PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS Farmer-to-Farmer Trip Report for:

Susan Mahr

8 Nov – 23 Nov, 2009 GENERAL ASSIGNMENT / BACKGROUND The purpose of this assignment was to assess the feasibility of implementing a garden project into FTF program and to train agriculture students, technicians and families in composting and growing family gardens. Information focused on garden preparation and production techniques with mention of the importance of increased consumption of vegetables. Ultimately this should help improve the diet and increase income of the farmers through production, consumption and marketing of vegetables not currently being grown. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The volunteer offered training to University students in Managua and spent time in three locations outside of Managua (San Jose de las Remates, Rivas and Camoapa) providing training in site preparation and planting of family gardens, as well as information about composting, garden maintenance, pest management, and harvesting of various vegetables. Participants included children and adults, both men and women. Three formal presentations were given, reaching approximately 80 adults. One large planting was made on a farm, three gardens were created with primary school students, and two demonstration gardens were developed and planted. Additional contacts were made and information disseminated to groups that plan to implement gardens in January. More information, knowledge and supplies are needed in all areas that will be provided in the future. ACTIVITIES 10 Nov In the morning a presentation on Family Garden Models to approximately 50 2nd year students (12 female) at UNI (Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería) was well received.

The presentation provided a brief overview of Wisconsin agriculture and climate, University and Extension organization, UW-Extension’s Master Gardener program, introductions to the most popular crops in home gardens (as well as commercial production of selected crops), and gardening practices, including soil preparation, irrigation, monitoring and pest management. Several students requested electronic copies of the PowerPoint and were interested

in participating in a model demonstration garden being started on their campus.

The planned afternoon presentation at UNA (Universidad Nacional de Agraria) did not happen, as students were in the middle of exams. There was no other time to schedule the presentation around other activities.

Mercado de Mayoreo, one of the large local markets in Managua, was visited to determine the diversity of vegetables being sold in the city. Many common crops were observed, including tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots, cabbage, and squash, plus yuca (manioc or cassava) and malanga (taro, Colocasia

esculenta or Xanthosoma spp.) roots. There were also onions, head lettuce, chayote, potato, garlic, cucumber, and beets available at many of the extensive produce stands. Less common were celery, eggplant, garlic scapes, hot peppers and chilote (small, underdeveloped ears of corn that are thinned from the stalks to allow the remaining ear to grow larger). Fruits included green-skinned oranges, many types of bananas, large papayas, watermelons, pineapple and pitaya (fruit of the epiphytic cactus Hylocereus undatus). A couple of vendors in one area were offering precut vegetables (appeared to be squash and carrots in small cubes) in plastic packages and a condiment of a mixture of pickled chopped assorted vegetables in opaque liquid (also in clear plastic bags – this was also offered in some restaurants), but almost all of the fruits and vegetables in the market were unprocessed in any way, other than trimming. Cabbage was being processed on site, with the ground covered with outer leaves that had been stripped as the heads were unloaded from trucks in places. The cabbages were then displayed with just the tight heads and no wrapper leaves. Almost all of the produce on offer appeared fresh, even though quality (in terms of size, shape and blemishes) varied between vendors.

The array of produce available at a local supermarket was more diverse (including such things as sweet corn, green beans, radishes, and herbs that were not seen in the local market at all) and more uniform in appearance. It was very similar to the produce section in any grocery store in the US. Although much of the produce here

