Happy International Permaculture Day

Today is International Permaculture Day, and the Greenhouse team are celebrating with a new blog post. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly Permaculture is, or if you’d like to learn about Permaculture practices and volunteering opportunities here in Malta, read on!

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is sometimes thought of as a method of farming, but it is in fact a holistic philosophy. Bill Molison, the founder of the Permaculture movement defines it as:
“The study of the design of those sustainable or enduring systems that support human society, both agricultural & intellectual, traditional & scientific, architectural, financial & legal. It is the study of integrated systems, for the purpose of better design & application of such systems.”

Permaculture was developed in Australia in the 1970s by Bill Molison and David Holmgreen. Mollison spent years studying the natural ecosystems of his vast native land and came to realise that organisms naturally form mutually beneficial communities when left to their own devices. Why, then, do we find it normal to grow food crops in monocultural decontextualized crop rows, resorting to ever more environmentally destructive ways to sustain this artificial situation?

Where conventional agriculture seeks to pit man against nature, to chauvinistically tame the natural environment and make it serve us to its own detriment, permaculture works with nature, “looking at systems in all their functions rather than asking only one yield of them.” (Mollison)

At its heart Permaculture describes a symbiotic relationship in which all elements in a system interact productively to supply each other’s needs. Permaculture principles can be implemented on any scale and in any context from Spanish ‘ecoaldeas’ to the rocky hills of Bahrija, or even at home with your family. 

Permaculture in Malta

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that Permaculture has been embraced by several inspiring and forward-thinking Maltese individuals. Greenhouse Projects Manager Sarah and myself were fortunate enough to spend time on two very different dedicated Permaculture facilities here in Malta – Bahrija Oasis and Dar Frate Jacoba in Marsaskala. 

Bahrija Oasis

Peppi Gauci’s Bahrija Oasis is perhaps the best-known local instance of Permaculture farming. Peppi works tirelessly not only to cultivate his rocky land but also to educate the public about the benefits of Permaculture and sustainable living, working with enthusiastic volunteers from the community and even running formal courses in Permaculture practices. 

We spent two enjoyable days helping to build wicking beds, a Permaculture mainstay. In this system, crops are planted in repurposed containers layered with small rocks, cardboard, compost, soil and mulch. Water is poured through a pipe to gather around the stones at the bottom layer. The roots of the plants draw on the water, which does not evaporate as in conventional crop watering because it is kept underground. This is ideal in a place like Malta, where water is so scarce and precious. 

lovely smiling faces 

working hard
(credit to Greta Muscat Azzoppardi for providing pictures of the girls)

the view from Bahrija Oasis

the finished Wicking Beds

Dar Frate Jacoba

Dar Frate Jacoba is a very different Permaculture project on the local scene. Run by Franciscan Friars, this small farm is principally concerned with helping vulnerable people on the fringes of Maltese society. Young people who are suffering from family and other social problems are referred by Apogg and benefit enormously from the therapeutic effects of working the farm and living in a balanced and compassionate environment.

fields at Dar Frate Jacoba

Fr Mark Ciantar showed us around his facility and thoughtfully answered all questions, showing great passion and knowledge. Admiring the impressive crops raised without use of pesticides, I asked how the community deals with pests. Fr Mark pointed out that what conventional agriculture may consider pests are actually a part of the natural ecosystem. When we destroy so-called pests, we destroy with them the systems plants need to survive. For me this really drove home the paradigm shift we need to make as a society in order to embrace less environmentally and personally destructive methods of food production. Conventional farmers lace our vegetables with poison and destroy ecosystems – who is the real pest in this scenario? 


After many years of hard work, the Dar Frate Jacoba farm is self-sufficient – the inhabitants no longer have to buy food from outside. However, the real success story is the invaluable opportunity for personal growth and character development that this facility offers to troubled youth.

livestock at Dar Frate Jacoba

Get involved

Bahrija Oasis are currently looking for volunteers to dedicate one weekend each month between May and October, starting 18-19 May. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about Permaculture and get hands-on experience developing systems such as aquaponics and wicking beds, not to mention spending time in the beautiful Maltese countryside enjoying the company of interesting and inspiring people. If this interests you, get in touch by contacting permaculture.malta@gmail.com
You can also visit the Permaculture Malta website to learn more about other initiatives and courses:

If you would like to volunteer at Dar Frate Jacoba, contact youthalivefoundation@gmail.com or call 20995249. 
The Dar Frate Jacoba project is mostly supported by the tireless work of volunteers and public donations are crucial to its continued existence. If you’d like to offer material support, donations can be made to the following account numbers:
Banif: 50067181, BOV: 40021015953, HSBC: 049013642001, APS: 20000820511

By Felicity Goodwin, Greenhouse Malta

Nature walk and Bahrija Oasis Site Visit

Greenhouse is very proud to present our next event: A nature walk organised by Ramblers Malta followed by a site visit at Baħrija Oasis! For those of you who have attended last year, we will be following a different trail this time.

