Most objects that are usually sold by specialists can be built by collecting raw materials or – even better – recycled materials.

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Vermicomposting workshop with the children of the primary schools and the kindergarten of Bercy, Paris

Designing Hope and the kindergarten of Bercy received  from the City hall of Paris 2 vermicomposters with the compost worms. We installed a worm bin with the children of the Bercy primary schools and another worm bin with the children … Read More

Enriching the planters at the Bercy nursery school, Paris

The team of the Traversine garden takes care now of four culture trays in the playground of the nursery school.  Before planting fruit, vegetables and other plants with the kindergarten children, we enriched and aerated the soil in the containers. … Read More

Preparation of beds with biochar at the Garden of skills, Eswatini

When preparing the beds with the “Campagnole”, the soil is enriched by sprinkling a mixture of biochar and compost on the surface. The Campagnole will then mix this input deep into the cultivated plots. Biochar is a natural fertilizer produced … Read More

Eswatini baskets for the hens at Roosboom

As part of the exchanges between the various gardens in southern Africa, straw baskets made in Eswatini were given to the children of Half Way House in Roosboom to equip the henhouse. The hens quickly adopted the baskets as nesting … Read More

Vertical culture in a teepee, a playful and practical tool at the Jardin de la Traversine Villiot, Paris

Our association made and installed a teepee in bamboo in the garden of the Traversine Villiot. It allows us to optimize the surface by using the principle of vertical culture. Squash, cucumbers and tomatoes grow around the tepee and climb … Read More

Finalisation of the installation of structures in the garden of Rufisque, Senegal

In order to optimise the surface area of the garden on the roof terrace of the Rufisque school, three models of growing trays structures have been designed:– The first, produced in 10 copies, allows cultivation on 4 levels thanks to … Read More

Installation of structures at the school in Rufisque, Senegal

The metalworker has finished making all the structures for the roof terrace garden at the school in Rufisque. The children, enthusiastic, participated in the installation of the plastic containers, which, once filled with soil and compost, will soon welcome new … Read More

Composting activity with the students of the Bercy nursery school

Peels, dead leaves, more peels and more dead leaves… One layer after another, our compost is built like a lasagna dish. The children were delighted to get their hands dirty to make it !

The Grand Potager’s raised mounds

At the Grand Potager on the Domain of Fontenille, we tried out a raised mound technique, connected by a teepee giving inclined support to climbing beans and marrows, thanks to a weaving which was handmade with ropes. This green cover … Read More

Introduction to composting and observation of the compost’s useful insects

In front of the Grand Potager’s compost, the students from Lauris’ nursery school learned how to sort their waste. Plastic ? In the recycling bin ! Leftover chicken ? In the garbage can ! Vegetable peel ? In the compost … Read More

Visit to the henhouse at the Grand Potager’s pond

During their visit to the Grand Potager, the students of the Lauris school paid a visit to the working hens. They are retired hens, which have been collected by the Grand Potager to spend a quiet retirement, after having spent … Read More

Decoration of the bird boxes at the Grand Potager

After having made the bird boxes that will soon be scattered around the Great Vegetable Garden, the children set about decorating them. To do this, they used materials found in nature such as dead leaves, small branches, moss and flowers. … Read More

Manufacture of bird boxes at the Grand Potager !!

It’s time to install bird boxes in your garden or on the wall of your house if you haven’t already done so! With urbanisation and intensive agriculture, natural nesting boxes (cracks in walls, dead trees, hedges…) are becoming less and … Read More

The green wall of the Grand Potager of Fontenille

At the Grand Potager of Fontenille, the volunteers on civic service have laid out part of the covered pergola to create a welcoming space to house creative workshops during discovery visits in the garden. An experimental green wall has been … Read More

Filling of the containers

At La Traversine, new bins have been made to accommodate new plants in the educational garden! To do this, we start by putting a layer of clay balls at the bottom of the galvanized metal tub that we have custom … Read More

Making a mini-compost

During school time activities, we decided to make a mini-composter with the children of Bercy School. For the production of our mini-compost, we needed different materials. We used as a container half of a plastic bottle. Then for the filling … Read More

Alternating plots for animals and crops

A sas was built, with 2 doors, to control the exit of animals and direct them to one or the other 2 plots being intended alternately. This will make it possible to cultivate on a parcel benefiting from the manure … Read More

A recylcled vertical culture tray

Creating a terrace in an urban setting is an opportunity to find vertical farming solutions. We made this model with recovery pallets and empty bottles. The bottles were filled to 13 of clay balls to retain the water and prevent … Read More

Water recovery from the micro-farm of Leribe

Gutters and a water tank were installed to collect the rainwater from the roof of the micro-farm. the tank was placed on the side of the greenhouse, and next to the future market gardening space, to recover water for watering.

micro-farm partitions

The micro-farm of Leribe is divided into 3 spaces: the vertical greenhouse, a shelter for chickens and rabbits, and a shelter for goats. The interior partitions, sheltered from the rain, were made of hardboard (masonite), a very common material in … Read More

The vertical greenhouse of Leribe micro-farm

On the most sun-exposed facade of the Leribe micro-farm, a vertical greenhouse has been set up. In a space of 50cm deep, a plastic covered space has been set up, with two large doors allowing easy access to the full … Read More

Installation of rabit shelters

The Leribe micro-farm will accommodate in the same shelter rabbits, hens, and goats. The rabbits will be placed  in height, in the same space as the hens that will be on the ground. Five rabbits will be set up and … Read More

Teamwork with the students of St Paul school

The micro-farm of Leribe was built with the oldest studentstaht are  already involved in the agricultural project of the St Paul School. The goal is to build with them a model that can be easily duplicated by them, teaching them … Read More

The micro farm of Leribe – Creation of the building

The Leribe micro farm is a construction set up by The Ivory Foundation at St Paul School for the Deaf in Leribe, Lesotho. The concept consist in designing on a small land, a small farm that students at the end … Read More

A pedagogical composter

At La Traversine, a demonstration compost bin was designed to show children the evolution of the decomposition process. We fill the tank by the left, mixing leftovers, peelings (nitrogenous matter) with the dead leaves recovered from the courtyard. Then, when … Read More

Making a Keyhole at the Grand Potager – Lauris

Making and filling a Keyhole. The Keyhole is a keyhole-shaped vegetable garden consisting of a central compost bin surrounded by raised beds. The Keyhole produces a large number of vegetables in a limited area, benefiting from the slow diffusion of … Read More

Installation of a compost

After several months of throwing organic waste in the garden without organization, the children of the Half Way House decided to follow the advice of comics on permaculture and created a compost pile in the garden.  

Building a henhouse using recycled materials

Each month, canned tomatoes and red beans are used for children’s meals. The metal of the cans, laid flat, was used as wall for the chicken coop, studded on a wooden frame. the roof was made of wood, to isolate … Read More

Building a henhouse using recycled materials

Canned red beans are used for the daily meals cooked to the children of Roosboom. The children were asked to retrieve the empty boxes, flatten them to form a recovery material to make the walls of a henhouse. Women then … Read More