Why We’re Moving

For years, our home has been a small plot of land in Coimbra — just under half a hectare, shared with the Guarda Rios school. It’s where Riza grew into what it is today, and we’re grateful for it. But it’s also become clear, especially over the last few winters, that it’s not where we can stay.

The land doesn’t drain.

Our field slopes downward, and in winter, when the rain comes, all of it runs straight into the area where the animals spend most of their time. What should be a dry patch of grass turns into standing water and mud for months at a time. It’s hard on the animals — hooves and joints weren’t built for constant wet ground — and it’s hard on the volunteers trying to move feed, straw, and equipment across it every single day.

We’ve tried to fix it. Over the years we’ve dug drainage channels, added gravel, and replaced the roof. Nothing has been enough to stop the water. The land itself works against any long-term solution.

There isn’t enough space.

The other problem is simpler: half a hectare was never going to be enough for around 60 animals. Sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, cows, and chickens all need room — room to move, to form their own groups, and to have somewhere to go when they’d rather be alone. We’ve made it work as best we can, but “making it work” isn’t the same as giving them the life we want them to have.

The new land

The new land is almost three hectares — six times the space we have now. It’s terraced, so even when it rains, the water has far more room to flow and drain rather than pooling where the animals stand. There’s also a wooded area on the land that will channel rainwater naturally — exactly the kind of drainage our current field has never had. It means real pasture, natural shade, space to separate groups when needed and let them mix when they don’t, and enough land to finally build the shelters and infrastructure properly instead of patching things together.

For the first time, we’ll actually live on the same land as the animals. Right now, being off-site means we’re never truly close to them — a health issue, an escape, bad weather overnight, all of it depends on getting there in time. At the new land, we’ll be able to check on them any hour of the day, catch problems early, and simply be present in a way we’ve never managed before.