Project name: Ixuxu
Location: Soto de Rey, Oviedo, Spain
Profile: Ixuxu is a cultural and ecological association that was initially founded out of a growing concern for the erosion of traditional ways of life, the loss of native animal and plant species and the destruction of the environment in general.
“Ixuxu” is derived from an ancient scream in Asturian (the local language). Since 1990, the project has been working in various ways to establish a symbiotic relationship between man and nature that is mutually enriching and regenerative. In its life of fifteen years Ixuxu has initiated many projects, many of which are still running.
The intention is to provide an environment which is exemplary of sustainable living and is itself a learning experience and to run real and practical courses that empower people with the knowledge and experience to lead more sustainable lives, to have all the information and understanding so that they can make choices for themselves that are healthy for both them and the planet.
Project Status: Advanced – active for more than 15 years
Number of members: 3 full time members, around 20 part time members plus international volunteers
Current activities:
* Farming school for local children
* Regular courses on topics like permaculture design, bio constructions, renewable
* energies, artistic recycling, medicine plants and natural products, sustainability etc.
* Seed saving network
* Ecological farming
Needs:
Funding base: there is a need for more profound funding strategies that gives the association the necessary financial security, man power: project developers & volunteers are always welcome!
Haves:
Accommodation, lot’s of space and land, course and teaching facilities, local horse and sheep species, beautiful scenery, loyal members, great public transport connection to the nearby city Oviedo, community of members and associates helping at the project, teaching gardens, solar energy system
Email: gaia@ixuxu.org
Phone: +34 677 622 586 / +44 20 7193 7365
Membership of other organisations: Wwoof (www.wwoof.org)
A model for the world
I’ve found Ixuxu more or less by accident: A friend of mine and I were travelling in Spain. When we came to Oviedo, we got to know a girl that worked in a third world shop and was involved in the association Ixuxu . After hosting us for a few nights in town, she brought us to this romantic place in the mountains of Asturias, where the project is hidden. Constantly new people are coming and going into the kitchen that creates the heart of the farm. Due to the hilly landscape, buildings are spread all over the territory that includes several hectares of land. Cooking dinner at Ixuxu is a real challenge since you can have between 2 and 50 persons at the dinner table. The network of volunteers, visitors, friends and workers is huge. But Ixuxu is not only a place to meet interesting people – here you quickly become part of the community. Travellers find their way to the farm via the WWoof list, school classes are coming for visits in order to learn more about nature and sustainable living and even courses for adults on different topics are being held throughout the year.
No one can tell the story of Ixuxu better than Aurelio. He seems shy when you meet him for the first time, but he surprises and captures your attention with his lively presence and his honest and emotional way when telling the story of the place that he has put so many years of his life in. In 1990 Aurelio and his friends occupied the land of Ixuxu that was left empty since its owners died long time before. The group of people started working with the land and recovering big parts that had been destroyed by previous intensive farming. The idea was not only to use the farming space, but also to create an area where native animals, which local farmers had started replacing with foreign races, could be preserved. Much more than that – ‘Ixuxu is a model for the world. We wanted to show people that there is more than what they see now and that a different way of life is possible.’.
I’ve visited the project several times and I must say that it is a really special place to be. Every time I’m there I feel like diving into a different world that so naturally makes you feel welcome. Ixuxu is not the only place in the world like this. But it is definitely one of the most beautiful places that shows you that a life with nature is possible.
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