We will be meeting next Saturday, 20th October at 1pm in front of the Baħrija Church and heading off for a walk organised by Ramblers into the wonderful Baħrija countryside.

The walk will end at Baħrija Oasis where we will be given a short tour and some information about the principles of permaculture and the function of the site.

Last but not least we settle down for a picnic with some good food and drink :) If anyone wishes to bring any along for sharing you are more than welcome, especially if you come bearing vegetarian or vegan food! ;)

We are only asking for a 5eur fee for the Baħrija site visit. Any donations are welcome. If you are interested in attending, confirm your attendance through our facebook event and preferably drop us a line via email or sms 79649802.

See you there!

Greenhouse Members

An Impressive Upcycling Art Exhibition - This weekend!!

In completion of the Care Creates Change project

Greenhouse will participating in the Recycling Artistic Gallery behind held this weekend at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

We STRONGLY suggest you visit this event. There is some crazy Upcycling exhibited in it! :)

To read more about the project go here.

The Closing Event is on:
Friday 18th November. From 09:00 till 18:00
Saturday 19th November. From 10:00 till 18:00
Sunday 20th November. From 10:00 till 13:00

We are participating by setting up an stand on Endemic Plant species (most of which are for same if your into it :) ), Composting/Vermiculture and Permaculture (provided by the Permaculture Research Foundation.

In addition we are holding two workshops:

Saturday 19^th November from 12:00 till 13:00. (Simone Cutajar)

Don't waste your resources - Workshop on how what we

consider daily waste could be used as a resource.

Sunday 20^th November from 11:15 – 12:15 (Peppi Gauci)

Building Resilience in our Communities - Workshop on the function of our communities to address global challenges

The full programme of activities can be downloaded from here.

Rambling in Bahrija + Permaculture site visit!

 https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254080264628297 

Youth Ramblers Malta will be opening the forthcoming walk season by organising a ramble to Bahrija and its environs, in collaboration with Greenhouse Malta. Besides the beautiful scenery, which will include the majestic view at Fomm ir-Rih, we shall also have the opportunity to visit the Permaculture site at Bahrija, called 'Bahrija Oasis' (http://bahrijaoasis.blogspot.com/).

Day of the Walk: Saturday 15th October 2011

Meeting time and place: 1400hrs in front of the Bahrija Church

The following is some information about 'Bahrija Oasis' and Permaculture:

The Bahrija Oasis is the first Permaculture farm set up in Malta, started by Peppi Gauci, who is a professional Permaculturalist. Permaculture is a holistic design philosophy which involves creating community eco-systems in which plants, animals, human beings, and all forms of ecological diversity interact to produce a prolific, ecologically-sound, and regenerative system that can support itself indefinitely. The project has now now matured, leading to the setting up of the Permaculture Research Foundation which aims to promote this life philosophy with the Maltese public. 

Bee Informed Honey!

http://blog.greendrinksmalta.org/2011/04/bee-informed-honey-may-green-drinks.html

Meet us on Saturday 7th May at 3.30pm near Dar tal-Providenza Car Park in Siġġiewi. Alfred Baldacchino will be leading an hour's walk explaining the flora and fauna of the area. You will arrive at Fawwara limits of Siġġiewi where the beekeeper Nicholas Żammit and the the bee expert Simone Cutajar of Green House will sharing with you many interesting insights about bees, bees as environmental indicators and bee products.

Green Drinks Malta guarantees a lovely afternoon in which you will be able to raise your level of green consciousness, while relaxing and meeting like-minded people.

We will be providing the tea. Should you like to bring some tea-accompanying-food, you are welcome :)

This event is free BUT registration is only acknowledged once every participant sends in a honey recipe. Recipe can be for food, sweets or drinks, in English or in Maltese. If the recipe is tried and tested all the better!

Places for this event is limited to 30. Booking on info@greendrinksmalta.org

Better do Green

This is a short article written by a friend of ours from Latvia, Dace Jece whom we have met on an exchange. Dace lives a very eco-centric and sustainable lifestyle because of her strong love for the environment better known as deep ecology. In this article she points some interesting ways of living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. On her website Dace goes into loads more detail and explains various interesting and fun ways of being a better greenie. Check it out at http://better-do-green.info.

