Utopia - Wislawa Szymborska R.I.P. ( Poems )

....Solid ground beneath your feet.

The only roads are those that offer access.

Bushes bend beneath the weight of proofs.

The Tree of Valid Supposition grows here
with branches disentangled since time immermorial.

The Tree of Understanding, dazzling staight and simple.
sprouts by the spring called Now I Get It.

The thicker the woods, the vaster the vista:
the Valley of Obviously.

If any doubts arise, the wind dispels them instantly.

Echoes stir unsummoned
and eagerly explain all the secrets of the worlds....

Reforestation of City Space Milan, Italy

Architects have been struggling with the incorporation of renewable energy components into their projects as demanded by planning authorities. An example being solar panels on tower blocks in city centers. The electricity generated is intended to be used for space heating and ; the problem is that roof space is a relatively small area and incorporating technology into building facades is costly and not always effective.


Stefano Boeri has a different approach in his Vertical forest, Bosque Vertical  


for apartment blocks in Milan, Italy.

William and Catherine Christmas Caganers

Christmas in Cataluna sees the addition of two new Caganer figurine figures for your christmas nativity scene,

  Prince William and Catherine (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).

Here they are shown wearing their wedding outfits, and having assumed the position of the pooping caganer.

See previous post on Obama Caganer here to learn about the tradition of this fertility symbol.

Caga Tió - Christmas in Catalunya, Spain

Caga Tió - Christmas in Catalunya, Spain

Christmas is coming and the poop logs are in the shops click on the link above the photograph to read about them

Apple fair photographs L'Armentera 2011

Fira de la Poma L'Armentera 2011

Cartell 2011 obra d'Inés Bordas

Local artist Inés Bordas was chosen to produce the poster for this years 'Fira de la Poma' (Apple Fair) in the town of L'Armentera.

The apples are now harvested and off to market.

Diversification in Catalunya - El Litoral overfishing and mass tourism

Diversification in Catalunya - La Sureda Cork forest

Diversification in Catalunya - Farmers creating landscapes

Diversification in Catalunya - River Ebro

Flor de Temps Girona 2011 - Flower festival

Springtime mediterranean garden

Piquancy in salad leaves

To add add a splash of welcome colour and a hint of piquancy to your salad leaf mix try growing giant red mustard leaves.

Pick the leaves when small and the plant will continue to produce,

it is also capable of standing through a mild winter before going to

seed in late spring. Save the seed for more salad leaves.

Prunus Cerasifera pissardii flowers

Prunus Cerasifera pissardii in full bloom in early spring.

Bats in the mediterranean garden.

Although this bat was dead when I found it in the garden, we appear to have a healthy colony of bats living in the top of our disused water tower. Each evening as the sun sets over the mountains we see them emerge. Their effectiveness at insect pest control is often debated but they are always welcome visitors in our garden.

On an evening we often see bats praying on night flying insects under the street lights of our village. Particularly on roundabouts along the highway.

Primavera peeps through Mediterranean winter

Spring is definitely in the air, in the garden and surrounding land blossom adorns the branches of the cherry trees and the Hoopoe is claiming territory ready for the breeding season.

Got a head start in the vegetable beds by visiting the supermarket and buying a packet of Thai organic vegetables which were rapidly approaching their sell by date. The bag contained garlic, shallots and lemon grass which I rooted before planting out in the raised beds. The Garlic and shallots are thriving. It might still be a bit cool for the lemon grass but well worth a punt.

It was March the 8th. last year that heavy snowfalls blanketed L'Alt Empordà wiping out power supplies for several days. Hopefully we haven't jumped the gun.

Achatina Fulica Giant snail invades Spain

Achatina Fulica the east african giant snail is now resident in Andalusia in southern Spain. As if we don't have enough snails of our own. This invader is known to carry several parasites which are dangerous to humans who should avoid contact with the pest. The snail should never be eaten without intensive cleaning. Consumption has proven fatal to animals.

Categorized as one of the worst on the invasive species on maturity the snail can reach 20cms long (8"). It feeds on all manner of vegetation, bones, sand and even concrete. It is able to seal itself inside its own shell enabling the snail to survive droughts as long as three years.

GM lobby opens door to EU food chain

Photograph: Martin Argles for the Observer

Genetically modified crops will be allowed to enter the UK food chain without the need for regulatory clearance for the first time under controversial plans expected to be approved this week....

Relaxing the EU's zero-tolerance position would greatly benefit US feed exporters. The push for Europe to drop its zero-tolerance policy began in 2009 after EU authorities found traces of GM maize in soy shipments from the US and refused to allow its entry. Such recalls are expensive and those affected are unlikely to receive compensation.

