By admin on February 8, 2010
Whatever the future holds for the farm at Semilla Besada, situated high above Lanjaron in the Alpujarras region of Andalucia, it will always be known to us as “David and Aspen’s place”.
Posted in Alpujarra life, Self sufficiency
By ricardo on April 14, 2009
Everybody hard at work in the “Campo” planting crops at the moment. Emma, Kiersten and Jorge have been busy all day. We have had some recent nocturnal visits from jabali (wild boar), presumably interested too! Trying to figure out a way to keep the crops protected?
Posted in Alpujarra life, Self sufficiency
By ricardo on September 4, 2008
So we have more tomatoes than we know what to do with. Weve eaten them with most meals for the last month, made gallons of Tomato Frito (Puree) and still have left overs. Those remaining are getting very soft and ripe. We need to do something quick!
Making ones own derivative to Heinz Tomato Sauce is [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency
By admin on August 24, 2008
We were given some millet seeds some time ago by David and Aspen of Semilla Besada. Not really knowing what we were doing we did the sensible thing, shoved them in a free part of the “campo” and made sure they were regularly watered. Now in the space of a few months they have grown [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency
By admin on August 11, 2008
Our friends David and Aspen Edge have set up a blog to record their experiences at Semilla Besada, here in the Alpujarras. Semilla Besada is concerned with Sustainable Stewardship of Life, Land and Livelihood. They aim to create sustainable life, land and livelihood design in brittle environments through their
educational seminars,
bookshop,
unique [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency
By ricardo on July 1, 2008
Bugger! You spend the whole spring sorting water out for the vegetables, religiously caring for their every needs. Then the summer comes around and we have 6ft high sweetcorn plants festooned with corn ears. Mmmm, I can see them now, roasting gently on the barbie!
However, along comes this little “thing” (I used much stronger language [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency | Tagged corn rootworm beetle, sweet corn
By ricardo on June 28, 2008
Do you remember the old days when a onion sellers from France or Spain cycled through the UK carrying onions and wearing berets? Do they still do that or have Tesco’s put them out of business as well?
Anyway, I had a go at stringing onions, of which a wealth of information is found on the [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency
By ricardo on June 15, 2008
Friends David and Aspen Edge at Semilla Besada above Lanjaron, have always argued that, one day, due to the high cost of fuel, tourists will stop coming here, food prices will rocket and there will be petrol shortages. A big argument to get started on the road to self sufficiency?
Well, it seems to have started! This [...]
Posted in News, Self sufficiency | Tagged fuel shortage, Self sufficiency, vegetables
By ricardo on May 29, 2008
“In the world we must live in from now on, to produce our own food is the beginning of independence and to accept that responsibility is to take the first step towards real freedom”
Gene Logsden ( Small Scale Grain Growing)
Ok, we may not be the best veggie growers around but we are learning quick!
“Call that a [...]
Posted in Self sufficiency | Tagged alpujarras, growing, vegetables
By ricardo on May 27, 2008
It’s that time of year again. The waters from the snowmelt of the high Sierra Nevada are flowing strongly. Soon this will end, and from mid-June to October or November we can expect little irrigation water. So the time is ripe for all good “camposinos” (country workers) to water their lands before the summer droughts
Now [...]
Posted in Alpujarra life, Self sufficiency | Tagged acequia, irrigation
Mountain and Leonberger loving recluse, now living in Spain's Sierra
Nevada mountains
