Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

114 Designing ecological Habitats
human existence led to radical choices. Perhaps the most important of these
was a year-long experiment in complete self-sufficiency, which took place in
1985. The project, known as ‘Olio Caldo’, which means ‘Hot Oil’, a term
taken from an ancient myth, included not only food but also clothing, shoes,
tools, bags, furniture, and transportation. Any and everything used by the
group participating in this project was produced by the group.
This year-long experiment later extended to the entire community.
The teachings from this experience profoundly impacted the values of the
growing society. The possibility of freedom from dependence on an outside
distribution system of anonymous people and goods gave our community
the confidence that we could feed ourselves and produce what we need.
Yet we also learned practical lessons, including the realization that even the
most motivated individuals cannot sustain a lack of nutritional variety for
months or years. Perhaps this is possible in smaller groups but not on a large
community scale.
Even today, the ‘Olio Caldo’ experiment continues to have resonance in
Damanhur. We give immense value to what we produce ourselves, which
has both important economic as well as social ramifications. In that period,
the community had about 100 members. Decisions were centralized and
the economic strategy prioritized the purchase of larger houses as well as
additional land and equipment for farming. As with all agricultural concerns,
the challenges were and are immense. Our relatively small companies grow
organic in a mountainous region with a short growing season, which is itself
economically challenging. Climate conditions further impact this equation.
It has been a priority to educate our community to eat seasonal local fruits
and vegetables.
As sustainable agriculture evolved and the community grew, we
transitioned from family-scale to professional-level production. In the days
of our small-scale gardens, it was fairly easy to adapt tastes to the products
available in the greenhouse or in the fields. If tomatoes were abundant, we
found new tomato recipes and ways to preserve them in sauces. If salad was
scarce, we simply ate more of the other vegetables. What we didn’t produce,
we could buy at the market – or better yet, we could barter our products for
those of our neighbors.
As Damanhur continued to grow, our agricultural needs became more
complicated. Citizens arrived from other parts of the world, bringing with
them diverse tastes and food expectations. Entering a model for sustainability
required new citizens to adjust their expectations and come to terms with
basing their diets on local organic produce and seasonal foods native to an
elevation of 480 metres.
Food can be a touchstone for many aspects of our lives and suddenly
dinner was psychologically charged with needs that went way beyond what
was on the menu that eve! In Italy, the country that invented ‘Slow Food’,
expectations for exquisite cuisine run especially high. Coming to terms with
agricultural planning and limited resources, satisfying our diverse tastes –
while at the same time guaranteeing a sufficient economic outcome for the