Hanging Gardens of Boomland

To make use of and to improve the lookof the latest Off-Grid installation, the garden team have installed a hanging garden full of strawberries.

The concept is simple, pallets are fixed to the frame then plastic bags are inserted into the hole where the forklift normally goes. This is then filled with a mixture of compost and soil, watered and finally, pierce holes in the plastic and insert desired plant.
The space behind the garden is used to store firewood for heating the office and kitchen.

We look forward to eating all the fresh, organic strawberries in the spring.

Winter Preparations

Since the winter has begun, temperatures are now dropping below 0°C and we are having heavy frosts. There are many tropical plants that we are preparing for the festival, which do not like the cold weather.
Our solution for this was to construct a 6m geodesic dome, cover it and create a greenhouse. However, the cover does not offer enough protection on the freezing nights…Time for another solution.

Rocket Mass Heater!



 

 



The solution to combat the cold, we built a Rocket Mass Heater(almost) to heat the greenhouse. This is not an exact copy of the original as we want to keep as much room for plants.



We started with the firebox. This was dug into the ground to about 50cm to use the earth as a heat source.

Then the exhaust chamber and the chimney, and finally covered it  in clay.

 

After 3 or 4 days the first coat of clay should be dry enough, and we will be able to add the cobb.

Stay tuned.....

Boom Sustainability Vision

Boom has been at the cutting edge of sustainable action in festivals for many years.

We don't green wash, we're not into logos. One thing we're into is walking our talk.

Boom has been working towards extreme sustainability in harmony with Mother Earth. This includes creating low impact shelters, producing organic food, generating renewable energy, cleaning all waste water biologically, recycling materials and the creation of our infamous Boom toilets.
We recognise there is much to learn, so we are always researching, putting things into action, learning by our mistakes and celebrating our successes to make every edition of Boom an integrated experience.

When you come to Boom, you are a part of the sustainable cultural experience where we live to be the change!

Know more about Boom Environmental Program Here!

THE (R)EVOLUTION OF COUNTERCULTURE

A Report from the 3^rd Futurological Symposium in Ruigoord, Holland

“Black sheeps from all classes united!!!” It is Tuesday morning, July 23rd, and Britta Lillesøe, a lively charismatic woman, well into her 60s, with a colorful draping around her head, is delivering her speech at the 3^rd Futurological Symposium on Free Cultural Spaces in the church of Ruigoord, Holland.

She is representing Christiania, the project that she founded and led in Copenhagen, Denmark, for more than 40 years. Today, with more than 1000 members, it is probably the biggest “free town” in the world and now, like then, Britta’s revolutionary power and her firm commitment to creating and nourishing an alternative to mainstream culture is still alive and kicking!

Christiania together with Ruigoord, another free town squatted in the early 70s by a group of artists, intellectuals and free thinkers known as the Amsterdam Balloon Company, form the deep roots of the international counterculture movement that is now flourishing world-wide. Festivals, squatted buildings, occupied spaces, communities, eco villages are gradually weaving a world wide network of projects reclaiming their right to be free… to be different.

The Futurological Symposium organized, among others, by Ruigoord historical member Aja Waalwijk, is born from the intention of strengthening such network.  Among the participants are the Belgian village of Doel; ADM, a community of 100+ people living in a squatted factory building a few km from Ruigoord and host of the legendary ROBODOCK festival; Guslitsa, an artist residency community near Moscow; the Umbrella House a social squat in New York; ThyLejren a community in Jutland, Denmark, which sprouted after a huge festival took place there in the summer of 1970, as a “ripple” of Woodstock, and other smaller projects from Holland.

Boom Festival is the only festival represented (for now), and it has been invited in virtue of a long connection between Boom and Ruigoord dating back to the 80s and 90s. In those years Diogo Ruivo, founder of Boom, met the Amsterdam Balloon Company in Goa and later moved with them to Holland, learning from them the multidimensional aspects of event production. To honour this connection a symbolic “Boom Embassy” was opened during the Symposium, in recognition of the mutual friendship and support between the projects.

While the first day of the Symposium was dedicated to the presentation of the different projects, the second day a more theoretical approach was adopted. The intention behind the Symposium is in fact to co-write a Declaration of the Universal Right to Free Cultural Spaces, to be delivered in the near future to the UN. Among the issues, which were raised were the pros and cons of ownership as a way to avoid squatted places being evicted; the challenges of legalization and institutionalization of counterculture; the burdens of bureaucracy and a new non-dualistic, more tolerant approach towards them, the authorities, the police, the institutions, “normal” society, aimed at integrating “us” with “them”.

Maybe the time has come for the black sheep and the white sheep, to notice that at a closer look many shades of grey can be revealed.

Metamorfose fértil! – Fertile Metamorphosis!

Restos dos restaurantes do Boom 2012 transformados em composto fértil

No Boom 2012 foi efectuada a recolha selectiva de todos os restos orgânicos produzidos nos restaurantes que estiveram em actividade nesta edição do festival. Disto resultaram cerca de 25 metros cúbicos de resíduos orgânicos que foram por sua vez transferidos para uma central de compostagem certificada para efeito.

