How She Lives Off the Grid & Grows Her Own Food in Rural Portugal
Eugenia Diaz moved to a tiny village in the mountains of Portugal to live off the grid. She built her own home and now grows her own food. She has faced many challenges and overcome obstacles.
Nature is her teacher, demonstrating adaptation and growth. She has worked alongside nature to transform the once-abandoned land with her own hands.
Her home is far from the nearest town so creating a garden was her top priority. Little by little she created life on her patch of land. Finding ways to adapt to the seasons, Eugenia preserves fruits and vegetables to eat during the winter months.
She harvests a variety of tomatoes, peppers, and basil, along with garlic and onions. She cooks them in a large pot to make tomato sauce which she pours into jars and freezes. Then it’s time to start transplanting the winter seedlings into the garden.
The first time she tried growing carrots they were attacked by the carrot fly. The crop didn’t make it through. This year, she’s planting a fortress of flowers and vegetables to protect her crops.
Alliums, sage, and marigolds are the best plants to have around the carrots to protect them from pests. She also intercropped lettuce, cauliflower, leek, and garlic.
Eugenia also built a workshop to have space to work inside when the weather is bad. The workshop is where she keeps her gardening supplies and prepares seedlings to plant.
This winter, she is also using it as a greenhouse to try to grow some summer vegetables indoors. She planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and eggplant.
Why live off the grid?
Living off the grid, Eugenia’s time is fully occupied working the land. She composts and nourishes the land that nourishes her creating a profound connection to the earth. She thrives in the countryside, at one with nature.
For more on Eugenia Diaz's story, discover how she created an off-grid garden on abandoned land.
To see more videos, check out the Eugenia Diaz YouTube channel.
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