Spring 2023
This season has made it possible to move forward on many projects that were not planned because we were a small group of people on site for almost a month. The floors that had to be dismantled have been, the floor that had to be rebuilt has been, the openings in the walls, the installation of glazing, cleaning, reorganization, a roof removed and replaced with transparent plates , a dismantled wall, a concrete slab. All this has made it possible to create new spaces for storage, rest, cooking, gardening...
The vegetable garden has been planted, the irrigation set up, the vegetables have started to grow
There are still a few spaces to renovate but the bulk of the bulk has been done and the farm is now in a state that allows many possibilities for organization and reception.
Fall / Winter 22
- Kitchen: The installation of the coating on the wall of the 'kitchen' section of the living room has been carried out, new fittings have been added, a new stove has been installed. There is still a little bit of lime based coating to be applied in places
.- Vegetable garden: restoration of the main paths with stones, creation of new spaces covered with stones. Planting green covers crops on one of the plots. Cleaning and working the earth on the other plot to create mounded planting areas and paths covered with wood chips. Thoughts on the watering system and the possibility of greenhouse areas.
- Rain water storage tanks: The cleaning of the tanks seems complicated and dangerous without respiratory assistance, it will probably be necessary to proceed gently and with proper protection from the risks, to clear over several interventions and years the earth sludge which has accumulated at the bottom. (there was a hole on the meadow side through which the sludge entered, this hole was filled last year)
-Presentation of the place, the project, the activities: After 18 months on the project, I (Mark) will review the presentation of the project and the place to reflect its progress and its evolution. A new name, the move from Queer Ashram Project to Fantasy Farm with a new website.
Summer 22
- 1st Yoga and Massage course at the ashram. This course allowed everyone to practice Yoga and massages, to discover these practices or to improve their skills.
- It was just the time to just do some maintenance and think about the future, I (Mark) settled down full time on the place to continue in my coherence of wanting to live a 'retreat', yoga, way of life.
- Vegetable garden: Construction of a stone staircase to join the meadow to the vegetable garden. Acquisition of the tiller.
- Drought: The rainwater reserves were maintained and made it possible to water the vegetable plants daily and the young fruit trees 2 to 3 times a week
Spring 22
- The windows and the door of the main house have been changed.
- The wall coatings have progressed in the living room, there is still a little to do.
- The wall and ceiling paneling have been removed from the back bedroom, the old lime plaster needs to be removed and new one slapped on.
- The space under the hangar has been cleared and remodeled to become an open, clean and welcoming space with large tables, benches to be able to do a multitude of things sheltered from the sun or the rain.
- The sowing and planting in the greenhouse and outside went well, the automatic watering is functional. If all goes well, vegetables should be quite plentiful by late spring.
- The pigsty continues to change, the boxes have been opened and refurbished, there is still storage, clearings and refurbishment to be done.Winter
2021 / 22
- The sowing and shower greenhouse has been built
- The outdoor bathtub has been installed and secured, the hearth for the fire and its chimney have been built, the inaugural bath took place in the evening of the Lunar New Year's Eve
- Plantations were the focus of this season, flowering shrubs were the main focus.
- Addition of many cuttings in the existing hedges and those in the making
- Pruning of the trees and opening of new spaces
- Removal of certain mezzanine floors of the pigsty- Project of renovation and installation of the small pond in the vegetable garden- Reflection on the general prairie and land layout and organisation
Fall 2021
Preparation for winter has been the focus of this fall season.
- The pumping of the tank made it possible to understand that the bottom was well filled with mud and that it would probably take several years to clean it, this mud can be useful in the garden and will undoubtedly be taken out as it goes. - The holes were dug with a mini shovel to facilitate the planting of the fruit trees, this made it possible to better understand the different compositions of soil on the ground.
- The fruit trees were ordered then collected at the beginning of December and planted immediately before the frost period began.
- Manufacture and installation of tit and robin nesting boxes
Summer 2021
Many visits to manage, many work sites carried out
- Creation of the open and covered space of the hangar (70M2 under the roof), installation of the sleeping area, the mixed sleeping relaxation area and the space for various practices (yoga , hammocks ...), installation of the access staircase, creation of furniture and bed fixtures, securing the floor, electricity, opening of the ground floor with storage space and a meeting space - Uprooting, development of the land and the area vegetable garden - Small vegetable garden with mini harvests, aromatic plantations, mints ...
- Removal of part of the roof of the pigsty and installation of replacement roofing sheets - Installation of the water pump system, distribution and filtering of rainwater with gas water heating for the shower - Lime hemp plaster, lime sand and finishing plaster of the room with a wall joined with lime sand with exposed stones
- Masonry of the joints of the attic and the chimney
- Installation of the insulation in the attic of the main barn above the living rooms
- Installation of the new chimney parts and the new wood stove
- Preparation for the greenhouse which will be against the pigsty and where the shower will be located - Reworking of the roof tiles of the barn to stop the leaks
Spring 2021
The common living spaces become comfortable.
The cleaning of the land and the vegetable garden continues.
A mini greenhouse / nursery is created, seedlings are planted.
The pump for the rainwater collection tank is installedWinter
2020/21
The acquisition of the farm is sealed and paid for.
The installation begins, the statutes of the association are deposited and validated, the bank account is opened, donations become possible.The renovation focuses on the bedroom and the living room, the partitions are knocked down, the walls are laid bare, the electrical installation of the cottage is done, the kitchen is installed.The land is cleared, the trees are pruned.
Fall 2020
The decision to acquire the armigère farm in Chatain is taken.
Summer 2020
Site visits and project presentation meetings take place.
Spring 2020
The decision to present the project and consider its realization is taken after several years of reflection and maturation.
