YEAR FOUR. Building and regenerating our offgrid land in Portugal

About this Video

• Video Title: YEAR FOUR. Building and regenerating our offgrid land in Portugal
• Channel: Project Kamp
• Speakers: Multiple speakers are present, but individual names aren't consistently identified in the transcript. Speakers include Colleen, Stein, Adrian, and others whose names aren't explicitly mentioned.
• Duration: 00:38:16

Introduction

This video documents a year's worth of progress on an off-grid property in Portugal. The creators, who began with an abandoned piece of land four years prior, share their experiences renovating existing structures, building new ones (including a trailer house), managing challenges like a near-fire, and working towards land regeneration.

Key Takeaways

• Pizza Hut Upgrade: The initial pizza oven structure, built with recycled materials, required significant repairs and upgrades due to tile cracking and leaks. New tiles were acquired, and the roof design improved.
• Workspace Improvement: A makeshift workspace tarp was replaced with a more durable metal structure.
• Shower Repair: A shower built in a previous season required repairs due to corroded cement.
• Mimosa Tree Removal: Significant effort was dedicated to removing invasive mimosa trees due to fire risk and ecological impact. This created new usable space.
• Path Improvement: A path leading to a ruin was improved, including the construction of a small bridge.
• Ruin Renovation: A significant amount of time was spent renovating a stone ruin, including plastering, adding granite slabs, and creating a lamp from a mimosa stick. A first floor was added using salvaged lumber.
• Water Pipe Discovery: An old water pipe system was discovered, requiring repair and potentially usable for future irrigation.
• Digger Acquisition: A considerable portion of the video addresses the challenges of purchasing a digger, including being scammed and finally obtaining one through crowdfunding.
• Trailer House Construction: Two trailer houses were converted into livable spaces, showcasing repurposed materials and techniques.
• Composting Improvements: Compost bins were redesigned and improved based on community suggestions.
• Near-Fire Experience: The property was threatened by a wildfire, highlighting the importance of fire preparedness.
• Biodigester Repair: The biodigester was repaired, redesigned, and successfully restarted.