Permaculture around the world

At the heart of Normandy, in a Natura 2000 protected area, is a oasis of life which combines a large number of plant and animal species. About 800 differents plants are grown on the farm. The two-island garden, the mandala garden, ponds, forest-nourishing, orchards form a highly productive and sustainable agro-ecosystem.

Charles HERVE-GRUYER was educator and at 21 he moved to 22 years of sailing on the oceans of the world. Then he became a psychotherapist before starting the project of the farm with his wife Bec Hellouin.

Perrine HERVE-GRUYER after a DEA in law dévellopement she worked as a lawyer for a major company in Asia. At 30 Perrine begins in France pscho his therapist studies.

The couple has realized in 2003 a research project « Vegetable permaculture and economic performance » in partnership with INRA, AgroParisTech, the Fondation de France, the Lemarchand Foundation for balance between people and the Earth and Léa Nature Foundation.

The important job’s and the method of Ferme du Bec Hellouin based on the ethical foundation of permaculture are :

Take care of the Earth.
Taking care of men.
Equitable sharing of resources and crops.
It seeks to explore a way of living on the Earth that is both kinder to nature and men. The needs of human and their welfare are considered such as plants, animals and the environment. It’s fully adapted to the post-carbon era.

Farm of Bec Hellouin had the chance to get the input of organic matter through the horse riding center nearby. Their labor force is free even profitable share the paid courses that offer and their private school permaculture. For permaculture demand an enormous amount of time.

The valley site

The farm is located 1 km from the village. This site of 1.8 hectares is composed of a forest garden where grow fruits and berries , but also from around the world.

The ponds in agroforestry gardens combine fruit trees, mounds and permanent crop strips worked in animal traction. A 600 m2 serrede carefully cultivated gardens and mounds flat A circular garden, the « mandala garden », 800 m2, is furnished with round permanent mounds, complementary flat mounds. Small grasslands help maintain the animals (draft horse, donkey, ponies, sheep) in the heart of the farm, thereby reviving the fruitful association between livestock and crops.

A cultivated area of 4000 m2 in gardening has produced 80 to 120 weekly baskets in 2011 and the margin of progress is important.

The implementation of the concepts of permaculture has created intensely productive orchards and gardens.

1,000 m2 cultivated are identified and are the subject of a study of 3 years with INRA and AgroParisTech.

The Abbey Gardens

These gardens have 12 acres of woods and steep terrain of 2.4 hectares with terraced gardens, a pasture for sheep Ouessant and a rich orchard of over 300 varieties of fruit.

Terraced gardens are grown in animal traction. Permanent mounds, oriented perpendicular to the slope, and a vineyard were also located there.

a network of small ponds to irrigate the terraces in the dry season.

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