Themes
By working with five concrete themes, we would like to make visible what we rely on to live a fulfilled life and how we can share this with others.
This is done by:
- Creating and/or maintaining the right natural balance in the area where you live, so that there remains sufficient space for locally adjusted flora and fauna, an essential part of the more overall complex ecosystem
- By following logic, common knowledge and by learning lessons from ancient history and from different cultures, in the broadest sense.
- By preventing depletion of the earth and learning how to sustainably live from the abundance mother earth provides us with.
- By respecting natural and ecological processes and enhance these with creative thoughts and through physical work.
- Living from the forest
About 40 to 45 ha of the domain consists of forest vegetations. Of this, 15 ha is spruce forest, 20 ha deciduous forest and 10 ha young or to be planted forest, that can be slightly managed. A diverse forest is a healthy forest! Here, you are able to experience the differences between managed forests and natural forests. Managed forests from the planting of trees to the end product and the natural development from young- to climax forest, with all we find there to feed ourselves.
- Living from agriculture
In front of the house, lies a beautiful vegetable garden facing south, that can provide in a large production of vegetables and fruits. Moreover, the vegetable garden will serve as a learning environment for a self sustainable existence. Which vegetables are easy to grow and are easily maintainable in urban areas on the terrace or in a planter? How do I sustainably extent my harvest season to as long as possible? Furthermore, we will emphasize appropriate sowing and growing techniques, maintaining the compost heap, what is eaten fresh and what can be conserved, and how do you do this? We are following permaculture principles that maintain and respect the current ecosystem that we sustainably make use of.
Behind the house there are about 4 ha of meadows that will be adapted to farmland and where crops will be sowed on a slightly larger scale. A crop rotation system will be put in place with larger cultures like grain, corn, sunflower etc.
3. living with animals
Since ancient history, humans have deployed animals in labor, as food supply and as company. The way humans relate to the animal often differs. In our culture, this relationship is often obscured because of large industries determining our food supply, rather than the individual or small communities. On La Resse, we have space to sustain a variety of livestock in a respectable way, which allows the wellbeing of animals being a central aspect of the project.
4. Sustainable construction
In the last decennia, there have been significant developments regarding innovative and efficient construction methods and products. However, cheap alternatives from other parts of the world are more frequently preferred, and local energy sources from natural elements in place, are often overlooked. We can profit considerably by focusing more locally, on the existing resources and by creating a local water collection system and by generating renewable energy.
5. The magic of life
Within this theme, the central topics are personal growth, compassion, inner freedom, the way we experience reality, our happiness and our life fulfillment. We would like to serve as a platform where we can share visions and where the above will be approached from creative, philosophical, scientific, metaphysical and spiritual disciplines.
