PermagardensFeeding the World: One Family at a Time

Peter JensenPjensen@tz.peacecorps.govterra_firma2@yahoo.com

Permaculture and Bio-IntensiveHome Based Permagardens

PermagardensGrowing Family Nutritional Security

In the face of mounting global challenges:

• HIV/AIDS• Hunger/Food Insecurity

• Climate Change• Dwindling Water and Land Resources

• Economic Collapse

Gardens of ControlWater, Soil, Plants, People

No control of rain or weeds or yield. Rainwater now moves into permanent beds along permanent paths

where water catchment holes and beds hold the promise of high, farm-like yields close to home.

Permaculture Design: controlling water controls erosion and increases yield

Stop

Slow

Sink

Spread

Gardens of Accomplishment300% yield increases in the first year alone.

PCV and Counterpart in shallow tilled maize without compost or contour water retention ridges.

Same day, different field. Deeply dug, compost added field maize with water retention ridges.

Gardens of HopePermaculture and Bio-Intensive for the future

• Families can now look to the future with nutritional security right at home.

• Simple method with local tools means it is easily learned and easily taught to others.

• Caregivers have reason to hope for their loved ones and themselves.

• Environmentally sound, economically viable and socially acceptable means there is hope for family food security to be a sustainable idea.

Permaculture and Bio-IntensiveThe ideas go well together

The “guild”: perennial plants living in harmony and productivity. Food, medicine, and erosion control.

The composting water retention ditch: long term fertility for annual plants, year after year.

PermagardensPermaculture and Bio-Intensive Gardens

Permanent Control Structures High Yield Potential Very Quickly

Close and Easy to Manage Opportunity for Year Round Diet

and Bio Diversity Opportunity for Income Generation

Gardens for Better Living

PermagardensGrow Big and Stay Home

Key Training Themes

The Circle of Sustainability Environmentally Sound Economically Viable Socially Acceptable

The Three Legged Stool – Remove a leg and everything collapses

PermagardensControl – Accomplishment - Hope

BIOINTENSIVE MINI-FARMINGSustainable Diet Production

DEEP SOIL PREPARATION

allows

CLOSE, PRECISE PLANT SPACINGS

creates

HEALTHY MICRO-CLIMATE

When added to

COMPOST

ProvideMaterialfor

THRIVING

HEALTHY

PLANTS

holds

GROWTH

produce

SEEDS (acclimated to local growing conditions)

feed

PEOPLEresist

INSECTS & DISEASE

CIRCLE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Why it Works!

NUTRIENTS, WATER& CO2

PermagardensGrow Big and Stay Home

Key Training Themes

Environmental and Nutritional Sustainability• Go Foods (carbs)

• Grow Foods (proteins)• Glow Foods (vitamins and minerals)

The Three Legged Stool

Go FoodsGrow FoodsGlow Foods

Environmentally SoundEconomically ViableSocially Acceptable

Take one leg away and the stool is useless.

Balanced Nutrition for a Better Life

Control…..Accomplishment…..Hope for the Future

Current Meal Malnutrition - focused on energy alone

Monoculture cropping leads to

High inputs

High risk of crop failure

High risk of food insecurity

Detrimental to soil / environment

Better Meal Balanced Nutrition - focused on all nutrients

Diversified Planting

Increased Food Security

Fewer inputs

Increased chance of yields

Better for soil / environment

C ur r ent Meal

Minerals (very little

iron & calcium)

Vitamins (very little A, B & E)

Fiber (10 grams)

Protein (10 grams)

Carbohydrates (300 grams)

Fats (3 grams)

Bet t er Meal

Minerals (half iron,calcium)

Vitamins (All C,E half A,B)

Fiber (20 grams)

Protein (20 grams)

Carbohydrates (500 grams)

Fats (14 grams)

Key Training Themes

• Remove Barriers to Adoption • Everything is Local – seeds, plants, tools

• “Making it look easy is the hardest thing to do.”• Small, Doable Actions leading to Immediate Visible

Results creates a Climate for Behavior Change• Small Changes can make a Big Difference.

• Learning and Teaching By Doing (small groups)

• Small is Bountiful: Growing more food from less land than you ever thought possible.

Only Local – Nothing New RequiredTools Plants and seeds

To overcome “barriers to adoption”, whether real or perceived, we must use ONLY locally available tools, seeds and plants. New tools or seeds, no matter how useful, must only be introduced once the family has seen success with local resources. The choice to use new equipment is then the choice of the family itself.