Naturally, the hints and tips listed below are Dace's views and opinions, which might diverge from those of Greenhouse and it's members; nonetheless it is an interesting read and her website is full of good advice and an interesting perspective.

Rethink your current choices and try changing one thing a day/week/month. Doing something green is better than doing nothing. We all can be difference makers and workers for truly greener future

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Everybody knows something about green, sustainable living and carbon footprint. We are educated how to save energy by changing light bulbs, insulating our homes, choose public transport instead of driving own car. Many as well know how their diet choices impact the sustainability. Meat eating is linked with environmental destruction as livestock produces greenhouse gas and also contributes to water depletion.

There are few other less known green essentials:

1. Organic agriculture leads to more yields. Organic agriculture protects soil, does not pollute water and ensures biodiversity. Opt for organic food.


2. Minimizing or stopping use of alcohol and cigarettes saves a lot of grains, plants and fruits being used in their production. It gives more land to grow food for people, it can give access to land for starving, poor communities in the third world countries where big corporations have deals with governments to use the land, and from these deals only few are benefiting (corporation owners and bribed government officials).


3. Going medical drug free or using them only in true necessity, saves not only your long term health but also tap water. Tap water cannot be completely cleaned from second-hand drug residues. Sewage water also goes into rivers and oceans polluting marine life. Most drugs are also produced by experimenting on animals; supporting suffering is neither green nor human.


4. Daily hazardous chemicals found in personal care products, cosmetics, cleaning household products, packaging, medicines, food, clothes, building materials greatly pollutes not only your body system but also the environment. There are green choices and alternatives available.


5. Use of chemical hormone contraception contaminates drinking water (see 3), condoms increase the daily waste. Learn on nontoxic and natural contraception.


6. Putting the food scraps together with other rubbish wastes possible nutrient soil that can be created from that. Find a way to compost. If you live in a flat, find friends, relatives to donate your compost or a farmer in the market who is willing to take it. When composting you are actually growing soil!

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This is not an exclusive list however it is smart to start by setting reasonable, doable goals for yourself. Rethink your current choices and try changing one thing a day/week/month. Doing something green is better than doing nothing. We all can be difference makers and workers for truly greener future.

Fire breaks out in Bahrija Valley

While spending a weekend Camping with Peppi Gauci a friend of ours, Greenhouse members witnessed the aftermath of a fire which broke out in the Bahrija Valley on the 21st of August. Peppi was the one who reported the incident and over viewed the whole operation to turn the fire off. Together the following day saw that the minor fires which were starting off again were properly taken care of by the fire fighters.

MEPA's emergency service number is 20699595.

Photo of the fires

These pictures have been given by Peppi Gauci Permaculturalist of the Barhija Oasis and Administrator of the Permaculture Research Foundation. He has witnessed the fires and more information can be attained from permaculture.malta@gmail.com

View Bahrija Valley on Fire in a larger map

Pictures of the Aftermath

Comment posted by Peppi Gauci (person who reported the incident) on our Facebook Note in relation to this incident:

"This incident shows a great crack in our environmental and ecological conservation legal system. Unfortunately, this incident took a relatively big chunk of flora...and fauna in of the areas marked as a special area of conservation in Malta

Its about time that the Maltese law enforces an open 'Fire Ban' during times of drought and dryness as these are times of high risk of wild fires spreading to colossal scale.
We in Malta, not only have small pockets of nature, but these small pockets take a long time to develop into maturity due to our dry climate, whereas when influenced by the human hand in order to flourish ( ie: best described scenario by using permaculture methods) it takes a great deal of dedication, time, resources and energy.
Our leaders need to be aware of such scenarios and made to understand these implications in order to regulate certain damaging activities that could have had much more severe implications. Referring back to this incident, if the wind which picked up yesterday, had to pick up the night before, probably all of Bahrija, Fomm ir rih, Santi and Mgarr valleys would have been burned to cinders.
I hope that this call falls on the right ears. Thankyou"

All articles relating to these fires will be posted on this blog.
TVM News check time: 1.30-4:55

MEP Watch - Agriculture and Climate Change

Agriculture is the one of the main sectors which is directly related to the environment and the management and exploitation of natural resources. Hence it is both affected and directly affects the environment. Climate change, being one of the main environmental challenges being faced by the world today, affects this sector substantially. This is due, for example, the adverse effects of climate change on water resources, extreme weather, proliferation of pests etc. All these will and are already having a direct impact on the sector. Agriculture contributes to this too by the release of greenhouse gasses- nitrous oxide and methane- emitted by various biological processes linked to agricultural production.