appeared to be cosmetically superior, the quality was difficult to determine and appearance may not be a good indicator of taste. Many of the items looked like they had been in transit or on display for a long time, appearing wilted or browning along the edges. 11 Nov In San Jose de los Remates we first visited with farmer Maria Josepha Urbina in her home, then made a reconnaissance trip to the farm of Wilfredo Bustamante. We looked at the site where we would be implementing a garden planting demonstration later in the day, noted what crops were currently growing, the condition of a compost pile started a few months earlier with another volunteer, and a big issue with a transplant bed of cabbage. The transplants were heavily infested with diamondback moth, and despite treatment of the plants would be unsuitable to use in a garden. If a replacement planting could be made under protection, then the farmer would have a better chance of having a successful cabbage planting. Floating row cover was not available at the farm supply store, but the fabric store had some lightweight, loosely woven fabric that could be used as a substitute. In the afternoon we returned to the planting site, along with Maria Joespha Urbina and three agronomy students from the town who were interested in the garden project. The situation with the cabbage was discussed, the larvae pointed out on the leaves, and the fabric spread out to demonstrate how it could be used to cover plants to exclude the moths. The fabric was left with the farmer with the recommendation to destroy the existing infested plants and replant, with the new area covered with the fabric to protect from re-infestation until the plants were of a size to transplant. Then the size of the new planting area was discussed relative to the variety of seeds that could be supplied. Four cultivars of carrots, several of squash, beets, lettuce, broccoli, cucumber, melon, watermelon and tomato were available. Implementing a square foot garden was not practical, as the compost made earlier had not decomposed

properly (and the amount would have been insufficient); also, the farmer had and extensive area to fill and would maintain. Group discussion led to a consensus of the approximate area needed, and clearing the area commenced. Machetes, hoes and rakes, and hand-pulling were used to remove the existing vegetation (mostly small weeds and grass plants). Then the area was dug up and beds prepared according to the farmer’s suggestion. Four long beds were created, with walkways between, along the

hillside. All participants took part, digging with various implements and smoothing out

the planting beds. Once again the farmer was asked to demonstrate his techniques and the group decided to follow his example of creating short rows across the planting beds – perpendicular to the length of the beds – in which to seed the crops. Shallow furrows were formed with the side of the hand or a stick into which seed was placed at the recommended intervals for the different crops that could be grown close together: carrots, lettuce, beets and broccoli. Everyone took turns placing the seeds in the furrows. The farmer, having had much experience, was the most efficient at this, but the students were enthusiastic about trying and began to do things without being prompted. This first area was completed in late afternoon, without having considered any of the crops which needed wider spacing. Light rain showers moving into the area prevented any further work on the area that day. 12 Nov This morning we visited with the principal of a local primary school to discuss the possibility of doing a demonstration garden with the children. This was the first contact by the FTF Field Officer with an elementary school to try to get children involved in growing vegetables. They have a small garden planted with squash and peppers on one side of the lot. There was another flat area nearby, but it was filled with rocks and construction rubble underneath the weeds and would require more preparation than we could possibly do in a day to create a successful garden. On the other side of the buildings there was another flat, but highly compacted space that might have been usable, but it was very small and there was no practical way of amending the poor soil. In the back, in a more open, grassy area there were several spots that had been used for burning sticks and trash, that might be suitable for a garden, if the area was cleaned up and the soil prepared. Another complication was that the students were to go on vacation the following week, so there would be no one around to make sure the plantings were watered (if it didn’t rain). So the decision was not to rush into doing a poorly executed demonstration, but plan for a more successful implementation in the future. It was suggested that two volunteer visits could be scheduled, with time to prepare age-appropriate materials for the students, to focus first on composting and soil preparation and the second on planting seeds and maintaining a garden. An alternative to making the garden in the ground would be to get a number of old tires and fill them with a mixture of soil, compost and aged manure, and use those as individual plots for groups of students. That would be easy to demarcate the different beds, provide a raised environment for better plant growth and be small enough for the students to keep well-weeded. A second demonstration garden planting at the Urbina farm had to be cancelled, as Maria Josepha had a meeting and could not be there as originally scheduled. Since the planting at the first garden had not been completed, there was time to return to that garden instead. This time four agronomy students (three from the previous day plus one

additional one) participated. They quickly went to work preparing planting sites for the squash and melons, cutting back the low weeds with a machete every 1-1.5m and then digging up that spot with a mattock or shovel to create a small hill. The farmer directed them to form the small hills in a row

