O Fojo Permaculture O Fojo Permaculture

O Fojo is the people that makes part of it. Deep gratitude to you all!

In 2008 this abandoned land choose us to come and start to clear it, starting this way, one of the first practical experiences of Permaculture in Portugal. At that time there were not much to see and not much to tell to people about Permaculture in Portugal. After one year clearing the land meanwhile observing it, we have lauched our blog O Fojo | Permacultura em Acção and with it, the first event named Experiências de Permacultura n’O Fojo (Permaculture Experiences at O Fojo).

In 2010, after a boom of visitors, volunteers, supporters, newspaper interviews, participants and talks all over the country, we have launched our first big and with a fee participation event: Mãos na Terra (Hands on Earth) 2010 | Experimental Bioconstruction Event at O Fojo , in which we built the structure of the main building of O Fojo, in 28 days. Beautiful and transformation days with lots of challenges, learning, sharing and happiness.

Since then, the courses, events, volunteering, internships and the implementation itself grew exponentially and with not much ecological travelling from Lisbon and to Lisbon back… In September 2011, after a decision to get out from the city and fully dedicate ourselves to the project, the founders Maurício and Filipa moved finally to the land. There was no house finished and the “safety” of a job in the city was either no more there.

With lots of love and really few resources we lived from the garden for months and spent our first very hard winter there, saved by a small wooden cabin and a tepee where we use to cook and spend the time when it was raining too much. Friends were the most precious help and support we could count along the way. It was a very beautiful and, at the same time, hard time for us as a couple. An incredible opportunity to surrender to the new life we chose to live. Anicca.

After 23 Permaculture Experiences by donation, 3 Permaculture Introductory Courses in gift economy, 2 Feminine Encounters, 3 Mãos na Terra (Hands on Earth) Bioconstruction Events, 2 Internships, 2 Agriculture and Community Living Programs, many gardening and building volunteer periods and, with those, more than 800 people participating in our personal and project evolution, our relationship got to an end in 2013 in midst of personal losses and burn outs. Since then the project was in stand by until August 2015.

After two years of travelling to apply and educate Permaculture in Brazil, Peru, Romania and Portugal, In August 2015, Maurício returned alone to the land and he is rebooting this new phase of O Fojo. Lots of clearing again, lots of integration and thinking to decide carefully the new steps to take, lots of challenges to cross over and lots of possibilities now, as the direction of the project is now only in this entrepreneur hands.

The first events has taken already place at O Fojo in August 2015 with a volunteer period and the 1st Permaculture Design Course at this Project. There is a whole new spectrum of events this year of 2016 is bringing to the public and to the new phase of O Fojo implementation. Be sure you find a way to connect wit us and make part of this big family of O Fojo! We are counting on you!

This site is designed to show you the process of implementation of O Fojo and to reach out our word to a more extend audience. Here you will find the past and the future of this iconic Permaculture project in Portugal.

Enjoy it! Join us!