We currently have some great writers participating in Eco-Israel and we’d like to share their thoughts with you. The following items are recent excerpts from their blogs about their experiences in Israel. This week, we’d like to introduce you to Danielle B. By Danielle B: A Walking Tour of Chava V’Adam The farm is a small piece of land, located near the city of Modi’in. City of the future. Farm of the past. The farm rests on all principles of permaculture, which involves using all parts of the whole, sustainability, local resources and minimizing waste products. All the buildings were constructed by farm workers and volunteers slowly over the years. The front gate is covered in passion fruit vines, which I vigorously shake every time I go by. Near the gate is a small store, constructed out of mud, which sells some produce and other local products. A few feet from the store is a large clay baked platform which houses the only oven on the farm. The oven rests on the principles of thermo-dynamics, as of yet I have not managed to build a lasting fire in it. It is huge and slightly unpredictable but it has so far it has baked challah bread for Shabbat dinner, pumpkin bread and apple cake. On the lower part of the farm are also two workshops; weaving and clay making. When we have more free time, we will be allowed to play in them more. They are mainly used as children’s workshops. Although we did have a dream-catcher workshop in there earlier this week. Across from the workshop buildings is large tree where we eat all our lunches on working days. We share our lunches with the younger Israeli volunteers, who we call the Sheen Sheneem and other farm workers. Since we are still in intensive class mode, the Eco Israelis come to lunch clean and slightly lethargic after our four hour class. The others tend to come covered in mud from working on the new distillery. Our classes have just ended; soon we will be just as dirty when lunch time comes around. The Sheen Sheneem have their own separate lodgings, in a large mud house. The office, with internet access is attached to the building, so we are often in their space. Oh I almost forgot about the recycling center, which houses all types of remnants and where Anna found some sweet harem pants yesterday. It is usually too hot to go inside during the daytime for me and too dark at night. So far I have only scored some teva sandals, which I have been lugging all over Israel. Also downstairs is the herbal room where we will later learn how to make tinctures, creams, mosquito repellant, (!) etc. Next to the herbal room, is the community pagoda, which is also covered in passie flora and we have had all our classes with our Permaculture Instructor, Yigal. From here, we walk along an olive tree lined path up to our domes. Along the way, we may encounter three angry geese, which are penned in near the lemon trees (and one orange tree) or bump into the three hungry donkeys. We then walk up a small incline to reach domeville. Domeville includes eight domes, structurally sound buildings that house Eco Israeli participants. We have our compost toilets, two vinyl enclosed showers, a kitchen where we prepare breakfast and dinner. There is an outdoor shower, which is a unique experience. It is protected by a large mud bench and a couple large trees. All the Eco’s love the outdoor shower and some have never used the indoor showers (which are outside). There is our zula where we spend a large majority of our non-working time. It was only recently built by the last program batch. Our domes tend to be to be too hot during our midday break, so most of my naps happen here. There is also the big dome, which is a large tent with couches, bookshelf and table and we have only begun to use and the nights get colder and it is getting darker around 5:30 p.m. I Compost, You Compost, We All Compost Together Our first official day on the farm, the Eco’s met with Chaim to talk about the compost toilets. Since then every conversation revolves around them in some form. It really breaks down a lot of personal barriers. I had some natural fears about using them before I came to the farm. There are about five compost toilets on the farm and two up near our domes. Some of them are made out of mud and straw and are beautifully decorated inside. The Eco toilets are less fancy; they are made out of vinyl and wood. They generally work like a normal toilet except there is no water. After each use, we dump a large handful of mulch into the bucket. It is amazing- there really is no smell. And we get to feel smug satisfaction about being so entrenched in this system. Once the buckets are full, we rotate them out and they sit for three months. After that, they are considered compost. However, the Israeli government does not allow the farm to use them on yerakot v perot. Instead we use it only on trees. I am writing about the compost toilets first, since they embody the whole principle of the farm and permaculture. Nothing is wasted or no excess waste is created. It also strengthens our connection to the farm and local environment. It is such a small act and yet such a large one at the same time. When we go to Tel Aviv, flush toilets now inspire guilt instead of comfort. Last week, I visited Anna’s family in a Tel Aviv highrise building. Her cousin discussed at length the water problem in Israel. He told us about each family having a cap on water usage. Also each family will incur a heavy fee, if they exceed this cap. He finished with, “Well, what else can we do” I answered provocativey” “Compost Toilets.” To which, he replied with a laugh, a weird face and immediately changed the subject. Yesterday, I took a shared sheroot from Afula (near where we were camping) to Tel Aviv. A Hasidic Jew from Great Britain sat next to me. Somehow, we got on an environmental conversation and he commented about how much water is wasted each time we flush. I told him excitedly about the compost toilets on the farm. It was such a random moment, but he was really into the conversation. The others on the sheroot, not so much. It was a moment that made me realize how easy it would be to make changes from flush to compost toilets. It is especially relevant in a country such as Israel where we are at the end of the dry season and the water problem is beyond clear. Add Comment |
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