To figure out how MUCH happened in the last weeks I need to go back through, diary style. The energy of Spring is just amazing and I feel very healthy as I’m working on the Rovira Regenerativa and Boodaville business plan, while living life with the children to the full, and meeting wonderful people along the way.
The only thing I haven’t been doing much these weeks is following the news, or looking at a screen. My whiteboard creations while watching the rain outside were an absolute marvel.
It all started with Angela’s plant give away and wine drinking. From there I was with an old and very wonderful friend at the land talking intensely about the business plan, in between re-homing some succulents, nasturtium, and tomatoes from Angela. Monday I visited the Biochar burn with Nick, Jordi and the volunteers, then spent an hour with David at his plant nursery in El Pinell, and had a meeting with Felip at the local government office in Gandesa to talk about the grant for young farmers. I got home to the finca before the rain – and spent a few hours wondering what would happen if it didn’t stop, because I had both cars up at the finca – on the other side of the mud from civilization. Every time it stops raining I think it won’t rain again until September.. and then there’s more!!
Tuesday, after some busy hours fixing bikes (including a sneaky little bike ride myself), checking the car, organising cash and catching up with some Calaceite friends over breakfast, I got stuck into whiteboards and finally spreadsheets to get my head around the budget, risks, and potential awesomeness of the business plan (extending the activities existing non-profit). Once again I got back to the finca just before the rain, but today I’d moved the family car to safety.
Wednesday was a monster with an intense, and rather cold, meeting with the 4 volunteers, followed by the planting of the “Green Islands” in the Food Forest. I met Miquel for a tour of the Arboretum in Caseres and had some interesting chats with neighbours about possible land for a plant nursery, and then passed by the Ayuntamiento and had a friendly chat with them about steps for building permissions. I showered and left almost on time, met Lourdes in Creixell/Torredembarra who has a house and a flat downstairs that we could potentially rent – if there’s any problem with the current plan. Then got back to BCN in time to spend the evening with the kids.
Thursday was the beginning of the bank holiday weekend. Me and the kids packed and got in the car, had lunch in traffic, bumbled around the supermarket to get our food and most of the Easter Egg hunt needs, stopped in Gandesa for the last couple of things, and arrived at the land for some beautiful hours of afternoon light. My moment of perfection – happy children playing with clay paint, me pottering around getting things looking nice for the event on Saturday. Then at 19:45 we got back in the car to pick up the volunteers who came round for dinner and sleepover.
Friday was, in theory, a relaxed day but there was a lot to prepare for the Easter event, and also I was aware that we needed to sort out the watering plan and get the plants we had around into the ground. We got quite close to the end of the list before leaving to pick up Bas from Mora la Nova. He got in the car and I quickly realised he thought we were sleeping in the village! He adapted very well and enjoyed finca life though.
Saturday was Easter Egg Hunt day! As usual tasks took longer than expected, but we made it. The event was perfectly small with 6 kids participating in the hunt and the team challenges. The vermouth was served chilled with ice, oranges and olives. We set up the donation pot on the bar which worked well and costs were covered.
In the afternoon we were back in the village to be with the Penya de Suquet children and watch their Sant Jordi theatre show – they did a great job! And raised over 100 euros too.
Sunday morning was so relaxed and beautiful at the land, breakfast outside by the trampoline. The kids were a little less happy now the big event had passed, but we didn’t leave the finca all day and there weren’t too many screens. The watering and planting situation became urgent so I called our wonderful neighbour Jim, and got a little late with dinner while I planted the last things. The problem is that there is a whole week where none of the volunteers are here, and I’m also away because of a kid calender change, and we just planted seeds that we want to germinate as soon as possible.
Monday was a total mission to pack, show Jim the watering plan, shower all the kids, drop Bas in time for his train, and then get to Easter family lunch in Sant Cugat, oh and drop of the last of Angela’s plants in the huerto at La Fábrica. We would have been half an hour late, but we were with the whole world returning to the city and spent another journey in traffic to arrive over an hour late. I crashed out the whole afternoon!
Tuesday the kids were back at school, and I was back in the office after so many days away, I’m writing this partly to get my head around what happened and help clarify my goals for the next weeks. Trying to take the steps in the right order, and have the right conversations with the right people at the right time. I find that my daily meditation really helps me find calm and flow, and gives space for the universe to show me what’s important. Sort of anyway – today I forgot a private class and Kira’s piano lesson, but had an amazing communication with Marc in the village about possible land to buy.
Boodaville finca and Rovira Regenerativa
The finca received almost 30mm of rain this week and it is looking beautiful. We planted 4 Green Islands in the Food Forest. The fourth one we changed the design a little and didn’t dig a pit for water retention. The areas we dug looked so dead after we removed a small amount of alfalfa, it dries out so quickly. In the fourth island we popped the seeds in the spaces between the cover crop plants. The islands are places we will water and keep alive all summer. There are cow peas, sunflower and pumpkin, a three sisters combo, plus some other perennials and trees that might grow.
We also planted – succulents in the cactus garden and bed near the house, two more tomatoes in the wicking beds, 2 oreganos in the herb area, 1 pomegranate in the food forest in a green island, 2 oaks in the madroño/life terra area of the food forest. I created a watering plan – I love the appropriate technology for layering – tracing paper layers, a steady hand, and a photograph.
The site is looking tidy, the hide-away in the house is brilliant. I have a mental shopping list, which I need to write down, for some items that would help make living more comfortable. The fridge has been cleaned and works fine.
Rovira is moving very fast to get to a viable business plan by the middle of May. I’m also aware that Boodaville Finca “Natural Classroom” is now ready to roll, as long as we find someone to live there – (we have another potential gap while I’m in UK from mid-july).
other Boodaville projects / overall admin of the Association
There are still some places available on the RegenerACT Youth Exchange at Mas La Llum in June. We are on target with the timeline for organising the exchange.
The volunteering opportunities starting in July are advertised on the PASS system and we will contact people who have already expressed interest before the end of the month.
In May we should receive news from the latest funding round and we can then confirm the projects and budgets until the end of 2026.
When we have capacity we can organise more funded volunteers that are hosted in other farms. Cova Fullola would like to repeat, Casa Algaia are interested too.
The website has now switched to hosting with Krystal – an ethical option, using renewable energy. The malware problems have been solved, and with the next Barcelona volunteers we will work to get all the content organised correctly, so people can still see the stories of Boodaville. (In the future with a self-guided tour with QR codes)
Enjoy the pictures! If you open any picture in a new tab, the file name is the caption for the picture, including plant names.
