L’Ecojardin du Périgord
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Welcome to the éco-jardin du Périgord !
Here you can find out more about our eco- village- project.
Note of the author: In terms of understanding there is only the male form written below. But I do address explicitly both genders. I ask for your understanding.
News
At the moment we are about starting the project. We’re looking for people, who want to live here and participate in building up the project. Everyone is welcome!
You can inform yourself in the different categories on our website.
If you share our vision and want to make it become reality, please contact us!
We’re looking forward hearing from you
About us
in general
The éco-jardin du Périgord wants to be an independent, ecological village. Neighbourhood shall be as important as the autonomy of the people.
In the village there is room for at least 100 people, a village in a more or less traditional way without mayor and church. Neither spiritual nor politic conventions are given here, everyone is welcome.
We do intentionally not address a specific group of people, because we want to show that it’s possible for everyone to live ecological and sustainable without a big effort. You should neither waive comfort nor invest a tremendous amount of comfort in heating and gardening.
For starting the project we look for people, who want to make this vision reality.
There are about 140 000m² (14ha) of land. At the moment there is a big house together with two holiday homes. The big house offers you a hall and numerous rooms, that are now used as guest rooms. Furthermore you find here a canteen kitchen, an antique oven and a small brewery. These present a lot of possibilities to use it: As a restaurant, for conferences, as an art-studio…
A part of the project can also be used for tourism.
The task now is to find people, especially families, who want to live here. Who want to keep their own, independent live and yet also to participate in the community.
You can buy a piece of land from the owner and build your home. The houses shall be build in the style of the local tradition with a few changes, so that it will work as a low-energy-house. For building the houses we offer a simple concept to save time and money. With the simplicity of this concept it is possible to build the house by yourself (see “building your house“). Neither an apply with electricity nor water is necessary (see “water, warmth and electricity“) . Furthermore the food can mainly be self-produced as there is enough land to use (for our basics and ideas see “garden”).
If YOU want to move to the countryside live in an international community and to live easily in harmony with nature, please contact us!
Community
our understanding of being a community and living together
The families and people shall stay independent just as the idea of cohousing is; nevertheless neighbourhood is an important issue. For us it’s important everyone can go on with his own life without being constrained by the community. Every home will have a kitchen etc. – on the other hand there will be every 5-6 houses a central building with a washing machine and room to store e.g. bicycles. Like this social moments are creating in the daily life. Furthermore one can invest in a good washing machine as people share it.
On the roof of this central building will be duo solar panels which supply the village with electricity and warm water (see “water, warmth and electricity“).
How much one participates in the community is up to himself. There will be many opportunities to do so (see “activities”), but it’s free to everyone.
Important to know is, that this project is not influences by any spiritual or political persuasion. Everyone is free in his world-view as long as it doesn’t harm someone.
Not allowed are any illegal drugs. Law applies also in this area and such activities are not tolerated at the éco-jardin du Périgord.
Activities
◦ in the village
a village full of potential
The village itself offers you a lot of opportunities and there will be more as time goes by.
At the moment here are two ponds where you can relax or go fishing. In the future we want to create another bigger pond, filled up with rainwater for those who love to go swimming.
In the “main” building there are a small brewery, a canteen kitchen, an antique oven as well as a hall. To establish a studio, to run a restaurant… many things which are possible and only wait to become reality!
Regular activities can deal with issues of culture, nature, history, sport, gastronomy, therapy etc. There shall be offerings for kids, adults and both together.
A market can be organised with home-made products from the éco-jardin du Périgord as well as from farmers around.
Furthermore one can offer workshops with different topics or to present our project.
There are many facilities. Introduce your ideas!
◦ In the area
In the area of Sarlande there are three big cities: Limoges northwards, Perigeux in the south- west and Brive-la-Gaillarde is in the south- east of the village.