following the contour of the hill, paralleling the edge of the corn planting further up the hill. Once the first row was completed, the farmer indicated where the next row of hills should be, about 3 meters from the first ones. They formed 3 rows of hills and planted them with 3 seeds each of squash (4 cultivars), melon or watermelon. The farmer indicated he would thin each hill to a single plant once the seedlings were well established. It had rained substantially overnight, enough to create a small furrow in one of the planting beds that had been established the previous day. To prevent further erosion, the farmer cut down large banana trees, stripped them of their leaves and laid the trunks in the pathways of the small plot so water running downhill would have to flow along them and off the bed, rather

than across the seeded area. While the farmer was doing that, the young men prepared another small plot to use as a nursery bed for growing tomatoes, using the techniques they had learned the previous day. The bed was planted with all available tomato seeds, then the remainder was planted with lettuce. Continuing light showers prevented any further planting that day .It was noted that there were many insects and other arthropods present in the field, including wolf spiders, which have been shown in research in other situations to be

important in suppression of pest populations. 13 Nov Since planting at the primary school was not an option, we had arranged to go to the home of some students to determine if a garden could be created there. At the first home in a residential area, the soil was reasonably good

without too many rocks and a suitable location was found. The area was demarcated with rocks collected on the property and then the soil was dug up. Two additional boys joined the group, and all participants took turns using a machete to remove the sparse weeds, digging up the soil with a mattock, moving the soil around with a shovel, or picking rocks and roots out by hand. Once the entire area had been dug – only about 8” deep – the soil was piled up in the middle, the rocks moved closer in and the soil redistributed to make the worked up planting area a little deeper. Some additional soil from a barrel nearby was added on top of the planting area. After demonstrating how to level the soil and discussing why soil preparation was important, seed packages were distributed. There was a discussion of planting depth and spacing, then a demonstration of how to create a shallow furrow to place the seeds in. The boys then seeded carrots, lettuce, beets, and radish in the rows. They were very enthusiastic, but not very precise in row alignment or maintaining appropriate seed density. After those crops had been

seeded, tomatoes, squash and watermelon were planted in hills rather than rows, more widely spaced. Two types of tomatoes were planted, and two types of squash. Many more squash hills were put in than the area could support, but the students were so enthusiastic it was difficult to get them to stop. They were instructed to plant 3-4 seeds in each hill, then would have to thin those to only a single healthy plant in

each spot. The group discussed watering, weeding, and protection from animals. As the discussion was going on a puppy came and started to dig in the garden, emphasizing the need to protect the garden. There weren’t any materials readily available to create a fence, but at a later stop the boys themselves thought to cut down some spiny acacia branches and brought them back to the garden to lay over the soil as a temporary deterrent. It was decided to wait until the following day to irrigate the garden, if necessary, as normal afternoon-evening rains could be sufficient. The boys were instructed that they needed to check on the garden daily to be sure it did not dry out and they also needed to monitor for crop germination and weed growth.

A second home was visited, but the owner did not want a garden there. A final location, at a home outside of town was more receptive. There was a small space covered with tenacious rhizomatous grass (like Bermuda grass) that was available in the corner of a fenced area. The boys quickly cleared the area with machetes, then proceeded to dig shallow holes about 1m apart in which to plant squash, watermelon and tomato. The soil was moist,

heavy clay, so difficult to dig and permeated with grass roots. Since the preparation was minimal the chance of success is not high, but could be a good learning experience. They tried to dig up a rectangular area in which to plant lettuce, carrot and radish, but decided that it was too difficult to dig and the soil was too moist to easily work, so abandoned that idea. The rocks they had collected to demarcate the garden area were

instead used to mark the squash, watermelon and tomato hills that likely soon would be covered by grass. As we were preparing to leave, the boys themselves thought to cut down some spiny acacia branches which were transported back to the first garden. The branches were laid them over the planted area in an attempt to keep out animals, even though there weren’t quite enough to cover the entire plot. We had originally planned to have a presentation followed by a demonstration of preparing vegetables for a woman’s group in the town, but their schedule had changed and there was little time available to meet. Instead of a presentation, there was an informal discussion and seeds were distributed to the approximately 15 women present to use in the home gardens they hoped to create. All participants were enthusiastic about having a home garden, but had never had one before because they didn’t know anything about growing vegetables. Questions were answered about seed selection, planting and pest control, and suggestions were offered on soil preparation and food preparation. The property of one participant was visited to asses the potential for a garden at the real of the building. The best soil was in full shade; the only sunny area was gravel and weeds. The recommendation was to create a raised bed of some sort, and then we could return to offer advice on planting and maintenance in the future.

