quinta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2012

Permaculture Design Principles: Stacking in Time and Space

 Time stacking:
In this field,
the Autumn and Winter pasture of rye for sheep,
follows the irrigated and compost demanding
Spring /Summer crop of maize.
Heaps of sheep carbon rich deep litter bedding on the left.
Space stacking: 
Rye as ground cover grows in
Winter despite the usual frosts,
 is trimmed by the sheep
(as intermitant disturbance).
Vines on the edges as wind break
and grape crop and olive trees in the centre
 increasing the "photosynthesis edge" productivity.
 This rye is seeded during the Autumn first rains,
by superficial tilling
in what remains from the maize litter and mulch.
Corn stalks were harvested for sheep winter fodder
or disposed on the edges as mulch for the vines-grapes.

 Winter tree cabbage and
 Olive trees (upper right) and rows of vines (lower right).



Terraces on gentle slope:
A mosaic of Autumn pastures
 (for grazing and forage)
with scattered
heaps of animal bedding and vines on the edges.

Tree Crops: Quercus Ilex

A few weeks ago,
while visiting some friends
in the upper Alentejo,
we picked 2 kilos of acorns.
We are eating them roasted,
2 or 3 acorns at each meal.
If I knew they would be this tasty
I would have picked more ...
Check other uses of this magnificent tree: