Previously at this time of year, I’ve taken a contract and am working somewhere abroad, DRC, Middle East, PNG etc. But, as I’ve said, this year I’m trying to do things differently, and remain  in Morocco to finish the farm. I feel a genuine desire to find a position, not only for the money, but also because I genuinely miss it.

It is, in part, because of this that I want to integrate the community development side within the tourism component of the Farm Finn project. Simple tourism doesn’t feel sufficient. I feel that we need to be making a difference and as such I have a focus upon agro ecology, community based tourism, mobilization and climate change adaptation.

There are lots of times when I feel ridiculous for trying to do too much, when I could limit myself to making some money. But there’s so much more to life than that and if I am right, and can join a few dots learnt with international agencies over the years,

we could really model something quite special up here.

As such we’re trying to finish off all the work on the land so that I can begin planting and regenerating the soil. I’ve visited “Pepinieres” to look for available trees and have planned out a schematic with Catherine of what to plant where. In truth, by now, there is little building left to do on the land; a few sets of steps and walls. And then I will have completed all the building work I can do without the roxa.

The news on that front continues to be negative, ultimately finding myself caught between the horns of owning land that I cannot build on because a foreigner cannot build on agricultural land and only a Moroccan can apply for a change of land use.

The latest advice is to go in to partnership with a Moroccan. And here I feel for the first time, that absence of trust that is so pervasive in Morocco….who can you trust? I do know a few people that I think I could work with, but the risk is there that having signed over full ownership to another person….they might simply say thank you…and be off!

Another alternative is simply to move forward with the Glamping side of it all and continue with that until, one day, Loubar is re zoned as a peri urban area. This is completely feasible and, more or less I have many things to do this.

It’s also within my current budget. Thus, at least I’m thinking of developing the land so that it can accept “woofers” by the spring and then to spend the summer and autumn, focusing upon the agricultural and camping side of the project; completing those building such as kitchen, office and bedroom that are already built, as well as the shower block, and leaving the rest until……..

This at least would begin the project and perhaps even earn some money! Wow, imagine that? And it would be fun. I think we have a Plan B.

In the mean time, I’m also enjoying winter, which I normally miss. The sunsets are remarkable and it seems that this year we are to have quite a lot of rain….though the irony is not lost on me that I am unable to harvest any of it because I have no roof to direct the water from, in to my spangling new 56M/3 tank, as I have no roxa!.

New entries to the farm now include the return of donkey power as a means of transport. I had thought of bringing up tiles to complete the floors on the buildings we have, but the additional costs required to transport them by donkey is prohibitive. Thus perhaps we’ll wait….and see what happens in the summer…..and of course we need to design and make them, so presumably we have a bit of time.

Equally we have a new litter of puppies from Olive. Poor thing, she looks exhausted and this has to be her last, but there’s a whole troop of sweet little fluffy things for Finn to choose from.

Towards the end of this month Finn and I popped off to the desert. He hadn’t been before and with the holiday to celebrate Mohammed’s birthday, we had a window open to us and so off to Merzouga we went.

It’s been ages since I was last in the desert and how beautiful it is. We were fortunate to be there for the annual date harvest so everything was about the date!! And of course short morning trips on camels.

But most of all, it was a chance to spend more time with Finn.