News of CuraDura and v-Ital

It was a long time ago, not meaning there was no news … on the contrary: there was so much to do, there was no time left for writing! 

First that is the case with Roland and v-Ital. Roland lives on the island of Curaçao for a year now. During that year he planted a food-forest, and he started his organisation. The difference between living in the Netherlands (before) and in Curaçao (now) is striking. Although this Caribbean island is part of the Dutch kingdom, its rules and laws are very different. Or you could say: most of the rules do not exist at Curaçao. There's so much freedom to do what you want … I (Inge) can't imagine it fully (I only was there a few times for a month).

First Roland had an underpaid job there, but suddenly there was the opportunity to start an organic farm, together with some others.

Then he started organising networks: one for the organic farmers on the island, the other for their potential clients. He met Gianne Balentien, who already started a cooperation of clients for organic foods: Koperativo Fresku i Organíko. Meetings, lectures and courses brought more people together. They visited farmers, made some videos there, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3y80wn3Qfo

In November they started with a 'vegetable and fruit bag', all locally grown organic products. The succes was overwhelming. There's long waiting list …

Because of all those things happening at Curaçao, my feelings for the island are coming back. Some time ago I said I wanted to stop CuraDura (and hoped someone else would continue the blog and FB-page). But I know now Curaçao is really 'addictive'. My mind was full of ideas for starting permaculture (and eco-tourism) there … I tried to slow down those thoughts, because also here in the Netherlands there's much to do for the permaculture … But now on both sides of the ocean the interest for permaculture is growing, and in a country like the Netherlands there's more need for people who are able to change laws and rules (which I can't) … maybe there's more I can do there on the island in the Caribbean …

While I am still here in the Netherlands, I am doing the online course for the PDC (Permacultuur Webschool van Maranke Spoor & Lucas Brouns http://webschool.permacultuuronderwijs.nl/ ) and I work as a volunteer at the community garden of Permacultuur Meppel (no website, only a FB-page). Thus I am enforcing my skills and permaculture knowledge. And, as you see, I am writing for CuraDura again!  -Inge Leonora-den Ouden - 

Photo of Permacultuur Meppel, made by Arina