The European Parliament on Wednesday 5^th May passed a resolution which seeks to find a way by which agriculture can help mitigate the effects of climate change and for this sector to adapt to the challenges which climate change will pose.

This resolution is very interesting in that it has clear calls for a shift towards sustainable agriculture. It states that organic farming is “among the ecologically effective system[s] needing further development”. To this end it calls for the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to (i) encourage cultivation techniques that provide plant cover(such as leaving crop residues on the ground) and facilitate intercropping and crop rotation to maximize photosynthesis and help enrich the soil with organic matter. All these techniques are common practices in organic agriculture and permaculture farms; (ii) preserve and develop afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry etc. (iii) better management of soil and of minerals and protection of carbon-rich land and wetlands; (iv) farm modernization etc.

These calls, if heeded and introduced in the CAP, will go a long way in aiding agriculture change its methods and become much more environmentally sustainable. These measures will also have a positive impact on biodiversity, soil quality, water retention, combat erosion and pollution and mitigate the effects of farming on climate change.

This resolution also recommends certain strategies to prevent and mitigate the adverse consequences for agriculture. This mainly includes the devising of an action plan which will include the suggestion of using certain plant varieties which are resistant to the new climate conditions, adapting the calendar of farming activities to the new conditions, forestation, building of greenhouses, managing water resources etc.

Since animal livestock is a main contributor to methane- a very potent greenhouse gas- the resolution calls for research on livestock feed and genetic selection of farm animals to be stepped up to reduce these methane emissions.

But perhaps one of the most significant sentences in the resolution is the following: “there is a need to inform consumers, by means of a targeted communication strategy, of the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet made up of high-quality regional and seasonal items produced by a sustainable and efficient agriculture, the carbon footprint of which could be differentiated from those of imported products.” The need for this is great. If consumers are educated, a demand is generated and the farmers will comply and start to supply produce from sustainable farms. That is the way by which a shift is brought about- from the conventional scenario to one which puts environmental sustainability in the centre of attention.

In order to inform the consumers on the origin of the produce being consumed, the EP endorsed the idea of a voluntary EU origin labeling for products originating entirely in the EU.

The resolution was voted adopted and all Maltese MEPs voted in favor.

Each sector has to do its part to combat and adapt to the changing of the climate and agriculture is no exception. Farmers have to change their current way of doing things but they depend entirely on the demand of the consumer for them to be able to take the risk and convert to more sustainable farming practices.

Try to keep this in mind when you buy and consume agricultural products.

What Sovereignty is all about... Food and Nutrition!

Recently I attended a conference in Gozo with the subject: ‘Organic Agriculture and Eco-Gozo’ organized by, amongst others, MOAM (Malta Organic Agricultural Movement), IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements) and the Ministry for Gozo.

I must say that it was an incredibly informative and interesting conference with some top speakers delivering very educational and provoking talks. These included Olafur R Dyrmundsson from Iceland which discussed the challenges faced by a small island state, Leen Laenens (Belgium) which explored the topic of seed diversity and the farmers’ rights to them, Anamarija Slabe (Slovenia) which gave a thorough insight into a low-carbon Slovenia, Eva Acs (Hungary) which spoke about organic agriculture in Hungary and Dr. Alex Beck (Germany) which provided the attendees with a brief introduction on EU Regulation on Labeling of Organic Products.

But I want to focus on the first talk which was delivered. Christopher Stopes from the UK is the President of the IFOAM UK and gave a very provoking insight into food sovereignty. This is a resume of what was discussed.

Agriculture is an important economical sector. Tourism, rural development and environmental stewardship are all dependent on this sector. The farmer has many very crucial roles in society including the provision of food and safeguarding the environment.

We are currently facing an enormous amount of problems not least among them are biodiversity decline, health problems especially with cardiovascular diseases and obesity and climate change.

Organic agriculture in particular tries to solve many of these problems through its approach and these are varied. In fact the approach is a ‘multifunctional’ approach. Organic agriculture is considerate of culture, well-being, nature, diet, taste, yield, nutrition, soil, water, animal welfare, greenhouse gasses, energy and more.

We cannot continue with a productionist mindset which pulls the supply chain with it. In fact, this can be seen in light of ethics- the good/bad- which currently defines production. We need to move away from ethics and more towards ethos- the way we live. By focusing on the latter, ethics will fall into place and production will be seen in its correct context.