The boys worked with earlier in the day were so motivated to create a garden at their school that they expressed an interest in converting an area at their school ground (where non-productive tomato and squash were currently growing) to a new

vegetable garden. It wasn’t clear if they understood why the tomato and squash were not producing and if they could take steps to improve the soil so that new crops would be more successful, but they were anxious to plant the additional seeds they had been given. We went back to the school later in the day to supervise and assist them in preparation of the area for re-planting. With the permission of the principal, they removed the existing vegetation and created three raised beds (there was no organic matter available to amend the soil, however) in which they planted cucumber, lettuce, a bush watermelon, broccoli, cabbage, beets and carrots. Since rain was not imminent they irrigated the plots with a watering can. The students were scheduled to be on vacation the following week and

may not be available to care for the garden; a local agronomy student was going to supervise to make sure the plantings were watered and maintained appropriately. 16 Nov The planned implementation of a demonstration garden at UNI could not be completed. Because of budget cuts there was only one more week of classes and the students would not be in session until the beginning of January, so there was no point in starting a garden now. The instructor showed the proposed area, and the nearby well that can be used to set up an irrigation system as part of the project. The field was used recently for a test plot for growing Moringa oleifera trees for cattle forage, so it should be in reasonable shape for growing plants. The volunteer will provide recommended protocol for a semester-long project for a class of 35 students, and will send seeds down with another volunteer coming to Nicaragua as soon as possible. The remainder of the day was spent preparing an outline for the class project. This could be used just as a practical demonstration garden or it could be designed as replicated research plots to assess the suitability of different cultivars under the local environmental conditions and to compare different production methods, if the instructor decides they have enough time and interest. 17 Nov A presentation on gardening was given to about a dozen employees and management at Lacteos Nicarao dairy plant. They want to have a garden on site to provide food for lunches and to inspire the employees to begin gardens at home. There is already a small planting of several types of fruit trees, manioc and plantains established, so a vegetable garden would be an easy addition. The talk was well received, with a lot of interest and many questions at the end. One man, Rafael, had some very insightful comments and questions about biological control, organic practices and more – as he has a degree in agronomy. Several people in the group asked questions about the seeds that were provided. They informed us that they plan to do soil preparation over the next month in anticipation of planting a garden in December or January. The garden site, within the fenced fruit tree area, was visited after the presentation. A soil sample was taken to be delivered to the university in Managua for soil testing. They will try to accumulate organic matter to either amend the clay soil or prepare a raised bed for a square foot garden. 18 Nov A local woman’s group, La Casa de la Mujer Nuestra Señora de Montserrat, had arranged to have a number of interested women available for a planting demonstration at a nearby farm. We had expected 10 women, but over 28 signed in, and that didn’t count the children that some had brought with them. The compost pile that had been constructed when another FTF volunteer had been here in September hadn’t decomposed properly (we suspect lack of water), but the women had made another on their own that was just about ready to use. It wasn’t enough, however, to create a raised square-foot garden, and there weren’t any convenient materials readily available to use for the edges, so a regular in-ground garden was prepared (the soil was sufficiently loose to do this). After consultation with the farm owner and agronomy students a site

was selected for the vegetable garden. The approximately 30 x 30 ft area was cleared with machetes, then dug up with shovels and pick-axes. All of the participants took turns working up the ground after the first ones

to try it on their own initiative prodded the others to give it a try. Some were really enthusiastic about getting experience, and took over from the men, or started picking rocks and roots out by hand. Most were dressed in jeans and sneakers, but some came in skirts or dresses with high heels, but even many of those in nice clothes pitched in. It was really great to see their enthusiasm. During this process a reporter from the local TV station came for an interview to learn about the project. That was supposedly going to be aired on the evening’s news, so we thought attendance at the presentation the next day and a second demonstration could be more than expected.

