Introduction to the Project Framework

In March 2024, we kicked off a new chapter in our regenerative efforts at Quinta Vale da Lama with the launch of our internal Permaculture Design Course (PDC). This program brings together staff, interns, and volunteers for a 6-month journey of learning and hands-on experience, with the goal of developing a final design project.

This time, rather than each participant choosing their own focus, a group of people decided to join forces. There common ground? The West Garden — a space full of potential and ripe for transformation. And so began the Permaculture Design project for the West Garden.

Over twelve weeks, four participants — Bart, Gracia, Henrique, and Anna — worked through each design phase, guided by lectures from Lesley Martin and practical sessions led by Hugo Oliveira using the WeLand toolkit. The result? A Permaculture Design study arround the West Garden presented to the wider team and now in the process of being implemented.

Let’s take a moment to introduce the team and set the scene.

Who Are We?

• Bart – Market Garden Steward | Bart cared for the Market Garden from 2017-2025
  
• Gracia – Intern | Gracia participated in the winter internship of 2023-24 in the Market Garden
  
• Henrique – Market Garden facilitator | Henrique has been working in the Market Garden for the last two years.
  
• Anna – Volunteer & designer | Anna has been lending a helping hand and joined the PDC
  

Why the West Garden?

Normally, each participant in the internal PDC chooses an individual project. This time, a shared idea took root — why not work together on the West Garden?

This particular plot, once productive, had been paused for a while. Overrun with perennial weeds and in need of a fresh vision, it was the perfect candidate for a collaborative permaculture design process. With its own microclimate, unique soil conditions, and a long history tied to the farm’s evolution (click here to see the timeline of the West Garden Project), the West Garden had more than enough personality to work with — and was calling out for regeneration.

What (or Who) is the West Garden?

At Quinta Vale da Lama, we have two Market Gardens, the East and West Gardens. They are separated by the public road and each has its unique microclimate, soil quality, and history. While the East Garden remained productive, the West Garden entered a moment of rest and reflection.

The West Garden isn’t just a piece of land; there is a history attached to it. It’s a character in this story. A landscape with needs, challenges, and immense potential. You can learn more about the history of the West Garden on the timeline (the history analysis was brought together during the design process).

Since production in the West Garden was at this stage on hold and the perennial weeds were a large obstacle to overcome, it was clear that the land needed a holistic design method to move forward. Having Lesley Martin and Hugo Oliveira guide this process using Permaculture ethics, principles, and design tools meant that there was a solid base to work from. Mix in some eager beavers ready to take on a challenge, and there you have it: a recipe for a good beginning for a regenerative design project.

As the garden steward, Bart was chosen to act as the client for this project, channeling Walt and Nita’s wishes and needs for the farm, and Gracia, Henrique, and Anna took on the role of designers. Throughout the course of around 12 weeks, the participants went from learning to understand the client’s needs and feeling the landscape (something which will be elaborated on later) to the final design presentation. After presenting the proposal to the whole farm’s team, the project was taken on for implementation.

A Quick Note on Permaculture

“On the surface, permaculture is often about designing eco-groovy, perennially edible landscapes, gardens, and farms. On a deeper level, permaculture is about the conscious design of ecological cultures.” — (From Decolonizing Permaculture, resilience.org) Learn more here.

Before getting started…

A quick disclaimer: At Quinta Vale da Lama, we’re experimenting openly with different techniques and methods, each with its own strengths and flaws. We don’t claim to have all the answers. Instead, we explore, test, and adapt.

By sharing this process, we aim to be as transparent as possible. Regeneration — whether of land or culture — is a journey that requires patience, humility, and a willingness to learn. It’s also important to balance the farm’s need for financial income, which supports both its operations and the livelihoods of its staff, with the long-term goal of building healthy soil and contributing to ecosystem regeneration. There’s no single right way; every step is a chance to learn. What works here might work elsewhere, or it might lead to something entirely different. The goal is to try, observe, and grow.

