World Permaculture: Rahovitza Food Forest

Owners :
-Varvara : Building Architect, specialized in Eco-constructions and earth building

   -Markus: Physicist

Helpers informations:
   -Farmers: Pierrick and Adeline
   -Work period: 1 week
   -Month : April

Farm information:
   -Website : HERE
   -Localisation: Kosovo village (Bulgaria)
   -Altitude: 980m
   -Surface: Total: 1,7 ha
   -Field : steep and stony
   -Size of the food forest: 1000-2000 sq

   -Album Photo: HERE

Rahovitza food forest is situated in the Rhodopes mountains in south Bulgaria. 50 km from Plovdiv, on the road 86 to Chepelare.

Rahovitza is a real charming place, really idyllic. Varvara and Markus bought the place in 2000 with the land and 3 buildings in ruins dating back to 1900. (2 houses and 1 barn).

Slowly, they have reconstructed everything especially with the architectural knowledge of Varvara.

This project is also a cooperative project. More than 200 people have come to help since the beginning of the adventure! People from everywhere.

To complete the "group",permaculture teachers (friend of Markus and Varvara) joined the project and workers from the village and around were employed.

Click on the map to enlarge

Project 1 : The 3 buildings redesigned and restored

At the beginning, they started to restore with a new project, especially using Eco-construction in mud and the materials of the old buildings.

When they started the restoration of the first house, the main access was just a hiking path. All the materials were hold on about 400 m.

The Path was widened only 2 years ago thanks to a backhoe. A benediction to transport all the materials. Only then started the restoration of the second house.

House n°1


House n°2

Barn

Concerning the electricity: The 2 houses are supplied by solar electricity. The first house with 7W LED bulbs and just one 25W bulb for the kitchen. A small solar panel is enought for all the house.

In this 1rst house, there is no 220V. All the electric plug are with 12v.

Small solar panel for the first house

The second house is almost finished (normally this summer 2014). For this one, Varvara and Markus invested in 2 solar panels in order to have 220V in the house. All the installations cost around 3000 Ђ and they use 3W LED blubs.

Solar panels for the 220V

Finally, to complete the sanitary, they created dry toilets between the 2 houses.

Dry toilets

Project 2 : The Food Forest

The food forest was established in 2011. The plan was injured by Varvara and discussed with Mihail who gave its "approval".

Right now, at the beginning of the 3rd year, the trees have grown quite slowly. Maybe because of the soil, stony and not enough rich in nutrients, or because the temperatures or lack of water. There may be many explanations....

We hope this year it will be the real start of the vegetation.