Once all of the soil had been dug up, it was formed into long, narrow beds following the contour of the slope. The women all pitched in to pick out rocks, debris and roots as the beds were formed. They were not shy about getting their hands dirty, but they also loved the plastic trowels and one cultivator I’d brought. In addition to the beds, a few hills for squash, amended with compost, were dug. The extra compost not needed for the hills was then spread on the formed beds and everyone incorporated it with hands or trowels, even getting some of the little kids involved. I opened one package of squash and one of carrots to pass around so people could see the difference in

size while we discussed planting depth and spacing depending on the size of the seed

and the ultimate size of the plants. After a demonstration on how to make a shallow furrow and sprinkle in a small number of carrot seeds, packages of seed were distributed and the participants planted their own seed. Carrots, beets, lettuce and radish were planted in the upper-most bed, with the intent to put other, larger crops in the next beds. But the participants were too excited and enthusiastic to do things in an orderly manner, so cucumber, cabbage and other crops were put in at random. After planting, the beds were watered by hand, with several admonitions that the garden needed more water, probably daily, for the seeds to germinate, as the soil was relatively dry. During all of this many of the women asked all kinds of good questions, such as about the different cultivars, how long it would take for crops to mature, and much more. They were highly motivated, having put in considerable effort to get to the demonstration as they had to walk a distance from town and all had actively participated in the hands-on experience. After the demonstration, packets of vegetable seeds, the trowels they had used, a few flower seeds and some pens were distributed, unfortunately without enough to go to everyone as there were many more participants than anticipated. The remainder of the day was spent revising a PowerPoint on family gardens (to be shown the following day) to include additional information on composting, soil preparation, seeding, and other topics to address many of the questions they had during the demonstration. 19 Nov The PowerPoint presentation on family gardens was delivered to an enthusiastic audience of about 20 women and several of their children, plus a few male agriculturists. This was a modified version of the previous Family Gardens talk, cutting out the information about UW-Extension, and greatly expanding the crop information (focusing on crops for Nicaragua instead of the ones grown in Wisconsin), adding a section on making compost, and expanding the crop management section to include more examples from Nicaragua. Several women were taking lots of notes, and there were numerous questions or added relevant comments during the 2 hour session. Refreshments were then provided to those who wished to stay. We had hoped to have an informal discussion at that time about using vegetables and other topics related to nutrition and gardening, but many participants had other commitments by then and had to leave. Several participants expressed their appreciation for the presentation and demonstration, and I found out more about their group. La Casa de la Mujer Nuestra Señora de Montserrat is a volunteer group to assist women by

preventing domestic abuse and improving their economic status through training programs, education and legal advice. They have lawyers, a psychologist and other professionals in the group. They have had courses in baking (pastries), sewing and now gardening to allow women to be able to start their own small businesses to improve their economic condition. They also hope to be able to take their new knowledge to other communities to train disadvantaged women there. They would appreciate additional information and supplies in the future. One participant requested my email address so I can provide her with more information (she spoke limited, but adequate, English). An electronic copy of the Spanish version of the presentation was given to one participant to be able to share with others. 20 Nov A second demonstration garden was built on the grounds of the UNA-Camoapa campus. There were 8 enthusiastic participants from La Casa de la Mujer Nuestra Señora de Montserrat, as well as four female UNA students plus five male students that assisted in the soil preparation. The University has a fenced area devoted to a trial garden that was a project of the first year students there, and this hands-on experience was in this area. Before starting the soil preparation we looked at the cabbage, peppers, carrots and squash already growing there on long, ½ meter-wide raised beds. I pointed out the difference in the male and female flowers on the squash plants (which had been

discussed in the presentation the previous day) and talked about some of the insects and spiders seen on the plants as they pointed them out – which were pests, which were beneficial, and which were just incidental. The women soon began the task of breaking up the hard ground in