Durante seis meses deu-se o processo de compostagem e recentemente foi transferido o resultado final para a Boom Land. Aproximadamente 15 metros cúbicos de composto orgânico de alta qualidade e óptimos índices de fertilidade.

Este composto está agora a ser utilizado para construção de camas elevadas para produção de hortícolas aqui no espaço para nosso consumo próprio e será brevemente aplicado também em mais camas elevadas.

Estas por sua vez serão destinadas a criação de um jardim botânico de espécies hortícolas tradicionais e regionais, para além de plantas selvagens comestíveis ou medicinais.

Esta última iniciativa integra-se no compromisso assumido de nos tornarmos guardiões de sementes e criar um banco de sementes de variedades locais e tradicionais de alimentos.

Na Natureza nada se perde, tudo se transforma

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Organic garbage from restaurants in Boom 2012 transformed into fertile compost

In Boom 2012 we made a separate collection of organic waste produced from all the restaurants that have been in business at this year's festival. This resulted in about 25 cubic meters of organic residues which were in turn transferred to a composting facility certified for such a purpose.

Six months was given for the composting process and was recently transferred to the Boom Land. Approximately 15 cubic meters of compost of high quality and optimal fertility indexes.

This compost is now being used to build beds for high production of vegetables in spaces here for our own consumption and will soon be applied also to more raised beds.

These in-turn will be used to create a botanical garden of vegetable species traditional and regional, as well as edible or medicinal wild plants.

This latest initiative is part of the commitment to become guardians of seeds and to create a seed bank of local and traditional varieties of food.

In nature nothing is lost, everything is transformed.

Uma presença especial – A Special Presence – Bubo Bubo

Esta é uma partilha importante, porque nos deixou muito felizes. 

De noite ouve-se aqui na Boom Land, o apelo majestoso e profundo do Senhor da Noite. 

O Mocho real (Bubo bubo).

Super-Cool

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This is a important share, because it made ​​us very happy.

In the night we hear at Boom Land, the majestic and profound appeal of the Lord of the Night.

The Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo).

Super-Cool

Wikipédia Bufo Real em Português

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufo-real

Eurasian eagle-Owl in English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Eagle-Owl

Do Humus vêm os Fungos – From Humus comes Fungus.

A inoculação de cogumelos Pleurothus ostreatus no composto das casas de banho secas

Ao composto resultante de 2008, em que foi adicionada uma boa quantidade de serradura e aparas de madeira, estivemos a verificar esse mesmo está em bom estado de decomposição, exceptuando a serradura, ainda muito atrasada.

Entretanto contactamos um amigo de Idanha-a-Nova que se dedica a investigação e produção de cogumelos e acabamos por optar por uma solução afim de tornar mais eficiente e rápida a decomposição final desta serradura.

Construímos camas compridas acumulando o composto. As camas têm cerca 5 metros de comprimento, 60 cm de largura e 50 cm de altura, num total e até ao momento de 24 camas.

No cume abrimos uma pequena vala longitudinal e dentro foi colocada palha, algum cartão e spam (micélio) de cogumelos do tipo Pleurothus, comestível e altamente saboroso. Voltamos a cobrir com o composto e entretanto tem sido esperar e ir criando mais camas, e inocular á medida que vamos produzindo micélio destes cogumelos. Este spam de micélio consegue-se utilizando borra de café, misturada com um pouco dos cogumelos triturados e manter em local escuro e com ligeiro teor de humidade. Quando já tem o aspecto de uma massa coberta de pelos brancos está pronto e vai para as camas para colonizar.

Resultado, neste momento estamos a ter diariamente produção de cogumelos para alimentação (e só 4 das 25 camas construídas, já estão em produção)  e no final, esta serradura vai ser transformada em composto de alta qualidade.

Falta de recurso no mundo ou falta de soluções, fezes humanas que poderiam estar a contaminar aguas e solos, estão a ser transformadas em solo fértil e cogumelos de alta qualidade

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Innoculating Pleurothus Ostreatus(oyster) mushrooms in the compost from the dry toilets

With the compost of 2008, with a good amount of sawdust and wood shavings, we checked that it is in a good state of decomposition, except sawdust, it is long overdue.

We contacted a friend in Idanha-a-Nova dedicated to research and production of mushrooms and opted for a solution in order to more efficiently and rapidly decompose the sawdust.

We built long beds of the compost. The beds are approximately 5 feet long, 60 cm wide and 50 cm high, and up to a total of 24 beds.

At the top we opened a small trench, placed within was straw, some cardboard and spawn(mycelium) of the type Pleurothus mushrooms, edible and highly palatable. We covered this with compost and waited, meanwhile creating more beds, and we will inoculate after producing the mushroom mycelium. This spawn mycelium is achieved using coffee grounds, mixed with minced mushrooms and kept in the dark with a slight moisture content. When it has the appearance of a mass covered with white hairs it is then ready to go to colonize the beds.

Results at this time, we are having daily production of mushrooms for food (and only 4 of 25 beds built, are already in production) and in the end, this sawdust will be transformed into high quality compost.

Lack of action in the world or lack of solutions, human feces that could  contaminated waters and soils, are being transformed into fertile soil and high quality mushrooms.