Summertime Construction Upgrades

This summer we are working steadily to build my boys a proper bedroom.

They are now old enough to sleep alone and be responsible for their toys.  Also, I would like to have some privacy in my bedroom and be able to crank up the amp on my Electric Bass without concern for their little ears.

This project began last year and can be viewed here.

Above the wall that divides their bedroom from the rest of the house is nearly completed.

I was fortunate to have an amazing crew of hard working wwoofers to help transport the building materials necessary for construction to continue.

The Zip-Line had some minor modifications and is functioning well to get the building supplies across the valley to my house. 

Above, Maria catches some rest while waiting for the next delivery of sand to unload from the Zip-Line.

I employed Ricardo from my village to help with the heavy lifting and stucco work, a skill that I have yet to master.  When I toss the concrete on the wall, it just falls off.  Ricardo is a full time fisherman that does construction on the days that the sea is too rough for fishing.

In this photo, the Stucco work is finished and the wooden beams are installed for supporting the storage area above the boys bedroom.

A view from the other corner shows the boys bedroom and the windows and doors that will allow fresh air and light to stimulate their senses.  After 30 days of curing, we can paint the stucco.

After a few days of work, we all enjoy a nice hike to our neighbors farm for a luncheon and party.

On the weekend we all get together with friends and eat grilled foods with amazing Portuguese wines.

Springtime at Flores Permaculture

Spring is nearly ready to turn into Summer as the Solstice arrives.

The gardens are nearly all planted and soon construction on the house continues.

The Japanese Blue Sweet Potato flowers are blooming.  The cuttings are in the ground and hopefully will produce a bountiful harvest in the Autumn.

We are now harvesting Flores Yellow Sweet Potatoes that were planted last year, as well as Bananas and Taro.  These three crops are the staples that allow us to survive yearly.

"Cozido de Porco" is a house favorite using the Kale and Sweet Potatoes, alongside island raised Pork.  

Hopefully, we will keep our own pigs next year.  In theory we have enough surplus to feed two pigs, we only need to build the housing for them.

The Sugar Cane is growing very well in the Tropical Micro-climate.  In the future, it can be used to help the fruit wine achieve a higher ABV.  

The African Yams have sprouted and are now getting planted out in the Tropical Micro-Climate also.

Both the Apple and Pear trees are full of flowers, so we should get fruit this Autumn.  If not, they are still beautiful to gaze upon.

The Coffee Bushes are full of ripe yellow fruits and will soon be harvested and processed into a power packed brew!

This year, we took cuttings for rooting.

The Coffee Cuttings are placed into a heated humidity dome to help them grow roots before being planted out.  They should make an excellent edible hedge to stop the winter winds.

 

Our new lamb arrived.  The boys have named her LambyKins and she is very fuzzy and cute.

Our yearling goat arrived also for weed control and future meat production.  The boys have named him Goaty McGoatface 2.0.

Upgrade for the Wwoofer Cabana

Thank you Nouria and Philip for all your help and carpentry skills.

The Wwoofer Cabana now has another wall to keep the elements out, but to allow the sunlight in.

The view from inside, as the wall is finished and the door is mounted. 

The final product.  We used all recycled materials for this job.  Only the nails and studs were store bought.

The Wwoofer Cabana  is nearly a fully functioning house now, ready to host all of our wonderful volunteers.  Thank you all so muh, the farm would not be possible without you!

Culling the Old Hens and Rooster Before Introducing New Fowl

In my ongoing quest to provide high quality and healthy protein to all those living on my farm, I have been raising chickens and Guinea Fowl for eggs and meat.  

This year it is time to eat the old and introduce the new.  This is to introduce new genetic material into the flock and to eat the older hens that no longer lay eggs reliably.

The first step is to catch the rooster and hens that are on the menu.

We give them a last cuddle and thank them for their service before slaughtering them.  They are friends and helpers that deserve respect.

We remove their heads and feathers first.

Sofie and Sofia are awesome helpers and quick learners!  Thank you ladies.

Next the meat is removed from the carcass and the rest added to the compost pile for recycling into next years gardens.

The new Rooster is introduced to the remaining flock.  Later in the season eggs will be collected and incubated to pass on his genetics to next years flock.

This handsome  cock is on lone from a friend on the other side of the island.

I also acquired two chicks from a different breed of chicken to raise and introduce into the flock.

Meanwhile, I am preparing Guinea Fowl Eggs for incubation. I use a mild bleach solution in warm water to clean the eggs before introducing them to the incubator.

28 beautiful and hopefully fertilized Guinea Eggs are incubated first this year.  Next year I will need a new male to introduce into the flock of Guinea Fowl.

I use a Brinsea Ovation Eco for incubation.  

Vernal Equinox 2018 Farm Update

Spring is upon us once again.  Time to shake off the cold and the cobwebs and get back to work.

The Guinea Fowl that were bred last year all survived the winter and are healthy and noisy as ever.  Watch the clip below for an earful of their amazing alarm system. 

Our first woofer for the new year arrived, Sofie.

We taught her how to catch trout in the front yard of our farm, along with many other skills.

We butchered our Sheep from the previous summer.  Very tasty mutton.

Our second woofer joined Sofie to help clear some jungle and plant new gardens.  Sofia and Sofie, what are the odds?  :)

As usual, Odin observes the work and offers helpful observations.

The strawberry patch overwintered well in the newly cleared jungle and is ready to explode with growth now.

Sofia and Mitra plant Kale in a sunny location that was jungle a few weeks earlier.  The large trees are left to decompose on the ground and provide fun walkways.

Sweet Potato slips are planted in the freshly dug soil.

We are STILL harvesting Sweet Potato from last years plantings.  We have steadily been feeding 4 adults and 2 children with last years crop since October.  Below is one of the areas that we have not harvested Sweet Potato from yet and their foliage is still lush and now is sprouting many new slips.

We grew 5 varieties last year, and this year we will try to grow 6 varieties.  Below is an assortment.

Sofie helps to harvest some ripe Bananas.

Citrus Season is upon us also.  We have more oranges, lemons, and limes than we can eat.  The orange trees are also great fun for climbing.

The Sugar Cane is sprouting new growth and soon will be able to spread into a huge Sugar Cane Patch.

One of the perks of jungle clearing is getting to make Bonfires from all the tree branches!

Bamboo