A beautiful project of an inspiring group of young friends in France.
Lierlou & the Village
How to build a village community around a regenerative farm
How Do They Contribute to a Better Climate?
Lots of compost
No dig but lots of compost. Upon arriving on the piece of land we prepared our vegetable patches without tilting the soil. Instead we spread compost and organic matter on the ground and let it rest over winter. The result is a wonderful rich, alive and moist soil that is having a life on its own. The carbon in leafs, crop stubble and humus stays thus right in our soil.
Tree Planting
On our 1,5 hectares of land, we plant trees and help existing trees grow, steward the land and the wild edibles. Planting trees plays such an important role in carbon farming, as they store carbon in their wood and roots, thereby producing healthy and diverse fruits and nuts
No naked soil
Our soil never lays bare and naked: we either grow food or plant a cover crop that nourishes the ground and enriches the soil diversity. The extensive root system of our cover crops composts in the ground and thus adds organic matter that captures carbon in the soil.
about the farm
Anna-Lena & Titiane met each other at Schumacher College in the UK. After their studies, one of their Professors offered them to take a break at her house in the small village of Balaguier-d’Olt.
When they came here they quickly connected with the local community and when they asked them about unused land, the major of the village offered them a hectar of unused land just outside the village.
What else is going on?
A dedication to learning
Ongoing learning and inquiring: we got to know each other at Schumacher College, a learning community in the UK where we learned with our hands, heart and head. The love to inquire remained and now work with with a group of international researchers and ecologically oriented projects under a Community Action Research approach
Local Community Hub
We are building a community hub for our region. We are planning to renovate an empty house for hosting visitors, concerts, pottery courses and workshops in collaboration with our neighbors, and install a carpentry workshop and a library for our community. We want to help the local economy flourish and create new opportunities in the countryside
Foraging Hikes
Foraging hikes are coming soon! Currently we are exploring hiking paths and picnic spots to soon host one-day and several day treks in which we will introduce wild edibles, taste them in gourmet picnics and cook with foraged food on open fire.
