RasJebel+Plans

Back to RasJebel Farm and Demonstration Site Presentation ** RasJebel Farm and Demonstration Site : Goal and Plans ** =Goal of RasJebel Farm in Tunisia= A project to convert an old orchard into a sustainable agriculture system and a space for alternative cultures and creative exchanges in the local community. The project aim to make a productive culture, restore site soil fertility, build a self-maintained system, create an island of biodiversity, while providing accomodation for farmers and public activities (eco-construction and habitation). Beside known vegetables and fruits, the project aim to introduce mushrooms and compost; unknown for most of locals. =Our Plan= The project will be developed along five axis
 * 1. Forest Garden Layers and Fractal Greenhouse : by complete existing layers, we are planting more ground covers, shrubs and herbaceous, vegetables, simple companionship associations including the trees. Later, when the plants structure will be complex enough to form the fractal greenhouse, a larger variety of plants, e.g. from other climates, will be easy to introduce.
 * Layers
 * Natural pest control
 * **2. Soil Building :** we started with concentrated heap composting and we will progressively make in-place composting, introduce decomposer edible mushrooms, as well as mycorizhal and rizhobioms association. We’ll start by building a nursery for worms and mushrooms, in the wet shady south area, that we’ll later use to inoculate the whole land. We are collecting and piling all the dead organic material that lie everywhere inside and outside the land, that hardly decomposes without proper conditions. We use them for composting and we will use them for mushroom cultivation. We are making compost heaps and later we will use large boxes for composting and small boxes for worm composting. Mushrooms will be placed in woodchip beds, and when patches start the thrive wooden logs will be added to the area. To enrich the compost and mushroom cultivation substrate, notably in nitrogen, we’ll get coffee ground and vegetable waste from the market in town.
 * Composting in heap and with worms
 * Edible mushroom outdoor culture
 * **3. Extreme Water Management :** In mediterranean climate, rain is unfrequent, but when it happens it is abundant in volume. We started to build swales and plan one or several pond to collect surplus, and make it available for trees. We also plan to make sunken beds on contour. Waterways will be integrated to allow us to use the wells to water the plants only when necessary. The ground will be heavily mulched with wood or stones partly to minimize the exposure to evaporation. Stones will be used to progressively integrate waterways, including pond and swales, into the underground. The challenge is to keep the ground, including its surface, moist and active for plants, mushrooms and decomposers, even during the dry season with 5 months with no drop of rain. The strategy is to prevent loosing water from evaporation in the air, or to keep the air dry and the ground humid. Mushrooms mycelium also require moisture and helps retain it, we plan its cultivation in half buried chambers.
 * Swales and pond
 * Sunken beds
 * Mycelium everywhere
 * 4. Animals : A goat, rabbits and chicken are useful to recycle all the fodder plants, and other animals will be added as well. Pigeons and chickens are important pest control when properly managed. Wild birds, frogs, chameleon and insects already on site will also be supported for enriching the while system.
 * **5. Accommodation :** We are constructing a cob highly insulated small house with local natural or recycled materials. Drinking water will be collected from the building roofs and stored in underground and integrated tanks. Next, element is gray water and black water treatment (e.g. compost toilet). Last element is energy, as a windy location, the most logical is to start with a 400w DIY wind turbine. Jean Pain style compost heating will also be used for hot showers and winter heating. Solar panels for heating and electric power will be later added.
 * Small cob house
 * Rocket stove
 * Wind, solar and compost power
 * Outdoor living room
 * Public area
 * **Side topics**
 * Security

The project tackles problems specific to this site : Potential solutions comprise:
 * High evaporation
 * Fire hazard
 * Social integration
 * Security of people, products and equipment
 * Money profitability
 * Isolation
 * Dragondreaming with community
 * Collaborations

Planned crops include:
 * Annuals
 * Potatoes
 * Cereals
 * Asparagus
 * Artichoke
 * Perennials
 * Jerusalem artichoke
 * Fruits
 * Pech/apricots
 * Pomme grenade
 * Figs (already harvesting)
 * Strawberries
 * Almond (already harvesting)
 * Avocado
 * Opuntia (already harvesting)
 * Grapes (already harvesting)
 * Nuts

Altitude; 5 m (16 ft) || Soil fertility Self-maintained system Biodiversity Habitation Energy Public activities || Possible Commercial products: Mushrooms, Compost || Swales and pond Small cob house Composting Mushroomsculture Wind-mill Public area || Feu Social aspects Security Money Isolation || Possible solutions: Dragondreaming with community Collaborations ||
 * **Ras Jebel** || An old orchard in Bizerte region in the north of Tunisia. A project to create an sustainable agriculture system and a space for alternative cultures and creative exchanges in the local community. ||
 * Surface (35mx85m) || 3000m² || The Bizerte region comprises hills and valleys with limited underground water resources, a mixture of soils that vary from vertisols to the superficial soils. Most soils are of good quality, deep on tender limestones, pH >7 and 25 to 70% clay. Mean annual rainfall is 600 to 800 mm. ||
 * Climate || Mediterranean / sub-humide || latitude & longitude; 37°15'N 9°48'E.
 * Precipitations || 680 mm/year ||
 * Goal || Production
 * Design || Forest garden layers
 * Problemes || Evaporation
 * Likes || Basic crops

Perennials

Fruits

Nuts Miscellaneous || potatoes grains Asparagus Artichoke Jerousalem artichoke Pech/apricots Pomme grenade Figue Strawberries Almond Avocado Opuntia ||