Back to Simplicity
Back to Simplicity
The story of Carlos and his path to organic farming in the Portuguese countryside.
The world is changing. Those who have spent their whole lives in the cities are beginning to feel the call to return to nature — back to simplicity. Carlos is a Lisbon native who spent his entire life in the capital of Portugal. After realising that he felt disconnected from himself and others, he decided to began to look to nature for answers — by learning to grow a garden. This simple act set him onto an entirely new trajectory. As with any circumstance that changes the course of our lives, the process was initiated slowly, step by step. What started with a small plot at a friend’s house has evolved into coordinating a full-scale organic garden for Silent Living.
“You have more meaning with less.”
In the rolling plains and cork forests of Alentejo resides a farm known as Herdade no Tempo. It is a land of nearly 400 hectares that has been within the same family for many generations, now part of the entity known as Silent Living. It is much more than simply a business of agriculture or hospitality, the two fields in which it could be defined by. It is an invitation for a new way of seeing the world — a concept which incorporates themes such as architecture, slow living, regenerative agriculture and design. In many ways, Silent Living is an inspiration that can be used to showcase a more holistic perspective and approach for future generations.
It is this place where Carlos is now fulfilling his purpose of working closely with nature and regenerating the land. There are many themes that overlap with Carlos and the project with which he is involved. In our interview, he shared how the process of learning martial arts as a child has informed his approach to gardening. The essence is that how you act is just as important as what you act upon.
He shares how for example, the martial arts will teach you to be like a tree — having strong roots and thin and fast branches. These natural metaphors help to show we can adapt to difficult conditions, to work with instead of against. This is the philosophy of how Carlos approaches the regenerative garden at Herdade no Tempo: to understand, respond and adapt to each moment as it arises. If the message from the environment can be understood, then there is no need for industrial chemicals or fertilisers. The plants are always communicating what they need.
“The martial arts came from nature observation.”
The changes that we see in our society with regards to minimalism and a simplistic lifestyle are much more than a trend. It is a need, the natural next step from a world that is subdued by noise. Whether that looks like investing more time in learning a new creative craft, reading books or growing an organic garden — we are beginning to understand the importance of coming back to simplicity. This is not nostalgia or a longing for the past, it is the natural evolution. DaVinci said it best, that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. The story of Carlos and Silent Living is one example of how we are beginning to realign ourselves with our true nature, by coming back to the essentials of what makes us human.
“Coming back to simplicity gives me more knowledge about myself and the people and the places which surround me.”
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With thanks to Carlos, Angela & João from Silent Living.