The next city is Saint-Yriex-la-Perche and it is about 11km from here. There you find everything you need from small shops to supermarkets. It also haves a cinema, banks, a post office, a hospital and a train station. Yet it is small (Saint-Yriex-la-Perche has about 7.200 inhabitants) but there is everything you need in your daily life.
There are also schools nearby (public and private ones) and a school bus takes your children every morning to school (and back).
Building your house
low energy house in the style of local tradition
For building up your home we offer three different concepts:
1: wood- frame- construction
2: metal- frame- construction
3: construction with miscanthus
The houses should be built in the style of local tradition. They work as low energy houses to reduce the amount of energy that is usually needed.
The seize is not regulated. But the house should be suitable for every age and for disabled people. This is easily done by having a bathroom and bedroom at the ground floor and to adjust the level of work discs, outlets etc.
Every building can be finished in three weeks. The simplicity of our concepts gives you the choice to build it yourself. Besides the houses are cost- saving. Building in an ecological way with comfort doesn’t have to be expensive!
During your house is built you can stay in the guest rooms or in the holiday house. More information about this you find in the category “holidays” or here: http://www.gitesenperigordvert.com/
Further information about miscanthus
Miscanthus x giganteus is a special kind of grass, mainly used as energy crop. It is native to Japan and taken as briquettes to heat, to produce “ecological plastic” or as building material.
1ha of miscanthus brings as much energy as 10 000l of oil. Therefore it is well qualified for heating when it’s compressed to pellets or briquettes.
Talking about building houses miscanthus can be used as chaff with cement, as fill or be mixed into the rendering.
The landowner of the éco-jardin du Périgord sells miscanthus– plant for small and bigger project all over the world and posses already a field of 3ha for this project.
More about miscanthus x giganteus you find here.
water, warmth and electricity
sustainable and local energy
Electricity and hot water are going to be produced by cogeneration. The cogeneration will be run by duo solar panels as well as miscanthus– pellets or briquettes (more about miscanthus see “building your house”). The duo solar panels will on every 5-6 houses on central buildings where e.g. the washing machines are.
The supply of water will mainly come from rainwater. The water is collected, held in cane brake- stocks and purified there until the water has drinking water quality. Also with the wastewater is so moved.Pure drinking water is for precautionary reasons purchased from the city in order to guarantee consistent quality.
gardenin harmony with nature
On the 14ha of land is enough room for gardening or farming. We are relying primarily on local plants and old varieties in order to maintain the natural biodiversity.As a soil-improving measures we will use wood mulch known as Ramial Chip Wood or RCW (French: Bois Reméal Fragmenté, abbreviated BRF). This has several advantages: first RCW acts as a shield that prevents the soil from drying out. Then it suppresses the weeds what brings a less labor. In addition RCW, which is usually made of several types of hardwood and some Foliage, sets many important nutrients free during decomposing. These will gradually be handed on the ground. Instead of usual wood also miscanthus can be used as mulch. The plant soaks hardly any water and decomposes so substantially slower than wood. When conventional mulch have to be renewed every 2-3 years, miscanthus mulch lasts about 10 years. The nutrients are nevertheless set free.Another method of agriculture we want to apply is aquaponics. It is a combination of growing fish and vegetables. The vegetables are grown similar to the method of hydroponics. With hydroponics the plant is cultivated on water, in which nutrients are dissolved. In the case of aquaponics the water is taken from the fish tank. It contains all the essential nutrients, so any further addition can be waived. The plants filter the water and it can be given back clean to the fish tank. This saves the purification of water and meanwhile one can also grow vegetables and fruits!
holidaysvacation on the countryside
The empty rooms and the two holiday homes are now used tor tourism and rented to guests. This can go on like this but it depends on the aim of the community and dedicated people.
More information about the guest rooms as well as the holiday homes you find here:
http://www.gitesenperigordvert.com/
contact us
Gerolf Jacobs
La ferme de Laubicherie
Laubicherie
24270 Sarlande
France
phone: 0033 – (0)553526990
email: gerolf@wanadoo.fr