeling of being one with nature. A sense of harmony between the elements. During this course, we will help you to integrate this feeling of oneness with nature into your lifestyle, by learning to grow your own organic food.
Similar to checking out the ocean before a surf session, we begin by reading the landscape. Becoming fully aware of our surroundings. We will observe micro-climates, sun angles, water resources, soil conditions and study how they influence each other.
Understanding the seasons, patterns and transformative processes of nature will give you confidence to garden in a more intuitive form. This is the core concept of permaculture — working with nature, rather than against it.
We start our practice with creating healthy soil, the foundation to grow nutritious food. With the increasing importance of using water resources wisely, we will dive into the possibilities of catching rain, recycling water and feeding the soil with organic matter so it will retain more water. Which plants can cope with periods of drought?
During this weekend, you will learn how to create a food forest garden. Included in the course is an excursion to a nearby syntropic food forest: Lugar da Terra, where we will learn about the magic of syntropic agriculture and how to create a food forest.
Through classes and hands-on experience, you will become familiar with topics such as:
Permaculture ethics and principles
Site analysis, sector analyses and zoning
Soil science, composting and methods to increase fertility
Preparing no-dig garden beds
Food forest design and implementation
Designing your garden at home
We will spend most of the course outside, practicing gardening in a way it is fun, social and a physical workout. Win-wins. You can come earlier or stay longer so you can wash the dirt off your hands during optional surf sessions.
Follow up
At the end of the course, we will provide you with resources (handouts, links to videos and podcasts, book recommendations) so you can continue learning at home. We can also offer guidance in your personal garden project.
Course Info
Date: Friday 1 March (17:00 arrival) until Sunday 3 March (18:00 departure)
Location: Santa Cruz Surfhouse, Portugal
Who is it for?
This program is for anyone who is interested in learning about permaculture & regenerative living. It’s perfect for those who love outdoor activities and have a desire to protect and give back to nature. It’s for those who are looking to reconnect with nature, care for the planet, people and future generations. Permaculture will challenge you to think in solutions, giving you the right tools that come directly from nature.
Don’t worry if you have never caught a wave before, you’re more than welcome to join us. We can also provide beginner lessons.
Price
189 € without accommodation. This price includes all meals, drinks and snacks during breaks, all course tuition, excursion and materials. Access to common area of the surfhouse (TV, Library, Wi-Fi), garden and pool.
249 € with 2 night accommodation in dorm or shared room,
349 € with 2 night accommodation in private room (one person occupancy)
Please arrive no later than 17h00 on Friday 3th of November, if you like to join the house tour and welcome dinner. Bring your working clothes/shoes and a cap.
Optional: transportation to and from Lisbon airport (cost 75€). Surf rental, guiding and lessons. (50 € per session)
Terms & Conditions
We ask all registrants to deposit € 50 to secure their spot. The remaining fees shall be transferred before the first evening of the course or paid in cash on arrival.
In the unlikely event of us cancelling the course, your deposit will be refunded in full. Additionally, we will not be held responsible for any other financial losses accrued. Deposits are non-refundable if you choose to cancel. We will accept late bookings if there is space available.
Meet the Team
Facilitator: Sylvia Avontuur
Sylvia did her first permaculture course during a sabbatical in Australia and then a seed was planted. Four years ago, Sylvia made a big change in her life. She sold her marketing communications agency in Amsterdam to go and live outdoors. After studying on a PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Portugal, Sylvia continued her studies at the UK Permaculture Association to obtain a degree in Applied Permaculture, while getting experience on regenerative projects. In addition, she took part in specialist courses on Syntropic agroforestry with Ernst Götsch, did permaculture teacher training with refugees and water retention landscape design at Tamera. Now she seeks to help others on their journey to discover the complexity and beauty of nature, through facilitating workshops and the design and implementation of edible landscapes.
Learn more: www.unfoldingnature.com
Hosts: Jack & Faith
Jack, who started Santa Cruz Surfhouse 15 years ago, got the opportunity to enlarge the backyard garden with one hectare of agricultural land. Here, he is starting a no-dig vegetable garden and a syntropic food forest, with the aim that their guests can enjoy nutritious food. Above all, they are showing a way to regenerate the soil and give back to the earth. This new plot will also become a new home for their animals, two horses, one donkey, goats and chickens who are taken care of by Jack’s partner Faith.
Learn more: www.santacruz-surfhouse.com
Agroforestry Guest Teacher: Job of Lugar da Terra
Job is a permaculture designer and consultant in regenerative farming and agroforestry. He created Lugar da Terra to produce vegetables and he likes to share his knowledge with others. He started his journey in 2011 when he filmed the documentary Abundância/Abundance at the first course of Ernst Götsch on Syntropic Agriculture in Portugal. He visited the Forest Garden of Martin Crawford in England, got to know Sepp Holzer in Tamera and took part in a PDC by Geoff Lawton. He designed and implemented the Food Forest at nearby hotel Areias do Seixo Hotel. Job will show us his own project where he is working every day on making the soil better by using the local resources available, in a systematic cycle, from seed to fruit. With no chemicals, no GMO's, no tractor, no-tilling.
Learn more: www.lugardaterra.pt
Contact:
Please feel free to email Sylvia, sylvia@unfold360.com for any additional information you may need.