Greenhouse gasses are driving climate change and this is especially driven by meat consumption. There are approximately 5 billion chickens we can’t afford to eat, which are dumped into other markets especially those of developing countries with very low prices, ruining the local supply chain and economical incentive for the locals’ production. For chicken farming, Brazil clears huge swathes of land to provide soya to the EU to feed its chickens. Not only that but the chickens produced are fed so much food to fatten their muscles that their legs usually do not support the weight and collapse.

We are now facing a resource crisis with peak oil fast approaching (or perhaps past it already?), economic uncertainty that the risks of indefinite growth brings with it and a social blurring of culture.

We must now differentiate between food security and food sovereignty. Food security is having enough food to eat which is still in the hands of existing powers. Food sovereignty on the other hand gives a human right to adequate food devolving power to the people. We must move towards food sovereignty if we are ever to have an equitable and fair share of our resources and no famine in the world.

We must move towards…. so that we avoid….

People’s right to food.... to avoid Export

Valuing farmers.... to avoid looking at farmers as simply those who farm the land

Local food systems.... to avoid Global Trade

Local control.... to avoid remote global competition

Build real knowledge... to avoid relying on alien technology e.g. GMOs

Work with nature.... to avoid Harming ecosystems

We now move to another very interesting concept which was discussed in the same talk which is that of eco-nutrition: eating and drinking with ecology, animal welfare, community and social justice and equity in mind. In brief, this is what is recommended for this purpose:

1. Eat less but better- go for quality
2. Eat simple
3. Do NOT diet
4. Eat no more than you expend in energy
5. Eat equitably- don’t take food out of another’s mouth
6. Feast for celebration
7. Eat seasonally where possible
8. Support local suppliers
9. Learn to cook
10. Pay full costs of producing and transporting food- if you don’t others will
11. Celebrate varieties- get diversity into field and plate: aim for 20-30 plant species a week
12. Think fossil fuels embedded in the food (transport etc.)
13. Drink water not soft-drinks
14. Be aware of hidden ingredients- unnecessary salts, sugars and additives
15. Enjoy food but think long-term impact
16. Eat a plant-based diet
17. If you eat fish or meat choose those that have run/swam as wild and free as possible

Food sovereignity coupled with eco-nutrition are surely food for thought. What we have in our plate has a history- it can be one of bondage, struggle and degradation possibly with adverse health impacts when consumed or a history of equity, harmony with nutritious benefits when eaten. The food you eat is one of the very few things you decide for your own. You can stop at KFC or catch a bus home to make a salad. Your choice…

Permaculture - YiA - Greenhouse - Bahrija Oasis

Permaculture is an approach to life which incorporates the values central towards the respect and safeguard of the environment when one is pursuing self-development and that of his/her surroundings.

Originating from the idea of a permanent form of agriculture it later developed to reflect a permanent culture founded on a desgin which emulates nature.[i]

Taken from an academic perspective permaculture is educational at the core as it is a process of continuous learning within a holistic view. Thereby, creating opportunities for co-development and self-development, whilst trying to innovate and create by imitating and applying that which nature has already engineered through its diverse forms.[ii]

In this respect Malta is lucky enough to have its own permaculture association which is still in its early days but is already taking action to familiarise the public with this new concept to the Maltese. This is the Bahrija Oasis[iii] which following a succesful weekend workshop with Green Drinks Malta[iv] earlier this year was accepted for Youth in Action Funding[v]. These funds will be used for a project where the participants will be engaged with hands on educational workshops on permaculture. A weekend every month participants are taken to the project site and various aspects of permaculture design are focused upon to allow participants to learn more about biomimicry, organic farming, water retention, natural wind breakers and so on and so forth, whilst helping in setting up this oasis. The site final objective is not for profit but for educational purposes where it is certain to set up a site which reflects most of the design qualities of permaculture to be able to instill such basic biomimic qualities in the public of tomorrow.

This project is expected to last for a year therefore making up 12 workshops. This first of which was piloted before access to the funds were available in the second weekend of July. The turnout of participants is limited to 10 tough this limit is flexible and places are still available.

Obviously, the project will not halt once the funds stop flowing but it is hoped that after the Yia programme community investment will be sought using the knowledge accumulated on site through this project.

So if you wish to join or you are interested to learn more about it send an email to: green.uom@gmail.com

More references [vi]

The next workshop will be set up for next month and place

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[i] http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perma.html

[ii] http://www.biomimicry.net/

[iii] http://permaculture.org.au/project_profiles/europe/bahrija_oasis_malta.htm

[iv] http://blog.greendrinksmalta.org/

[v] http://www.maltanetwork.info/selection.asp (Still unpublished- 23rd July 2009)

[vi] http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75666802264&ref=ts