Keela Permaculture Farm

Keela Permaculture Farm is an off-grid, certified organic homestead of 18 hectares in Mata da Rainha, Fundão, in central Portugal. Laurence and Kimberly Manchee founded it in 2016. The land had been an abandoned agricultural property, and it has been gradually turned into a permaculture landscape: food forests, agroforestry systems, vegetable gardens, sheep, chickens, and natural buildings made with strawbale, cordwood and cob. It's both a working homestead and an education centre, and visitors come for hands-on courses all year. The courses include Permaculture Design, which leads to a certified PDC certificate from the Permaculture Association UK, as well as Permaculture in Practice, Food Forest Design and Natural Building. Thomas Henfrey co-teaches the Permaculture Design Courses. He is the only certified Permaculture Diploma tutor in Portugal and has more than 20 years of experience. Once a month, an Open Day gives the public an accessible introduction to sustainable living and permaculture practice. Guests and students live off-grid while they're here. Water comes from a spring, the meals are organic and farm-to-table, and there are optional yoga or calisthenics sessions every day. Kimberly Manchee is co-founder, farm and kitchen manager and the resident yoga teacher. She also leads workshops on Reiki, food fermentation, cheese-making and animal husbandry. Through volunteer programmes, permaculture apprenticeships and design work experience for the Permaculture Diploma, the farm also supports the wider community. In 2025 there are five apprenticeship places for people who want to become homesteaders, farm managers or permaculture teachers.