Lost Valley Eco-Village

Oregon is never failing to amaze me with the many initiatives it has to tackle environmental issues.Today was spent at the Lost Valley eco-village with lessons on permaculture followed by a tour of the extensive grounds in the morning. The idea behind permaculture is working with the environment to maximise the efficiency of land suiting the natural area, doing so organically, and in a way that can sustain a community throughout the year. During our tour, we were shown the new innovations in eco-living with bio-showers, small home living and solar cooking. Using only solar radiation and a parabola, we were able to make popcorn within 3 minutes to feed all 22 of us!

With food being the main theme of the day, we were treated to a vegetarian lunch provided by the community which included an array of home grown fruits and vegetables and accompanied by beautifully fresh bread (something missed by a lot of the Europeans here)! In the afternoon, we were taught the process of making the perfect compost given the carbon/nitrogen ratio of all the organic matter that we needed.