the area to be planted using shovel, pick-axes and mattocks, without waiting for the young men (who were

taking a test) to assist them. Although it was hard work, they retained a sense of humor, making up words to a song about working in a family garden, planting seeds, and growing food. After the men joined the process, the work went more quickly and soon narrow beds were formed from the piles of soil. The clay soil was fairly dry and therefore

difficult to work into a fine seedbed. When packages of seeds were distributed among the women they discussed as a group where they were going to plant the various

crops. Those who had been at the previous demonstration immediately instructed the others on how to create a furrow, place the seeds, and cover them with soil. We discussed plant spacing and how you could use implements (such as the small plastic trowels I provided) to measure distances. There were some seeds left over, so one of the sparsely planted old beds was also prepared and seeded as well, planting around the few small cabbage plants growing there. The new garden was watered and a group photo was taken. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Vegetable and Fruit Consumption. The staples of the Nicaraguan diet are white rice, beans, corn tortillas and cheese, with eggs, chicken and beef common. Gallo pinto (rice and beans, often cooked with onion or garlic) can be eaten at every meal, and meat is

often available in large portions. In local buffet restaurants there were always a few vegetable selections (such as mixed cooked squash and carrot chunks, or squash in a cream sauce) but the choices were minimal compared with meat and starch choices. Menus at many restaurants offered salads with a variety of vegetables, typically without dressings. The only vegetables served during my home stay in

San Jose de Remata were onions mixed in with scrambled eggs and tiny slivers of carrots mixed in with the white rice. At one restaurant meal in that town there were more vegetables served – a salad of shredded cabbage and carrots and sliced tomato and pieces of head

lettuce – but this was still much less volume than the other parts of the meal. A restaurant in Rivas offered two salads on its menu, including the pictured ensalada palmito, and one of the fast food restaurants in Managua was advertising its new salads.

Although fruit was readily available in the markets of cities and at roadside stands in smaller towns (and usually more prevalent than vegetables), it was not observed at the buffet restaurants. Locals were seen eating fruit as a snack rather than as part of a meal, although my host in San Jose de Remata was happy to provide fruit for a meal upon

request. Peeled oranges are hawked at intersections with traffic lights in the city, and are sold during recess at schools (but sweets are also available then) or on street corners. In many places fruit sellers with produce (sometimes also vegetables) in carts went through residential areas peddling their wares. In some towns boxes of apples (imported from Chile or Washington State) were stacked on sidewalks, with several different types available for sale. Based on the frequency with which fruit is seen for sale, consumption must be fairly high among the general population. When packages of cookies, tangerines and bananas were offered as refreshments at one program, the participants all took one of each, but didn’t eat the fruit there (most ate the cookies) and took the fruit with them presumably to eat later. Composting. In my own personal experience at home, the leaves

of some tropical plants, including banana, do not degrade as quickly as other plant material, although banana peels seem to rot quickly. Rafael, of Lacteos Nicarao, also mentioned that he would not use banana leaves in a compost pile and this was corroborated by the compost that was made by the woman’s group in Camoapa – most of the plant material was nearly completely decayed, but the pieces of banana were still intact. There does not seem to be a good waste stream in most households for use in composting. Almost all kitchen waste is fed to chickens or pigs, and would be unlikely to be diverted to a compost pile. Although this is a tropical area, with a year-round growing season, there is not an excess of organic materials that could be utilized for making compost. Animals are tied up along the roadside to allow them to eat the vegetation; longer grass along roadways is cut and hauled away to feed cattle; in rural areas yards are not maintained with ornamental plantings, so there is no material generated around the home to utilize for compost (at least not on a regular basis, as compared to the volume of lawn clippings and autumn leaves available in Wisconsin annually). OUTCOMES / COMMENTS / RECOMMENDATIONS Because gardening is a process that requires time and only the initial stages could be implemented, is not possible to assess the true value of this assignment until the outcome of the gardens is known. Hopefully sufficient knowledge was imparted to allow participants to maintain their gardens and harvest some vegetables. Over 500 packages of various vegetable seeds were distributed. Most were vegetables commonly grown and eaten in Nicaragua, although the specific cultivars were often

