Permagardens Feeding the World: One Family at a Time Peter Jensen [email protected]...
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Transcript of Permagardens Feeding the World: One Family at a Time Peter Jensen [email protected]...
PermagardensFeeding the World: One Family at a Time
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 [email protected][email protected]