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 “How to plant 1 760 trees, reduce forest/land burning (Tavy),
Carbon storage in humus and disseminating knowledge on sustainable agriculture
and agroforestry. “
project description Antsirabe, 22.11-3.12.2010
Green Living will, together with WWF Madagascar invite a total of 16 teachers, Technicians, Green Pilots and people with good communication skills and wide network of contacts among the farmers.
- The participants will receive a basic course in permaculture, and after they complete the full course, they have a right to use the concept of permaculture and teach others. The course is free for the participants, as they commit themselves to plant 10 trees and teach what they have learned to a minimum of ten farmers/gardeners each.
- The participants teach the 10 farmers for free, as they also commit themselves to plant ten trees on their farm, stop burning the land and forest (tavvy) and set aside a small portion of rice production (minimum 100 square feet) to the SRI / Fukuoka cultivation, a method where the earth humus is taken care of and built up through soil cover and no-till methods.
- Through this course we will have planted a minimum of 1760 trees (16 teachers x 10 trees + 16 teachers x 10 farmers x 10 farmers trees) stopped the burning of forest and grass of min. 1000 sq.feet land and subsequently avoiding soil erosion. A gradual shift in rice production to the SRI / Fukuoka method will lead to the development of humus and carbon storage in the soil and lead the Malagasy agriculture out of the ever downward spiral they are experiencing in food production.
In practise the course will be divided into two sections.
1. Theory: The theoretical curriculum will be based on the learnings from Bill Mollison and “the Permaculture designers handbook”. Each participant will receive a copy of this manual and other materials to use in their training of farmers and students later. The theory will be based around learning to design the land/farm in a way that lets the natural systems help the farmer to receive a better harvest. This is explained through ecological principles but also by looking at concrete case studies, where the elements of nature are taken into consideration when the decisions are made. Each participant will also learn to read and create maps, to understand patterns and zones, the cycles of life and how to prolong growth seasons, climate zones, which plants are “good neighbours” and which are not, turning waste into resources by learning to make and use compost and how to create, use and store energy, building materials, designing against disasters +++ 2. Practise: By training in the field, the participants will get a “hands on” experience in the implementation of permaculture. Two cases will be dealt with during the course, one in Ankafotra and the other on a piece of urban-farmland near the STAR brewery. During the course we will plant different trees, learn to make compost, learn different vegetable growing techniques, learn about soil structures, microclimate zones, earthworks such as swayles and terraces, food plants, weed control, wildlife management on the farm, pest control, creative problem solving, water, humus, no-tilling methods, aquaculture, agro forestry, wild plants +++ May-Lise Talgø and Ingvald Erga
Environmental Advisors
Green Living |
