Folha Verde is a project initiated by the local community of around 150 like-minded adults and 50 children, most of whom have moved to the central region of Portugal to be closer to nature and to live a more sustainable life.
The project is situated in a central valley next to the river in Benfeita, which makes it easily accessible for all of those living in the surrounding villages of Luadas, Esculca, Pai das Dona, Pardieiros, Sardal, Monte Frio, Cerdeira, Dreia and those of us living in the wider region between Arganil, Coja and Oliveira do Hospital.
The community consists of people from various backgrounds, cultures and ages, bringing an interesting and highly varied plate of skills, wisdom and talents to the table.
Within the community there are artists, musicians, eco-builders, carpenters, linguists, writers, teachers, nutritionists, renewable energy experts, wild food foragers, chefs and alternative health therapists and practitioners, all of whom are welcome to come and host events and workshops at the Lagar – drawing on this incredible richness and diversity and creating a hub for our unique community.
We value getting together whenever we can to enjoy each other’s company and the wildness of the valleys and rivers – the beautiful natural environment we live in, to exchange skills or share stories. We organise workdays to help each other out on our lands as well as working on projects to benefit the community.
The monthly arts, crafts and food market in Benfeita (every first Saturday of the month) and nearby Côja (every third Saturday of the month) allows us to exchange local and homemade produce and meet to catch up.
The Lagar building can provide a space for all of those within the community to exchange their skills and talents, which can result in a diverse range of exciting community workshops and educational events.
If you are interested in exploring the individual projects of some of our local community members who have created an online environment for their work and projects, have a look here:
Wendy // www.permaculturinginportugal.net
Laura // www.awakenedforestproject.org
Roshnii & Supriya // www.confionoparto.pt
Pete & Cynthia // www.awakenedlifeproject.org
Haico // www.magicvalley.pt
Arbor // https://arborbenfeita.org/en/
Roupas Poupas // https://www.facebook.com/roupaspoupas