“I met permaculture in 1986, when I was 15. Now I have 52.” Victor Barahona Ormazabal has been interested in permaculture since he was very young. At that time, I had neither formation nor land. “For years I was learning about permaculture with the intention of one day dedicating myself to cultivating my lands,” he explains. In 2008, the time finally came: He bought a land in Azpirotz (Navarra) and started the Permacultura Aralar project. Next May will mark the tenth anniversary of the founding of Bilbao.

Permaculture, a philosophy that goes beyond agriculture

“70. The concept of permaculture was born around the 1990s in Australia. He seeks to design spaces, land and crops by imitating nature as best as possible,” explains Barahona in his first exhibition. In permaculture they use ancient agricultural techniques that have been used worldwide, such as the planting of sustainable species or the use of associated crops. However, the project’s promoter has stressed that what was initially a concept linked exclusively to agriculture quickly extended to other areas – society, education….

Barahona, a supporter of permaculture, does not hide criticism of the movement. “It is true that the most visible in the movement of permaculture are those of the profile of the white Anglo-Saxon man. However, and despite the fact that the movement was created by people of this profile, over the years other people have been added to it, highlighting the great variety of projects they have in Africa or Central America related to permaculture,” he explains.

Guided tours and conferences on the Azpirotz plot

On Sundays, Barahona organizes guided tours of her lands. “On the four-hour visits, we turn around the space to get to know the place and see how everything is designed according to the principles of permaculture,” he says. Visitors will know the orchard of Mandala in the form of lauburu, the space of Negutegi-Biofrabrika, the self-built prey of the land or fruit areas, accompanied by the explanations of the creator.

“Permaculture has been linked for years to eco-villers and collectives, and there were few family, low-exploitation experiences.” Permaculture Aralar Barahona was born with the objective of filling that gap and wants to continue working to fill that gap. “There are people who regard permaculture as a utopia, something perfect. People in rural areas, for their part, are often very sceptical about the issue. In a way, I am in the middle: I am addressing the people of the city above all and I am not persuading the peasants to work like this. But my intention is to make things happen in a different way.”