PERMACULTURE ?

In the 1970s, as the world began to buzz ever louder with machines and monocultures, two thinkers paused. David Holmgren and Bill Mollison looked at the vast fields of industrial agriculture and saw not only food, but also a silent depletion. Soil was impoverished, water was polluted, and the diversity of life was slowly dying out.

Instead of resigning themselves to this course, they began to dream of something different - a way of living and growing that follows the breath of nature. Out of that dream grew a design method that does not separate humans from the landscape, but entwines with it anew. They called it permaculture: a contraction of permanent and culture - cultivating that which is sustainable, in harmony with the rhythms of the earth.

At the heart of permaculture lies a quiet but deep desire: to design a way of life that enables us to live, feed and care for ourselves sustainably - not at the expense of, but in partnership with the earth.

What makes this approach unique are 12 design principles. They are clear, thoughtful, almost mathematical in nature - and yet rooted in something deeply human. Each principle is a guide, born of three simple but powerful ethical values:
Care for the Earth
Care for People
Fair Share (of resources and abundance) .

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OUR (PERMACULTURE) PROJECT ?

In the heart of the Dordogne, surrounded by the picturesque bastide villages of the Périgord Noir, is Claud du Moine: our family home on a hill. Here we are building step by step a place where nature, simplicity and sustainability come together.

Claud du Moine is inspired by the concept of a homestead - a place where we strive to live self-sufficiently, while also generating income through small-scale farming and renting out holiday homes (gîtes). This model allows us to meet our own needs while allowing others to enjoy this special place.

We grow vegetables and fruit for our own consumption, keep chickens for eggs, and provide goats, sheep and donkeys to help maintain the landscape naturally.

Besides our own needs, we also grow crops that we can process and sell, such as herbs for tea, tinctures and other products. Lavender, for example, we use for fragrant oil, dried flowers and in cosmetic products. We also keep bees, which not only provide honey but are also essential for pollinating our plants.

Our cottages offer an authentic and sustainable experience for visitors who want to enjoy the quiet life in the countryside. Guests can participate in workshops, explore the garden, or just relax and enjoy the natural surroundings.

CLAUD DU MOINE

Permaculture is a way of gardening and living where we cooperate with nature, rather than against it. It is about creating a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both humans and nature.

Our garden is made up of several zones that complement each other:

Woodland: 1.5 ha provides firewood for heating and habitat for various animals.

Herb garden: For kitchen herbs and medicinal plants.

Polytunnel: Enables year-round vegetable growing.

Vegetable garden: Seasonal cultivation of various vegetables.

Chicken run: For eggs and natural fertilisation of the garden.

Meadow with donkeys and sheep: Animals help maintain grassland and woodland edges, and provide manure for compost.

High-stemmed orchard: Traditionally managed fruit trees that are alternately grazed and hayed.

Fruit hedge: Contains fruit trees, berry bushes and herbs that promote biodiversity and provide raw materials for our herbalist activity.

Have you become curious? We would like to invite you to experience Claud du Moine for yourself. Whether you want to learn about permaculture, enjoy the peace and quiet or just take a look at our daily life, you are welcome.