THE PROJECT

Legal framework

The Housing Cooperative is the current legal framework. To make our proyect flourish further on, we are working on creating other frameworks with which a consumer cooperative can be developed and where artistic, educational and other productive projects can find their legal place .

Housing Cooperative

A housing cooperative has been established to manage the maintenance and use of the 110 living spaces with which the mill town counts for the members of the project. The Catalan law of housing cooperatives holds many benefits that fit perfectly with the historical essence of the colony and with the needs of the project and the inhabitants.

Consumer Cooperative

There will be established a consumer cooperative as part of the integral cooperative to manage the production and sale of food products for the inhabitants of the colony through its own organic farming project and the supply to local producers.

Artistic Projects

A legal entity will be created to be able to develop the educational and artistic projects as well as other productive projects that will contribute to the socioeconomic dynamization of the region.

Other Services

We present some of the services that we consider interesting to share.

Local and Exchange Store

To encourage a circular economy and promote degrowth and sustainability, we have an exchange store where people can bring and swap clothes.
In the future we will open a show with local products and perhaps even a time-share bank.

Tool bank

To facilitate renewal and
reconstruction of the colony
we have and organized tool bank where villagers have handed over their tools for community use, for anybody to pick them up for communal- and personal use when needed.

Community Laundry
To save water, idle use of machines and money and to promote socialization among the inhabitants, we have created a community laundry where clothes can be washed in professional, low-consumption machines.

Dining-room

At Vidalia we share our lunch and dinner together. One of the old buildings of the village is turned into a communal kitchen and dining room. The food comes from local and organic providers and, as far as possible, self-produced.
The meals are mostly vegan. Occasionally meat, dairy and fish is offered as an extra option.

Vehicle sharing services
In order to promote sustainability, reduce costs and stimulate social connections within the project, a study will be carried out to create a vehicle sharing system (preferably electric) for the inhabitants of the community.

Our Vision

We want to develop a project to contribute to the creation of a sustainable, just and compassionate society, developing a project of life that provides meaning, freedom and belonging to the lives of the people involved.

Our Mission

Transform the former Colonia Vidal into a reference centre for an inspiring and sustainable life that respects its historical essence and attracts people from Catalonia and the rest of the world.

Our Values

Social and Solidarity Economy within the framework of degrowth.

Work as a source of inspiration and contribution to a fairer society

Socioeconomic development of the area.

Energy efficiency and generation of renewables.

Creative body and empowering relationships.

Authentic Communication.

Training, Arts and Culture.

Cooperation and leadership.

Life in community and sharing resources.

We are part of nature, we want to reduce the environmental impact and our ecological footprint.

How did all this start?

In 2014, a team of professionals is charged with managing and searching a rescue plan for the property.

In 2017 they join forces and ideas with a group of people with experience in community life, who want to start a new project in Central Catalonia.

Vidal was born from this joint work.

The Contract

On the 30 November 2017, the Promoción de la Granja Urbana Association signed a farm contract for 75 years with the current owners Hines Cal Vidal SL.

Currently

We are currently working on the design of the rehabilitation plan and the energy plan within the framework of energy efficiency. We are working on the rehabilitation of some houses and the processing of the certificates of habitability. We have started to recover some plots of orchards from organic farming and permaculture. We take care of the relations between collaborators, with the neighbors, and the interested parties. We are working on institutional relations at local, national and European level.