GM supporters warn that the current zero-tolerance policy could result in a dramatic shortage of feed for livestock. But critics dismiss the claims as scaremongering and say there is no evidence to back up them up.

"This is a solution without a problem, and the price could be very high indeed when unknown genetically modified organisms are let loose in the food chain," said Eve Mitchell, food policy adviser at Food and Water Europe, a campaign group.

"Rather than ignoring EU food safety laws to help the US soy industry cut costs, we should simply buy the stuff from countries that segregate their GM properly. If it hasn't been tested, why eat it?"

Many of the GM crops, notably soy and maize, that have been found in animal feed imported into Europe are resistant to multiple herbicides. Critics blame these new GM crops for the recent rise of "super weeds" across vast tracts of the US farm belt.

Friends of the Earth Europe said it had obtained expert legal advice questioning the legality of the EU's plan. But European regulators believe that allowing the import of animal feed containing no more than 0.1% of GM traces does not jeopardise food security.

Jamie Doward

Repairing garden hand tools - Mattock

This post illustrates how to fix the wooden shaft onto the head of the various garden tools that are sold in Spain, in this case a mattock. The metal wedge which secures the shaft is called a cuña heirro forjado.

If you have to buy a new shaft for your garden hand tools, a good garden tip passed onto me by a blacksmith or farrier; is to rub up and down the handle with a hammer head or metal shaft, thereby flattening the grain and polishing the handle. A light coat of linseed oil will help keep the handle weather proof and comfortable in the hand.

Grafting citrus fruits -

If you like us are still praying that the winter has been kind to your citrus, here is something you could achieve if you master the green art of grafting. The citrus tree in the picture carries 81 different varieties of fruit, all grafted by Joe Real the owner of the tree. Read his description of what he has achieved and see further photographs by clicking on the link.

Winter weather weary, bring on Spring

Madrid (EP) .- The General Directorate of Civil Defense and Emergencies of the Ministry of Interior warned by minimum temperatures "many areas of the country" and "especially" in Catalonia.

Thus, Civil Protection warns that the minimum temperatures are very cold in many parts of the country and which may extend to -10 degrees Celsius to the regions of Catalonia.

Estate agents when selling you a house often tell you that,

Whilst sitting on your patio you can pick your own lemon for your Gin and tonic...

They never tell you that you can take the ice from the swimming pool to chill your Gin and tonic too!

Fruit squash

We bought a juicer and have been playing around with recipes with both fruit and vegetables for their health promoting benefits; but today we have been outclassed.

Down the road in Lleida a wagon overturned whilst carrying 39,000 kilos of oranges; thankfully nobody was hurt!

Stratification of stone fruit

Cold weather is rather unusually welcome at this time of year in the Mediterranean garden. Freezing temperatures help control bugs and diseases amongst the plants. They also provide an important service to growers of stone crop fruit and nut trees, after shedding their seeds the pits (or stone) of fruit and nuts need to go through a period of stratification, intense cold, before the seed is able to germinate.

Once the seed has grown to a tree the cold spell is again important. This is the reason fruit and nut orchards are at risk from rising winter average winter temperatures; without sufficient number of cold days for that particular variety the fruit will not set.

When you pick your apricot, peach, nectarine, plum, or cherry on a sunny summer day perhaps you should remember that early cold spell with a little more affection.

Tonight temperatures will range from freezing on the Mediterranean coast to -15C in the Pyrenées just a few miles away. We once recorded temperatures of -12C in our Mediterranean garden though a thick coat of mulch meant almost all of our plants survived.

Last year the cold spell was a little later falling at the beginning of March resulting in the loss of our cherry and Nispera / Loquat crop.

SEAE Organic agriculture in Spain

¿ Qué es la SEAE?.

La Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológica (SEAE), es una asociación privada, sin fines de lucro, con estatutos propios, constituida y registrada en 1992, inspirada en las sociedades técnico-científicas de otras ramas existentes en nuestro pais, con el propósito de aglutinar los esfuerzos de agricultores, técnicos, científicos y de otras personas, encaminados hacia el desarrollo de sistemas sustentables de producción agraria, fundamentados en los principios ecológicos y socioeconómicos promovidos por los movimientos de Agricultura Ecológica, cuyo objetivo fundamental es la obtención de alimentos y materias primas de máxima calidad, respetando el medio ambiente y conservando la fertilidad de la tierra, mediante la utilización óptima de los recursos locales, potenciando las culturas rurales, los valores éticos del desarrollo social y la calidad de vida.

What is SEAE?.

The Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE) is an association private, non-profit, with its own statutes, established and recorded in 1992, inspired by the technical-scientific societies other existing branches in our country, for the purpose of uniting the efforts of farmers, technicians, scientists and others aimed at developing sustainable production systems land, based on ecological principles and

socio-economic promoted by the organic farming movement, which aims is essential to obtain food and raw materials of the highest quality, respecting the environment and conserving the fertility of land, through the optimum utilization of local resources

promoting rural cultures, ethical values development social and quality of life.

Spain helps out neighbour France in green power surge

Spain has bolstered its credentials as a world leader in renewable energy by exporting electricity to France for the first time. Heavy rain and strong winds during 2010 meant that renewables - principally hydro, wind and solar power - met 35 per cent of Spanish demand.

Wind power rose by 18.5 per cent in 2010 and now meets 16 per cent of demand. Luis Atienza, managing director of Spain's electricity grid, predicted that "within three years wind power will overtake nuclear as an electricity source". At its peak, on November 9, wind power met 43 per cent of demand.

This greening of the Spanish grid has not benefited the consumer, with prices likely to rise by nine per cent in 2011. The government sets electricity prices which have no direct correlation with production costs. (The Guardian)

Electricity prices will rise 9.8 % in 2011 and that is almost 40% since 2002.

Organic composting guide - online

If you are beginning composting or would like to understand what goes on in your heap an ebook

Organic Gardeners' Composting by Steve Solomon

will help and guide you; in choice of materials,siting the heap and constructing a compost box. The guide will also inform you of the nutriment available to plants within your compost.

PART ONE:
Elementary Backyard Composting

Chapter One: What is Compost?

Chapter Two: Compost Basics

Chapter Three: Practical Compost Making

Chapter Four: All About Materials

Chapter Five: Methods and Variations

Chapter Six: Vermicomposting


PART TWO:
Composting for the Food Gardener

Chapter Seven: Humus and Soil Productivity

Chapter Eight: Maintaining Soil Humus

Chapter Nine: Making Superior Compost

Bibliography

Catalan dairy products

Our dairy farm is backed by ISO 9001-2000 quality certificate. Girona Provincial Council gave the award for best milk in the surrounding region

La Fageda has an annual turnover of 10 million euros and sells 35 millions yoghurts. Competing with some of the world’s largest food producers, La Fageda offers high-quality dairy products while ensuring social and labour integration for people with mental disabilities.

La Fageda is a cooperative of 270 workers, of which 150 suffer some form of mental illness or handicap. The cooperative is owned by the workers, who become shareholders by paying 60 euros upon entry. A support programme has also been developed and comprises of a group of psychologists who follow each worker's personal and professional rehabilitation.

Case Study by Delphi Jarrett

Karlos Arguiñano Nochebuena Christmas Eve

Karlos Arguiñano the chef on the Antena3 TV channel shows you how to cook a celebratory dinner for Nochebuena (the good night or Christmas Eve) The broadcasts are in Spanish but the demonstrations are easy to follow.

Click here to watch the videos - no need to download.

Feliz Navidad

Forest horse craft

The snowfall of March 8 (2010) left most forests of the region looking bleak.

Trees on the ground, broken branches ..The job is enormous. ...However, we continue the work of clearing.

There are several options. For example, entering the forest machines and do a thorough cleaning.Obviously the machine accelerates the tasks, but also has consequences for the forest, as well as the necessary damages trees and plants, and wildlife, the environment.

A greener and less invasive alternative is the use of horses. Horses like Ainat, four years, owned Rafael Mariner, working in some woods dragging logs and branches to remove(them).

The horse race is a Ainat Asturcón (small horses, but very strong, rustic and brave, very suitable for the drag). The Asturcón are one of the oldest breeds in Europe and have the same trunk that genetic extinct horse Catalan.

These days, Ainat is working on a private estate in the neighborhood of Verneda of Cassa de la Selva. It is a mountain of 3 hectares of cork oak and strawberry tree alsina.

Jose Homs, owner of dressage Vilert center, along with people of Arc Can Puig de Sant Ferriol, works in the mountains with Ainat.Homs is hook for dressage and horse-drawn carriage and has the Ainat to perfect it.

Usually takes about three months to teach them to drag. "We can not blow them all the weight you are able to, drag so much (at the) expense (they) lose confidence, and then not do it. We must start with little weight to increase it, "says Homs.Mariner explains how a horse of this kind can drag 200 or 300 pounds.

Homs and Ainat to penetrate between the trees on the mountain. The trainer collects logs and branches, which binds with ropes and chains behind the horse. Then ... down the mountain until the road where the rubbish left on the sidelines.

When the wood is going to ...a clean machine crusher which will revert all the vegetable matter and shoot again in the forest crumbled (mulch) . The entire process for the estate of 3 acres of Cass, will last about a week. After (they are) already waiting in Canet d'Adri.....

Jordi Nadal EL Punt