When we were property managers in the Provence, a rental company connected us with an owner, who possessed the impressive property "La Haute Manuelle" in the south of France near the charming village of Entrecasteaux. The property spanned 8 hectares (20 acres) and featured over 120 olive trees, an abandoned vineyard, an old bastide, a tower, and a guesthouse.

 

Everything was falling apart, and there had been no proper management for over 12 years since the owner had purchased the estate. The challenge was to get it ready before the rental season, which was essentially within 3 months. The electricity had also been cut off, so we needed to address that as well.

 

Upon inspection, we found frogs jumping out of the pool, brown water flowing from the taps, ceilings collapsed due to leaking roofs, and the garden had become a jungle with grass reaching up to 1.5 meters high due to the lack of gardening for over a decade. Despite these challenges, I confidently said: yes, it can be done. 

 

Within a week, we compiled a list of necessary repairs and obtained quotes from various companies. We also developed a three-year plan for phased investments in estate improvements, including the landscape, along with an overview of potential rental income from holiday rentals. Since the owner resided in Holland, I explained everything over the phone. An hour later he gave the green light, and we started right away.

 

Over the next three months, we, along with a small team, got everything ready for the rental season. During this time, we encountered some unforeseen challenges, but we addressed all the other renovations outlined in the quotation. For instance, the water well was completely covered by jungle, and the pump was constantly running, causing issues with the water system. The electrical system was also a mess, designed for a winery rather than a living space, and needed a complete overhaul. The neglected landscape required significant restoration to bring the 8 hectares (20 acres) back to a proper state for the rental season. We completely revamped the impressive driveway with a new layer of gravel and removed the shrubs that had grown between the olives, creating a beautiful driveway to the bastide.

 

The olive trees were overgrown and needed extensive pruning. We enlisted the help of Olivero, a local Frenchman with an olive orchard of his own, to rejuvenate the olive trees and make them productive and aesthetically pleasing once again. Overall, we transformed the entire property and repaired any damages, including fixing the leaking pool.

 

Many people told us that it was impossible to get it ready within three months; nevertheless, we saw and knew that it was possible, and our team of small, hard workers managed to get it all ready.

 

We managed the rental season, and all the families that stayed during the rental season had the time of their lives since La Haute Manuelle is between the vineyards and a spot with a beautiful view over the vineyards and valleys.

 

After the rental season, we began the next phase to completely renovate the pool. There was a significant water problem around the pool when it was raining, so we had to relocate the water stream around the pool and adjust the landscape around the pool. Within two months, the pool was ready, and the pool house had a new pump installation and filter system. Also, the water system underwent a complete renovation, with a new filter system installed for drinking water filtration.

 

We came in contact with a beekeeper who installed his beehives on the property since La Haute Manuelle had many flowers around for the bees to gather their organic nectar. 

 

La Haute Manuelle is a beautiful estate where many generations will enjoy the beauty. We had a great time bringing it all back to a fully operational estate where everyone can enjoy the peaceful French way of life in a place that has it all.

After a couple of years working in property management in the south of France, we felt it was time for a new adventure. We were drawn to the freedom of creation, but we found that in France, restrictions often hindered our ability to create. It was then that I stumbled upon Belize, a country I had never heard of. What caught my interest was its status as a tax haven and the lack of building restrictions, it sounded like music to me. So, I convinced my partner Monique that we should move to Belize and start an eco-village.

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We had always dreamed of creating a village where everything made sense, where everyone grows their own food and plants lots of fruit trees. Our vision was to create a place of abundance, with a wide variety of plants and trees.

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Our main principle for the village was that all newly constructed buildings had to be made of natural materials, and each property owner had to plant at least 300 different trees and plants on their property. We wanted each plot to be at least one hectare (2.5 acres), so we were searching for a property of at least a hundred hectares.

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After a few months of exploring Belize, we found a property of 750 hectares (1853 acres) with a river running through the land and more than three natural streams with fresh, cold water. The property was covered by many mountains, and there were four huge valleys where we planned to design the plots.

We aimed to sell 250 lots for around $20.000 USD each, with each plot connected to the infrastructure. The property was listed for 1.6 million USD, and to create the infrastructure with the eco-resort centre and the business centre, we had calculated that we could build a truly eco-village where we could live a dream life together for a small investment.

We assembled a team to plan the construction of roads, water towers, and a general business area where people could start their own businesses. We also planned to install solar panels and a hydroelectric system for electricity, ensuring the village would be off the grid.

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Additionally, we wanted to create an eco-resort to host events and retreats, providing residents with an opportunity to earn a living. This would also allow future residents to experience the village before committing to buying property.

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After a year, we had everything together: the investors, the infrastructure costs, a good team of specialists who assisted us in the transition of this huge property, and the construction of infrastructure for all these different lots. We also spoke with the government about our desire to create something impressive for Belize and requested the freedom to proceed in the way we believed was best. We spoke with the mayor of Belize City, who was the main leader of the government in Belize and was running for president. We discussed with him how we wanted to set up our eco-village. He was impressed by our aspirations and expressed a willingness to assist in our goals to make it the first truly sustainable eco-village in Belize.

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Despite our efforts and success, after a year, we decided to abandon the project and return to the south of France. We found Belize to be plagued by government corruption, which made us feel unsafe. We realized that our project attracted various individuals in Belize who might manipulate our intentions for their own interests.

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While we left with mixed feelings about the project, it taught us valuable lessons. Our journey led us to the Lebron Foundation, with which we have created a platform for independent farmhouses worldwide. We believe in promoting a healthy, abundant way of life and inspiring others to do the same. Through organic marketing, we aim to transform the landscape embrace natural options and assist in these beautiful organic farm creations. Perhaps this way, our desire will grow bigger than we could imagine.

We started in Ibiza with ‘’Crazy Farmers Ibiza’’. We assisted homeowners with maintaining and creating their own organic vegetable gardens so they could eat out of their own gardens rather than buy their food at a supermarket. The owners of Villa Allegria asked us to assist them. They wanted to live completely off-grid with their family of four kids and requested that we prepare their 1-hectare estate (2.5 acres) for this food transition.

 

The villa is situated on a hill near Santa Eulària and to be totally self-sufficient in food, we had to create more terraces to make the vegetable beds. We also planted many different fruit trees and created a chicken area for the chickens so the family had enough fresh organic eggs and enough chickens for meat.

 

The whole process of changing the landscape and designing the spaces for food production was done by us. We assembled a team skilled at building the terrace walls made of natural stones and constructing all the garden stairs to easily walk from one place to another.

 

The owners also wanted a large carport with a workspace so their kids could learn to craft different things. Their kids were not in the school system anymore because they wanted to give them the freedom to learn everything on their own property. The landscape design and creation process served as a learning opportunity for the kids, essentially becoming a university for them. They were actively involved in every step, helping build various elements on the property and learning along the way.

 

We also designed a greenhouse made from Douglas wood, before being transplanted into the organic vegetable gardens. The kids were involved in every step, and we explained each process to them so they could eventually do it themselves.

 

Working with kids who showed genuine interest in our various projects on the property was truly enjoyable. We taught them about the different aspects of creating a real independent organic farm, explaining the hows and whys behind each step. They proved to be quick learners, showing intelligence in innerstanding how everything worked.

 

We also set up another living space on the property. It included a yurt with an outdoor kitchen and living area that blended well with the surroundings under the pine trees.

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We designed and managed the entire project. In a little over six months, we transformed it into a genuine off-grid living space where the family can enjoy a healthy lifestyle and share their place with others.

 

Villa Alegria in Ibiza has been transformed into a small organic farm and family estate.