Small Change – Big DifferenceBanana Tree Alone Banana Tree Guildor

Common banana tree planting method without water capture and lots of wasted space.

30 minutes can make a big difference: water retention hole plus perennial plants such as matembele, aloe vera and lemon grass.

Specific Training PointsGarden Layout Planning Perennial Borders for Control

A simple drawing on the ground between buildings highlighting water capture and control around the edges with one meter wide garden beds within.

Water retention borders and holes are then planted with matembele, lemon grass, aloe and papaya.

Specific Training PointsCompost Making and Use Double Digging

Mixture of green and brown leaves, soil and water to help build soil health and water retention capacity. Pile is turned once a month and then spread on beds after crop harvest and before beds are replanted.

One meter wide beds are easily accessed from either side for easy watering, weeding and harvesting. Deep soil allows close plant spacing. Roots will not compete and more plants can be grown per unit area.

Specific Training PointsPlant and Seed Spacing Weeds and Water

Close and precise plant spacing will maximize plant numbers while creating a healthy microclimate below the leaf canopy which holds moisture and CO2 to stimulate vigorous growth.

Narrow beds allow easy access for early weeding. Soil is easily aerated and ready to accept water from rain or by hand. After harvest, crop residue is composted, the bed is loosely dug, finished compost is added and the new crop is planted.

The Results

The Bio-Intensive Way The Conventional Way

Dig Deep, Plant Hexagonally…No weeds, More water held …

4x the Yield

Shallow Digging, Plant in rows …More Weeds, Less Water held …

Average Yield

Seeds = 451 seed/35 cm

Producing Plants = 40Ears/Plant = 2Total Ears = 80

Kernels/Ear = 500Total Yield = 40,000

or20 kg

Seeds = 404 seeds/meter

Producing Plants = 20Ears/Plant = 1Total Ears = 20

Kernels/Ear = 250Total Yield = 5000

or2.5 kg

Double Dug with Manure and Compost

Single Dug with Manure Only

8 times the yield per unit area!

Why Bio-Intensive?Maize Yield Comparison from a 1x5m bed

Permagarden Training3 – Day Intensive

• Overview and Rationale• Garden Resource Assessment Walk About• Garden Layout for Water Control

– Swales, ditches and holes– Planting berms with edible perennials– Guilds at water collection points– Permanent beds and paths– Living fences for wind and animals

Permagarden Training3 - Day Intensive

• Compost, Manure, Green Manure and Biochar• Soil Preparation – double digging!• Seed and Plant Spacing – increase plants/area• Seedling Nursery Bed Management• Companion Planting and Relay Intercropping• Bed Management – Weeds and Water• Harvest and Crop Rotation –Prep for Next Season• Cover Crops and Green Manure

Traditional maize planting method (4 seeds per meter in shallow holes) in semi-arid Mpwapwa. A 3” rain fell 2 days prior and plants are already drought stressed because of poor roots and poor soil.

Half acre field planted by one woman. Where there is water, there is life. Where there is no control of rain, there is nothing but erosion.

Clear a Small Manageable Space Near Home

Three Weeks LaterPlant bio-intensive garden beds within permacultural berms

NampulaMay 2009

Two Training Days Later

Inhambane, MZMay 2009

Create swales to capture rain and runoff.

ObserveDo

Teach

Improve the loosened subsoil with char, ash and manure

2 Groups and 4 Training Days Later

Rose’s Garden – Lushoto

One year and many harvests later…24” of topsoil created!

Kongei Primary School - Lushoto

One year later – a bounty of knowledge and food to share.

8:00 am

2:00 pm

10 Weeks later

Roode Vallei, RSAOctober 2009

Dodoma, TanzaniaNovember, 2008

Local ToolsLocal Plants

Local People

Five Hours Later : Real Change

Dodoma, TanzaniaJanuary, 2009

Permagardens

Small Doable Actions with Immediate Visible Results

Permagardens

Feeding the World One Family at a Time

PermaGardensThey’re not just for kitchens anymore

Healthy Soils = Healthy Plants = Healthy People = Strong

Communities

For Further Information

Peter JensenPermaculture Specialist

Peace Corps Tanzaniapjensen@tz.peacecorps.govterra_firma2@yahoo.com