Ali
a) How I heard about Finca Luna
I went here for woofing in 2003(?) , and I´ve tried to keep in touch with Stella since then. I didn´t felt like I was entirely done with finca luna when I left, and had the dream to sometime come back.
b) WHY I CAME HERE
I´m in a gardenschool now, it´s a two year education, and among all it cantains a project, that means, you can do almost anything you like. So I decided to do my project on finca, with the title “tree care at a permaculture farm”
c) WHAT I LIKED about working at Finca Luna
This is a very good way of turning something difficult (school) into something fun.
The silence.
The sun, that is warm, and up for the entire day.
The meetings that help the work proceed, I need a little bit of organisation in my daily life I suppose.
Karlos, Sara, Stella, catty, chickens.
Things are growing and alive!
Working with trees
Teaching pruning. When you past on knowledge, you understand you've got it, I realize I didn't go to school for nothing.
Climbing trees
Feeling to be a part of a bigger process, that is a good process that I want to support.
d) WHAT I DIDN´T LIKE about it
Practical things like missing a ladder, and problems with the chainsaw that doesn't work properly, and not feeling like I can do very much about it. Annoying!
When one dog starts do bark somewhere in las Tricias, every dog in the baranca would start do bark, which gives you 20 dogs barking together in a choir with a great eco…
Being a bit unprepared for the sunshine, being slightly allergic to sunshine (my skin, not me)
e) NEW things I experienced, tried and saw whilst here
Entirely different climate, means an entirely way of thinking in pruning and gardening. And that includes everything. The most is the opposite from what I'm used to.
Thinking in terraces
Thinking about making planting and different kind of models for the water to stay in the ground
Thinking in aspect of creating shadow and cool down the place with trees.
f) WHAT I LEARNED here
Making swales.
I red a nice book, “how to make a forest garden” learned some from that.
To cool down about feeling sick of going to school.
That I learned a lot in school that will be useful for the rest of my life.
Thinking of gardening in a more permculture kind of way (which means a lot).
A little about “exotic” plants.
See the difference between red and white mulberry.
g) WHAT was challenging
Missing Håkan (my boyfriend), feeling homesick sometimes despite being on such a beautiful place
The almond started to flower around new-year, which means it's a very bad time for pruning.
It took me a long time to start to feel like I was actually doing some work.
To have a plan and follow it, not start to work with all the other things you can do at a nice finca like this, keep sharp.
h) WHAT I would do differently next time
Stay for a longer time, even though you might do very detailed plans, it takes you some time to get settled and started on a place. But if I come back next year I'd know the place and the trees all ready.
I would have a close look at the website.
i) MY FUTURE plans
Go home and finish the presentation of what I did hear so I can present it to my schoolmates.
Hopefully my boyfriend and me find a house to rent where we could live with some other people and animals, having a wonderful garden.
Try to work in a nursery I think.
