Activities

Our organisation operates on a plot of land where we apply permaculture principles. We plant an edible forest in that field, expand an organic garden close to our farm house, and plan to make a natural pond and other water management structures.

Our aim is to give the land the best care, so it brings as much diversity & fruits for the next generations as possible. We wish for a reasonable food sufficiency for people in the ecovillage, and to grow plants & herbs to be used in our projects – Raw desserts, Fermentation, Kombucha drinks, various natural medicines & cosmetics, etc. We produce fermented foods, kimchi, sauerkrauts, mustards, spreads, crackers, etc. Our raw products are cocoa balls, walnut cakes, poppy seed cakes & various cakes made from fresh, local, seasonal fruits. We also produce kombucha based drinks, tinctures, herb balsamics and medicines and local herbal teas.

1. Gardening and Edible Forest
2. Fermentation
3. Raw Sweets Production
4. Kombucha Brewing
5. Vegan Cooking
6. Clean-ups
7. Zero Waste Shop
8. Natural Building
9. Carpet Weaving
10. Our Workshop Offer

Gardening and Edible Forest

The participants will be preparing the grow beds, planting seeds and seedlings, watering the plants, mulching the beds, harvesting the fruits, cutting the grass, taking out weeds and other tasks related to gardening. They will also learn how to prepare ground for planting trees, as well as plant trees, water and mulch the newly planted trees. Their role will be a supportive one – they will assist our main gardener, volunteers will learn a lot from her, and they may also take care of some of the tasks on their own.

Fermentation

The first aim of fermentation is to preserve the vegetables that we grow on our land. Thanks to fermentation we have fresh vegetables available even during the winter, supplying us with vitamins & enzymes.

There are many fermented foods, and every culture has a few typical ferments – bread, wine, cheese, yoghurt, sauerkraut, etc. Through the fermentation activities, the participants will learn about traditional Czech fermented food. They will be invited to share recipes of the typical fermented food from their country of origin.

The participants will be preparing vegetables – washing, cutting, desteming. They will be preparing raw sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, crackers, spreads, mustards, etc. They will be implementing various fermentation techniques, pickling, brewing, etc. They will be assisting Hynek who does fermentation in our community, and volunteers will learn the whole process, many recipes, experiences and principles from him.

Raw Sweets Production

Seven years ago we launched a project called FruityDay with the aim to provide a healthy alternative to mainstream (festive) sweets. The Czech dessert industry is unhealthy, processed, full of sugar and artificial flavours. Our raw sweets are organic, raw vegan, made of dried fruits & nuts, consisting of only 3 to 5 natural ingredients. We are inspiring many people that sweets can be tasteful while healthy. And, that everyone can make their own fruit based sweets for themself & children.

Another aim of this activity is to preserve the fruit we harvest from bushes & trees that grow on our land, and in the nearby wild nature. We preserve the food by dehydrating it, making cakes out of it or freezing it for later use.

The volunteers will share these ideas & inspiration with people around them, making people – especially the youngest – to eat a minimum of processed sweets, and substitute them with healthy raw fruit based sweets.

The participants will be preparing fruit – washing, cutting, desteming, etc. They will be making cakes from fresh fruit. They will be processing dried fruits & nuts into the raw sweets. They will be hand making balls, walnuts & cakes out of the rough processed paste. At the beginning they will be assisting Jitka – who leads the raw production in our community and will be teaching the whole process to the volunteers. Later on they could do the whole activity in a group. The activity consists of processing the fruit and nuts (1⁄3 of the activity) and making the paste into balls and other products (2⁄3 of the activity). The 2⁄3 of the activity is very enjoyable because the participants can sit around the table, have conversations, share stories & experiences while making the products.

Kombucha Brewing

The aim of Kombucha brewing is to use the herbs & fruits that we grow on our land, to make home made medicines that improve our immunity when we are feeling ill or sick.

Kombucha is a versatile culture, and the importance of it is more and more clear, not like a fancy drink, but as a vinegar base for all kinds of natural medicines. Kombucha produces nano bacterial cellulose that can also be of various use. It is important that the volunteers experience and get to know about these possibilities.

The participants will be preparing herbs, harvesting, seeing where and how they grow, learning about their benefits. Then they will prepare the herbs, wash, cut, etc. Volunteers will learn how to multiply and brew kombucha, how to take care of it, how to recognize that the process went well, and how to make tinctures and medicines. They will be assisting Hynek – the main guy who does kombucha brewing in our community and will be learning the whole process & principles from him.

Vegan Cooking

The participants will be preparing vegetables, cooking, baking, steaming and processing food. They will always make a big salad for every meal plus some cooked vegan meal. Often they will make raw vegan meals. The volunteers will learn about vegan lifestyle and its health benefits. They will learn to prepare vegan meals, make raw coconut yogurt, bake breads, preserve food, etc.

 At the beginning they will be assisting our cooks and will be learning the various recipes and processes from them. Later on they could do the whole activity in pairs with other volunteers. 

The participants will learn vegan and raw vegan recipes and will be able to do it by themselves at home when they finish their stay. They could experience this healthy way of eating and may continue with it while at home. Like this they can improve their diet and become more healthy. They will gain a very useful skill that will help them to become more self- reliant and self-sufficient, and will help their employability.

Clean-ups

Every project & person needs these basic activities like cooking and cleaning to be sustainable. Maintaining a clean environment is crucial for general wellbeing. We have chosen to apply only non toxic products in our household because it is more sustainable and ecological. 

The participants will be taking care of the kitchen and cleaning using simple non toxic natural detergents. They will be taught about the clean ups and non toxic detergents at the beginning of their stay. Later on they will be able to do the whole process including the clean ups by themselves.

The participants will learn about the benefits of a non toxic household. They will learn how to make their own detergents using simple non toxic substances. They can employ these practices in their own homes, maintain a healthy household and reach a higher level of sustainability.

Zero Waste Shop

The participants will learn and take care of the basic operation of a zero waste shop. We operate it by ordering dry groceries in 10-25kg bags, which need to be redistributed into smaller containers. The participants will be helping with that. The participants will also learn about the benefits of operating a zero waste shop for the community. They would be able to learn about the management of such a shop.

Natural Building 

Our aim is to reach approximately 30-40 people in the future. We would like to develop a fully functioning ecovillage with many activities. Therefore we need to construct various structures to fulfil this aim. All the constructions should be done using natural materials with minimum carbon footprint. Many people will be inspired to live in a more natural way, using less resources, and to live in a community with similarly thinking people in order to create a permaculture place.

The participants will be building structures using mostly natural materials (wood, straw and clay) founded on self- sustaining principles. They will perform various tasks related to construction. They will learn various crafts like basic carpentry and woodwork, wall plastering, painting, work with clay, etc.

Their role will be a supportive one – they will assist our main builders, will learn from them and they may also perform some of the tasks on their own.

Carpet Weaving

As an interesting addition, the participants will be taught carpet weaving on traditional wooden looms. We use old scrap textiles as a base material for the carpets. Like this, old beddings, towels, t-shirts and other textiles can be reused in a beautiful and useful way. The carpets will then be used in our buildings. The participants will be able to make a carpet for themselves to take home as a memory of their stay.

The participants could learn carpet weaving from Markéta. They could weave carpets for themselves and for the community. This activity is meant as an interesting addition to other activities. The participants will learn how to weave carpets on traditional wooden looms. They will learn how to recycle old textiles and will gain an interesting artistic skill.

Our Workshop Offer