Casalinho

Author: Andrea

  • Permaculture Designs

    Our recent Permaculture Design Course culminated in a design exercise, taking the lower part of the property as the focus and me as the ‘client’. The designs were full of innovative ideas, and it was really interesting to see how closely some of the ideas matched my own. Here they are, group by group. Group more »

  • Life post-PDC

    It feels like a long time since I’ve sat down and written anything for the blog. My apologies, we’ve been so busy that I’ve been falling asleep every time my bum hits a chair! With the assistance of an absolutely fabulous bunch of volunteers we managed to get our new Volunteer Space / Training Room more »

  • In the Kitchen: Elderflower Cordial

    The edges of fields are now white with elderflowers, and their perfume is positively delicious. There are a host of wonderful things you can do with elderflowers, but our family favourite is elderflower cordial. I’ve no idea now where it originally came from, but the recipe I use uses 40 flower heads per batch. 2.5 more »

  • Cabrito Assado: In the Kitchen with Your Goat

    Those of you who have been following the blog will know that we recently killed our young goat for the table. If not, check out Goat Butchery for Beginners. So now that you have goat meat, what’s the best way to deal with it? Chop it into chunks. Pop it in a dish with a lid more »

  • Cabrito Assado: Goat Butchery for Beginners

    The deed has been done and Assado, our young male goat, is no more. Those who would prefer not to learn about how to butcher a goat should probably not read further. From experience though, I know that many of our volunteers are really interested in learning more about the process. I salute them, because more »

  • Mix and Match Goats

    We’ve done a trade with a neighbour. Branchina, our lovely older goat, has gone off to pastures new and we’ve just welcomed Bonita to our little flock. Bonita is a much younger goat but we decided it was a good idea to introduce some different blood as all our goats have been one family group to more »

  • The Nursery Wing!

    There’s a nasty disease that I’ve been unable to name which kills rabbits around here. Unfortunately a case of it hit here last week and we lost most of our rabbits with no warning 🙁 It was particularly upsetting as three of the adults who died were fairly new mothers with litters still tucked up more »

  • Casalinho’s Maggot Breeding Enterprise

    This is my attempt to provide additional protein for the poultry, giving them a better diet whilst reducing my feed bill. Stop reading now if you’re of a delicate disposition, but before you dismiss maggot breeding as feed just consider that it’s a free product produced out of something that would be otherwise wasted. Until more »

  • Tomatoes, Peppers and Endless Quantities of Manure

    With Spring very much here it’s been time to transplant out the young plants this week.  We’ve got some spectacular tomato supports in place, started a few weeks ago in the rain and finished this week in blazing sunshine 🙂     There are around 180 little tomato plants under there! In front are 200 more »

  • Spring Flowers

    Casalinho is full of colour just now, with Spring flowers everywhere. These are a few of my favourites, but I’m afraid I’ve no idea what they’re called. This one is some sort of orchid. We have them growing at the sides of the stream.     These white ones are on a bush which grows more »