since December 2007 until June 2009

December 2007

 

Antalya,  outside thunderstorms rage since 3 days,  heavy rain falls without stopping , roads are over flooded, in the appartement everywhere water comes in, there is no electricity anymore, thus no heating, no hot water, no light ....

Lightnings illuminate the black sky one after another ..... and suddenly ... it comes ......

 

“A PLACE HAS TO BE FOUND”

“A PLACE TO LIVE WITH NATURE”

it was as clear as the light of the lightnings !

unescapable, unavoidable,

“A PLACE TO LIVE WITH NO DEPENDENCY TOWARDS

THE MODERN WORLD WHICH CAN COLLAPSE .. IN ONE GLIMPSE “

 

This is how it started .. and slowly slowly searching for the field and finding it ... starting to work on it at the same time still working in the world... slowly slowly ....

 

2008 - First slow steps .. the “before permaculture times”

 

March 2008     

                       

The two big lands are bought, there is neither water nor electricity but they are kind of Magical.

Like awkward beginners we plant some trees which by chance will survive the drought of summer as well as the appetite of the goats !

Moreover we will get in touch with our lovely and so helpful neighbours,  and learn little by little the life on the fields ...

 

July 2008

 

We define the official limits of the field … first camp on the field !

Weather is  drastically DRY, watering the trees becomes a real problem,

We have to start the DRILLING following the advises of the neighbours...

It will take one full week of hard work under a blazing sun with 45 to 50 degrees celcius ...

Until the last minuts there will be suspense... and ... YES WATER IS HERE !

                     Thank you Great Nature !

 

August 2008

 

The little Turkish truck “BMC” .. the modern “mule” ... is bought ... Will it be ideal for the farm ??!! !

 

 

September 2008

 

The Call.

Isabelle quits aviation to dedicate fully to Yunus Emre Farm.

This is the true birth of the farm.

 

 

 

October 2008 

 

We have to prepar the camp for winter: a round nomad tent and a prefab small house are brought.

This is the time of the discovery of Permaculture ... and this seems to perfectly match with the aims of the farm..

First contact with Steve Read, Director of the Universite Populaire de Permaculture in France and ... “rendez-vous” is taken for an Permaculture Design Course in March 2009 !

There is almost nothing on the  field ... everything has to be made ... this will be “extreme permaculture” !

 

November 2008

 

We visit the “officials” of the village, our “Muhtar” and thanks to them drinkable water will be available on the field !

 

December 2008

 

For the water of the drilling we have to dig a big pond on the top of the field so that the water rests on the air. We plan to have like that both our water reserve for the summer and against fire !

 

Yet we will learn later what a “mistake” we made ...

But MISTAKE = TEACHING ... :o)

 

 

2009 ...  THUNDERSTORMS AND ... WELCOME TO PERMACULTURE !  

 

January February 2009

 

We planned the course preparation works these months ... forgetting about the terrible weather that uses to be ... Very violent thunderstorms, heavy rains, even snow.....

As soon as we hardly manage to build one of our Turkish nomad tents.. it is overturned rightaway by the forthcoming storm ...

None of the planned work will be possible...

 

 

Our generator is stolen.. it was supposed to drag the water from the drilling..

The drilling’s water precisely reveals to be salty thus totally unappropriate for watering...

 

So.. lots of difficulties and doubts .. yet Trust remains strongest.

For all problems there will be solutions.

And in fact :  PROBLEM = SOLUTION

 

 

March 2009 ,

 

Just before the students arrival a very basic and rough camp is ultimately ready.

 

Like this starts the Permaculture Design Course.. which will be an unforgettable experience !

http://yunusemrefarm.eklablog.com/article-103190-recent-events.html

 

This fantastic course shows us that the project can become real. It is the first step of its realization.

15 very courageous and eager to learn students will gather in a very warm and productive energy,

Steve our teacher will wonderfully guide us and help us in all difficult circumstances of the course...

The farm will rapidly change with the practical works like plantation of olive trees, pomegranate trees, creation of a vegetable garden, digging of swales, building also new dry toilets, and a basic electric system..

 

The students work hardly on the project and offer 3 very inspiring designs for the farm...

 

And we will learn from our “mistakes” :

 

The drilling made in 2008, the salty water coming from it, the stolen generator, the big hole for the pond ...

all that appears clearly as being AGAINST NATURE .... thus being not “permaculture minded” ...

 

So we will transform all those “problems” into “solutions” :

 

- We will abandon the drilling, sell the material

- We will dig one or two wells in appropriate places

- the big hole will be transformed into a storage place for a water reservoir, a cellar for the harversts to come and ...

- Over it the common house will be built !

 

We hope this course is the first of many others to come and shows the beginning of a close work with the Université Populaire de Permaculture and Steve Read.

 

In Turkey Permaculture seems to have been awaited since long time and spontaneously a very inspiring net work is created ...

 

 

April 2009 

 

After the course we plant some more trees and work on the final design of the farm, inspired by the 3 designs made by the students.

The work with Steve Read goes on through the preparation of the Diploma and Steve offers to Yunus Emre Farm to become “Compagnon Farm”

Thus “Compagnon – apprentices” will be able to come and work on the field, at the same time continuing their studies in Permaculture guided by their tutor.

 

End of April .. surprising news come :

For administrative reasons Isabelle has to go outside of Turkey for 2 months...

The farm will stay in “dormance” yet looked after by the friends and our loyal supporter and neighbour Harun.

Return is planned for mid july and the farm will start again on the 21 september to celebrate the Automn Equinoxe !

 

 

 

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