different than what is normally grown. For many of the vegetables, several cultivars were provided to allow experimentation on their suitability for growth in the different conditions at each site and acceptance for local consumption. A few other vegetables (okra, tomatillo, chard) were provided with mention that these were something new to try. All of the seeds were donated, so there was not a great choice in varieties available, but some research into cultivars more adapted to the tropics could be beneficial. At almost all locations there had been insufficient preparation for building square foot gardens (no materials readily available for building a frame and not nearly enough compost to fill a frame). Even where compost had been made in advance, a relatively large amount of compost is necessary, and there wasn’t enough. Because of this we had to use more traditional techniques of low raised beds, sometimes surrounded by a frame of rocks, but often not. Compost piles that were covered with impermeable plastic were not adequately decayed for use in gardens after two months. They appeared too dry; the plastic had prevented rain from getting into the organic matter and without turning, nothing had happened in the pile. Instructors need to emphasize the need for moisture and oxygen in order for compost piles to work well. Piles that had been turned had degraded well. All participants were very interested and highly motivated to learn more about gardening, but I felt the most productive sessions were in Camoapa, not only because of the participant’s enthusiasm, but because of their intent to use the new knowledge to train others. More time and resources should be directed to support their efforts because of this potential multiplying effect. Some participants expressed an interest in saving seeds from the crops they were going to grow and asked for information about plant flowering and seed collection techniques. Only minimal, very general information was supplied (this was a bit premature as the seeds had just been planted) so this would be an excellent topic for future presentations. Because many of the seeds provided were hybrids, it would be important for new gardeners to understand the differences between open pollinated and hybrid vegetables and the advantages of each under their conditions. There was little time to effectively evaluate the role of vegetables in the local diet and reasons why they are not eaten more. The expertise of a nutrition educator would be particularly useful in dietary assessments. There wasn’t much opportunity to focus on the nutritional benefits of vegetables that weren't planted yet; nutrition aspects would be more appropriate to teach as part of a follow-up. Sending a team of a gardening expert and a nutrition expert for a follow-up visit when vegetables are ready to harvest would allow optimal teaching opportunities in both areas. Once they actually have experienced growing a garden, participants will have more specific questions they never could have anticipated before starting, and advice and presentations could be geared more specifically to their needs. One constraint to incorporating more vegetables into the diet is unfamiliarity in preparation techniques, particularly for vegetables not typically grown or available in Nicaragua. Demonstrations of food preparation methods by a nutrition

educator would be useful for starting to get people to include more vegetables in their diet. I had no written materials available to distribute, but think that some very basic information on building a compost pile, preparing soil, constructing a square foot garden, planting seeds, basic garden maintenance – relying on illustrations and bullet points rather than being text intensive – would be good to develop. A double-side sheet with this minimal information would be both a reference and reminder, and could also promote FTF and Partners of the Americas within those communities where they are used. Having to rely on a translator for most communication was a major limitation. Although I attempted to use my very limited Spanish, I never felt like I could adequately express thoughts or understand well the responses. It was difficult to make a real connection with most of the participants. Some level of fluency in Spanish would greatly increase the effectiveness of a volunteer. But being placed in situations where no one spoke English pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to try to improve! Because we finished the last project in Camoapa earlier than anticipated, we returned to Managua a day ahead of schedule. Being lodged adjacent to the noisy political rally/demonstration that prevented independent travel outside of the hotel certainly was an experience! I will be traveling in Costa Rica in January and hope to be able to schedule a short visit to Nicaragua afterwards to follow up on projects in Rivas and Camoapa. Even minimal follow-up would enhance the commitment to the project and enable a reinforcement of basic principles, and allow for clarification of any misunderstandings or to answers specific questions. It would also be a time to learn about problems participants have encountered that are specific to their areas or the systems being utilized, that need to be addressed in future visits in order to remove those constraints to fully implementing the ideas presented in the initial visit.