In the following blog post, each phase of the project will be explored in detail. We aim to give you — dear reader — a sense of how the process unfolded, to inspire you with methods that resonate, and to share the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned permaculturist or simply curious about the term and its meaning, we’re glad you’re here and excited to have you with us on this journey. So let’s begin! 

Phase 1
Identify Goals, Needs, and Challenges

In any design process, the first step is to gather key insights, understand the context, and set clear goals. For the designers this meant working closely with Bart (the Market Garden steward), who has been actively caring for the gardens for over eight years. As the designated client for this project, Bart channeled the broader vision of Quinta Vale da Lama while helping us hone in on the specific needs and challenges for the West Garden.

Main Goals for the West Garden

• Increase biodiversity – A core permaculture goal, ensuring the land hosts a wide variety of species.
• Create more shade during summer months – Essential for temperature regulation and crop health.
• Provide wind protection – Important to reduce erosion and ensure plant stability.
• Increase food production – Expanding the farm’s capacity to grow more food sustainably.
• Alignment with regenerative principles – This goal emerged later in the process, emphasizing the need for designs that harmonize with the farm’s broader sustainability and regenerative practices. (Note: Market Garden is sometimes seen as not fully regenerative, so this alignment became a priority for long-term growth.)
  

Main Challenges of the West Garden

The West Garden, like many evolving projects, has a history. Several attempts have been made to revitalize the land since Quinta Vale da Lama acquired it. The most recent project was halted due to an ongoing struggle with perennial weeds, which posed a significant obstacle.

Here are the key challenges we needed to address:

Perennial Weeds

• How can we design the garden to work with the land rather than against it?
• How can the garden be productive despite the persistent issue of perennial weeds?
• What practical approaches can we apply to manage this challenge over time?
  

Maintenance & Labor

• What will the maintenance of this garden project involve, and what costs will arise from it?
• How much additional work is needed, and does this project require extra help or labor?
• Can the crops generated in the West Garden be sold profitably?
• What crops should we choose? What yields can we expect? What kind of maintenance will these crops require?
• Should we incorporate machinery into the land work, or would it be better to keep it more manual?
• What specialized tools or materials will be required for this project?
  

Irrigation & Water Use

• Considering the Algarve’s frequent water shortages and droughts, how will we address water use efficiently?
• There is an existing irrigation system in place — how can we optimize it?
• How much water will the West Garden need, and is it realistic to justify additional water use?
  

With these goals and challenges mapped out, we moved forward into the next phase: Observation.

Phase 2
Observe and Interact – Feeling the Land, Taking a Step Back

Before jumping into the design phase, the designers took a few essential steps to better understand the land, project, and its intentions. This helped us step into our roles as designers with greater openness and sensitivity.

What Does It Mean to ‘Feel the Land’?

In many conventional land-based projects, design often begins without truly acknowledging what — or rather, who — we are interacting with. This can lead to missed opportunities and key factors being overlooked, preventing the design from holistically engaging the full spectrum of elements at play.

Taking the time to metaphorically “shake the land’s hand” and get acquainted is not only necessary in this day and age — it’s invaluable before entering any conceptual phase. It means seeing the land as a living being, not an inanimate object to be designed or worked on. It’s about listening to its voice, giving it space to speak. Who is the land? What is its history, and what story is it telling now? This is the essence of an anti-colonial, vitalist approach to land-based projects.

As Robin Kimmerer says in Braiding Sweetgrass, and Amitav Ghosh in The Nutmeg’s Curse, this kind of engagement requires slowing down, paying attention, and meeting the land as an equal.

Walking the West Garden – Feeling the land

Equipped with the WeLand Toolkit’s flashcard prompts, we set out to explore the West Garden, beginning with a silent walk around its perimeter. We stood in areas we rarely interacted with and took time to observe the flora, soil texture, and the connections between the garden and the broader farm.

It was interesting to observe that each of us had different perceptions of this space, shaped by our own experiences in this section of the farm. 

Here’s what we shared:

• Henrique: “I walk through here every day at work. It is a sort of in-between space for me. To be able to go to the East Garden, I walk through this plot multiple times a day from various angles. Since I started working here a year and a half ago, this place has been on hold and has not had its own function yet. It has potential and it has been calling; “Come spend some time with me!”
  
