We found 9,000 m² of land in the Minervois: a small shepherd’s hut, a modest bungalow, and a wide view over vineyards stretching toward Carcassonne. It wasn’t perfection that drew us in, but a feeling — a rough, exposed place that somehow felt like home.
This land is shaped by the elements. A thin layer of clay lies over hard limestone. Water is never balanced — scarce for long periods, then suddenly too much. The Autan sweeps down from the mountains, the Mediterranean breeze carries heat, and the sun is relentless, with the constant risk of fire always present. Little grows easily here, and nothing without care.
We came looking for something simple: a quiet place for wild camping and a slower life in our spare time. What we found instead was a challenge we couldn’t ignore — a lifeless land asking to be understood, protected, and slowly brought back to life.
Through permaculture and the forest garden concept, we are experimenting with ways to regenerate this place: improving soil and water retention, reducing fire risk, bringing plants and animals back, and seeing what might grow here. We work mostly with our own hands, on a small budget, sometimes helped by friends and family, always guided by observation rather than certainty.
This is not a finished project, and we are not experts. This land is our open-air classroom.
This blog is our field journal — a record of learning, failure, adjustment, and progress, shaped by the elements.
Come with us. We don’t have a master plan — only curiosity, commitment, and a strong appetite for learning.
