Finca La Tierra

An international school set up to teach people how to develop skills in eco-construction and sustainable living. We are based 100km West of Madrid, Spain, in the foothills of La Sierra de Gredos on a one hectare plot of land.

Founded in 2012, we have had the luck to see this patch of earth evolve with the help and hard work of over 200 students, volunteers and friends.

We now offer a wide range of internships and courses in Permaculture, Natural construction and self sufficiency. Join us and together we can learn to live with respect and in peace with our environment.

Upcoming internships and courses

Internship in Eco-construction and Sustainable living 1st April - 8th May 2016

An immersion in sustainable building techniques and ideas for self sufficiency.

Participants will live and work at Finca La Tierra over the course of 5 and a half weeks learning from top to bottom what it takes to build their very own sustainable home. Students will participate in the building of a reciprocal roof and green roof, the building and sculpting of exterior walls and interior furniture using earth-bag, cob and adobe brick techniques, the laying of lime concrete floors and the making of adobe bricks. They will also participate in a 10day intensive combined Permaculture and sustainable architecture course, a 3 day Tadelakt course, as well as a four day ‘Rocket Mass Heater’ course.

Also included is an introduction to the principles of Permaculture, tips and advice on organically growing fruits and vegetables, on the keeping of chickens and the plants and mushrooms that can be foraged from natures abundance for food and natural medicines. The treatment of grey water and the building of self-composting toilets will also be taught.

Accommodation is on the beautiful grounds of Finca La Tierra, either in tents or in the finished domes themselves, with a self-composting toilet and an outdoor shower with stunning views provided (until we finish the bathroom inside). Breakfast and lunch are provided and everybody is expected to chip in with cooking and washing dishes as well as working in the vegetable patch and looking after the animals.

If you want to get your hands dirty, work with like-minded and relaxed people and play your part in creating and building a place of beauty then this internship might just be for you.

Maximum number of participants – 6

Cost – €750

Courses run by Sam Baxter, Helena Maristay,  Paloma Folache, and Pablo Bernaola

 

        Finca La Tierra         

Combined Permaculture and Natural Building Course 9th - 17th April 2016

This combined course is an initiation in the principles of design and philosophy of permaculture as well as a hands on introduction to a variety of different natural building techniques.

Together we are going to build an integrated Chicken Coop and Greenhouse to highlight the benefits of intelligent design whilst using different techniques for each wall and roof. We will combine Straw-Bale, Superadobe, Cob and Light-Earth for the 4 walls and put a insulated green roof on top.

The practical part of the course will run from 9.00 to 14.00 every morning, with afternoons reserved for theory classes, fun in the veggie patch and walks in the countryside.

The course is aimed at those with little to no experience of natural building or those with an interest in discovering the possibilities that a Permaculture lifestyle can bring.

Accommodation is in tents (although there will be a couple of spaces free in the Domes, as well as a hotel in the village, Cost 30€ per night), with breakfast and lunch included and the kitchen and living room always free for everybody to use.

Price – 250€

Course given by Helena Maristany and Sam Baxter

Call Sam on 0034 635 801051 o send a email to fincalatierra2012@gmail.com to reserve your place 

Tadelakt and natural plasters 22nd - 24th April 2016

This workshop includes an overview of natural plasters, including their life cycle, the ingredients and mixing techniques as well as guided hands on experience of applying and finishing Tadelakt on both a demonstration brick to take home and a an adobe wall. The course is aimed at professionals as much as for those with no prior building experience but who want to create stunning smooth surfaces in their futures.

Sleeping is in tents, with outdoor showers and toilets on site and breakfast and lunch included with the course. There is a communal kitchen and living room at the finca for the use of everyone.

Maximum number of participants – 12

Cost – €130

Course conducted by Sam Baxter, Paloma Folache

'Rocket Stove Mass Heater' Course 28th April -1st May 2016

Want to heat your house in the most efficient way possible? Come do our 4 day ‘Rocket Stove’ course with Pablo Bernaola, founder of Estufasrocket.es. A rocket stove enables us to use as much of the thermal energy possible given by a fire , utilizilng the hot air to it’s maximum potential using a series of pipes as well as storing the thermal energy in banks of clay and cob. The course will be a mixture of the practical with theory and we will build a stove from start to finish during the 4 days.

Accommodation is in tents (although there will be a couple of spaces free in the Domes, as well as a hotel in the village, Cost 30euros per night), with breakfast and lunch included and the kitchen and living room always free for everybody to use.

Price – 200€ (180€ for inscription before 1st April)

Course given by Pablo Bernaola and Sam Baxter

Call Sam on 0034 635 801051 o send a email to fincalatierra2012@gmail.com to reserve your place     

Intensive Superadobe Dome Construction Course 11-26 June

Program

This two week course is aimed at new-comers and experienced builders alike. Together we will build a 3 metre diameter dome using the superadobe earth-bag technique from foundations to natural plaster finishes and everything in between.

Practical work will be in the morning with theory in the afternoons, leaving some time for students to go and explore the area after the days objectives are completed.

Sleeping is in tents, with outdoor showers and toilets on site and breakfast and lunch included in with the course.

Maximum number of participants – 15

Cost – 250 Euros

Where? Higuera de las Duenas, Avila

Course conducted by Sam Baxter

Superadobe and Reciprocal Roof Course 9-24 July 2016

Program

I’ve got a mate in the valley who has lived the past 3 years off the land in his caravan without heating! In that time he has transformed his finca into a beautiful, abundant and permaculturally inspired vegetable garden and its about time he had a solid roof over his head so he can flourish in winter just like his cabbages do.

We are going to build a small 16m2 abode using the compacted earthbag technique as the supporting walls and then use a reciprocal roof frame for the roof. The build will include the foundation work, doors and windows, structural walls, and the wooden roof frame, as well as a basic introduction to clay and lime plasters.

Practical work will be in the morning with theory in the afternoons, leaving some time for students to go and explore the area after the days objectives are completed.

Sleeping is in tents, with outdoor showers and toilets on site and breakfast and lunch included with the course. There is a communal kitchen and living room at the finca for the use of everyone.

Maximum number of participants -12

Cost – 250€

Where? – Sleeping and theory at Finca LaTierra, the build is 5km up the road near Cenicientos

Course conducted by Sam Baxter

Finca La Tierra Map

Call Sam on +34 689 840072 to discuss a rental or course