Magical Santa Paloma
During recent months I have been trying to live my life in a much greener way than before. I started recycling, feverishly changed my light bulbs, bought a solar powered water fountain and even harvested my first batch of artisan compost.
And as I was ready to give myself a nice green pat on the back, my friend Jacques Jordaan of East London showed me what’s really possible.
Jacques is the owner of Santa Paloma, a unique guest farm on the outskirts of East London in the Eastern Cape, and a real green entrepreneur. Always looking for the next opportunity and how the community, environment and next generation can benefit from his projects.
Santa Paloma is a beautiful 30 hectare piece of land and consists of an untouched indigenous forest of approximately 10 hectare that hosts natural flora and fauna and 20 hectare of grass lands on two north facing hill sides.
With property like this, most people will try to keep this beauty to themselves. To protect it from vandalism and many other reasons they can easily fabricate. But not so with Jacques. He envisaged the idea of a sustainable living opportunity on Santa Paloma. With this opportunity he wants to form a self sustainable off the grid community, where like-minded families could live and build themselves a low impact home and grow organic gardens, be involved with permaculture and experiment with alternative technologies.
Wow! Superfragilisticexpialidocious!
Just when I thought this idea was mind blowing, the people of Green Living East London came up with a new one … their first Share Fair on Saturday 17 November. And Santa Paloma agreed to host this event. The aim with this fair was to bring together people interested in creating a positive change to our earth. And while doing this, they would share/trade/pass forward fresh produce, seeds, cuttings, homemade goods, things they don’t need but can’t bear to bin, knowledge, skills, creative expressions etcetera.
Belinda reported the following from Santa Paloma: The Share Fair was really great and we had over 60 people on the farm; which was even better!
There was no money allowed on the farm that day so everyone bought a plate or bowl of food and we set up a table in the middle of the hall and everyone just ate from the food. Then, the goods that people bought with – you could either barter with them/ exchange for what you had and they wanted or you registered on CES – community exchange system and then there was a talent exchange.
We had musicians playing and some talks over the fruit forest we were doing and the organic garden as well as the holistic management program we are following.
There was also no electricity; so we had an outdoor shower going – working on the donkey system and people cooked with solar cookers and it all went down very well indeed.
We were like minded people and the ideas that came from this group were amazing!
In a time where material garbage take priority in a lot of people’s lives, Jacques, Green Living EL and the people of Santa Paloma is showing the way of what sustainable living is really about. They are an example and inspiration of what can be done if you are really willing to share.
Let me get back to the bin to work on my second batch of compost. Maybe I will be able to trade some of it at the next Share Fair?
If not; I will bake some bread!
Conservation is state of harmony between man and land. – Aldo Leopold
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the world. – John Muir
We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. – Thomas Fuller
And there was music!