• Bart: “I know this space well. My relationship with this piece of land is one of mixed feelings. I have witnessed various projects that have taken place here in the years and have been part of the struggle of working on this land. I see it’s recent history. The heavy clay character it has demands us to treat it very carefully. We must observe and listen to what it has to tell us, what it needs from us.”
  
• Gracia: “I interact with this space daily during this internship, but actually have ignored it and even feel that the land senses some of this ignoring.”
  
• Anna: “I am here a few days a week and pass by this plot often on those days. Before starting this project, however, I sometimes did not even actively notice this space until the sheep came to graze, which gave the land some form of interaction and attention. I walk the perimeters regularly but have never stood in the middle, for example. I enjoy the view from under large olive tree. This space is shared by so many here but it feels like the land has not found a true and suitable purpose, yet.”
  

After greeting the land, we began observing the elements at play in and around it — wind direction, sun path, sources of pollution, and more.

Data Gathering and Analysis

We then gathered data from previous projects that could support this one. Among them were soil and water analysis tests conducted in 2018, which informed the soil amendments made at that time.

Key findings from the soil tests:

• Soil Texture: Clay Loam
• Soil Color: Brownish
• Soil pH: 8.3
• Organic Matter: 4.41%
• Calcium Levels: 88.41%
• Lack of Nutrients: Low levels of essential minerals like Nitrate, Ammonium, Boron, and Iron, but high Calcium levels.
  

We then applied an insightful Permaculture design tool — the ‘Scale of Permanence’ — to observe and assess elements from the least to the most easily changeable, moving from climate to aesthetics.

Scale of Performance

We then turned our attention to the land’s geographical position — where it sits in relation to the rest of the farm, and how its elevation and placement influence the landscape. We gathered this understanding through conversations with those who know the land well, and we complemented it with digital tools.

It was well known that the geographical location of the West Garden caused rainwater from higher elevations to flow down and accumulate in this zone, bringing with it sediments and runoff. This made the area distinct from the East Garden.

The clay-rich soil of the West Garden also created favorable conditions for opportunistic perennial weeds — particularly Panicum repens (known locally as escalracho, or torpedo grass in English) — to thrive. Despite the evident lack of nutrients, this resilient plant readily establishes itself, fulfilling its ecological role of covering bare soil.

From this understanding, we began to consider the West Garden in relation to the broader geographical context.

Vale da Lama’s proximity to the ocean plays a significant role in shaping our water management strategy, as the water from our wells is saline. Understanding the broader watershed is equally important, as it reveals how water arrives to — and moves through — the land, and what influences it along the way.

If you’re curious to learn more, we regularly host Watershed Restoration Discussions at VdL on select Saturdays throughout the year — feel free to join us!

Essence of the Land

Finally, after spending time observing and interacting with the land, we gathered to reflect on the essence of the West Garden. Here’s what we concluded:

• H: “It feels like a space where you walk past and grab something to eat.”
• A: “It’s like a picnic spot, a place for interaction.”
• G: “It feels rebellious, misunderstood — like the black sheep.”
• B: “The land has enormous potential for growth and development.”
  

With these insights, we were ready to move forward into the design phase, having not only observed the land’s current state but also connected with it in a way that would inform our decisions going forward.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Design

By taking time to observe, listen, and connect with the land, we’ve laid the foundation for a regeneration plan that goes beyond traditional design principles. The West Garden is not just a space to be altered but a living entity with its own story, needs, and potential. As we move forward with the design phase, we do so with a deep respect for the land and a commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and regenerative practices.

Stay tuned for more updates on the design and implementation of the West Garden Regeneration project!

Design Your Land with Purpose — Start with a Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

Ready to dive deeper into permaculture design? Join our next Permaculture Design Course (PDC) at Quinta Vale da Lama! Learn how to create resilient ecosystems, step in the next stage of land preparation, and apply regenerative practices to your own projects. This 14 day program is facilitated by our partner Novas Descobertas Association.