The basis of good cuisine is not only the technique, but also the understanding of where the food comes from. That is why, on 12 acres of land, in Golyama Zhelyazna, educational gardens will come to life - living classrooms under the open sky. There, the students will not just grow vegetables and herbs, but will also learn to think sustainably, observe natural processes and develop an attitude towards clean, seasonal and real food.
The person who will tend these gardens and lead this dialogue between the land and future chefs is Daniel Dimov – a gardener and guardian of the principles of permaculture. In this interview we talk about sustainable agriculture, the connection between people and nature, and the lessons the earth teaches.
How would you explain to someone who knows nothing what permaculture is?
Permaculture is a system of sustainable agriculture. It doesn't teach you how to garden, it teaches you to think, observe and learn. It also teaches you how to move yourself from the center of attention and understand that you have a function as part of something bigger. For me, organic farming also means using reason and critical thinking to see and learn how the first system in the world works. Nature is the first and most successful system on the planet. When you know how it works, you can take the same path and work in sync with it. Then it is much easier to do something just once and correctly, and in return to get much more. And the feeling is of mutual help.
How do you see the relationship between humans and nature nowadays?
Today, people often stand as strangers in their own home – nature. We have severed the threads that have connected us for millennia to the land, water, trees and animals around us. While the need for comfort and control prevails in the modern world, we have gradually forgotten that we are part of a cycle and that every breath we take is a gift from the trees, that our food comes from the living soil, and that clean water is a blessing.
Do you think this relationship is repairable?
I believe that this connection is not completely destroyed – only weakened. There are processes of restoration and healing that are felt in the awakening of people seeking freedom and rediscovering it in nature. It can be seen in the restored soils and sustainable ecosystems created in the likeness of natural forests, where deer and turtles gather under the same shade. It is present even in the quiet inner peace of man when he tastes the first fruit from his own garden.
As shared in some Eastern and Pacific cultures, I believe that our role is not to dominate nature, but to be its guardians and co-creators.”When we stand alongside it, not against it, then we discover not only the abundance of the earth, but also the deep peace that we belong to a greater whole.. "
Who has influenced you the most in your love for the earth and plants?
My love for the land is built from many threads: from my grandparents, who gave me the sweetest joys of the garden and taught me so much. From the lessons of a scientist and explorer Bill Mollison, considered the “father of permaculture,” and even from the imagination of Japanese illustrator Akira Toriyama. But what most influenced me was the time I spent with the indigenous Hawaiian people, called Kanaka Maoli, and their culture. Their struggle to preserve their land and sovereignty shows what it means to truly connect with nature and what it means to be a Steward of the Land.
How did you end up among these people and what do you remember today from living with them?
I came to be among them almost by accident, though when I think about it, it seems as if the island was calling me there. What I remember most strongly is not so much the people as the rhythm of living with them, and how every action was connected to the land, the ocean, and the sky. Their culture showed me that caring for the land is not a profession, but a relationship and a daily practice of respect.
A Hawaiian wisdom that is forever locked in my soul:
"He Ali'i ka Aina, He Kauwa ke Kanaka!"
"The land is chief, people are its servant!"
"The earth is the chief; man is her servant!"
How do you approach planning a new garden?
When I plan a new garden, I approach it with vision and forward thinking – not just about what is, but what could be. I observe existing elements and consider what is possible to create.
I think about how much resilience can be built and what resources can be created. For me, permaculture is not just a system for sustainable agriculture, but a system that teaches us to think, observe and understand. It shifts the focus away from ourselves and reminds us that we are part of something bigger. Organic farming also means using reason and critical thinking to understand how the first and most successful system on earth – nature – works. When we understand it, we can follow its path and work in sync with it. Then it is much easier to do something once and right, and in return to get many times more. The feeling is of mutual support.
What is planned for the future gardens at Sharena Fabrika?
In the “Sharena Fabrika” project, we are creating gardens that will be living classrooms. The goal is to tell stories, show, educate and bring students closer to the land to see the roots of products and how they are created. We are also building a garden for the restaurant, which will supply the kitchen with fresh vegetables and spices, as well as two more gardens that will provide produce for the school’s teaching kitchens. It is of great importance to me to pass on knowledge to anyone who is willing to listen.
Day and night I am ready to help with anything that encourages a deeper connection with nature. I work first and foremost for the land and strive to tell its beautiful story.
What have you learned from gardens that you couldn't learn anywhere else?
I have learned things from gardens that I could not learn anywhere else – for example, that the unique and intelligent human body was not designed to sit behind a desk for eight hours a day. Among the most valuable pieces of wisdom I have received as a gardener are the simple truths: “The earth is the leader, man is its servant!","Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."And"The problem is the solution.".
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*The phrase "Steward of the Land" literally means "guardian (or manager) of the land."
