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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: John W Irwin <pcdirect@lancnews.infi.net>
  • To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
  • Cc: nola <nola@islandnet.com>
  • Subject: permaculture in el salvador
  • Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 15:18:54 -0500

Been out of town or would have responded sooner.
From the American Permaculture Directory, soon to be in print,
these people may be helpful, although only one may have been in El
Salvador:

* = experienced Pc Teacher

Nicaragua -
Daniel Howell*, Jerome Osentowski*, Joan Robertson, Charles Curtiss

Guatemala -
Tom Peifer, Michael Weir, Andrew Goodheart Brown*, Anita Sanders,
Anthony Rodale, Colette Murphy, Inger Myhre

Latin America -
Dan McGrath, David Unruh, Deborah Hill, margaret Koster, James Frid,
Arthur "Bill" Shores

El Salvador -
Patricia DuBose Michael*, if memory is correct (if not, it was a Latin
American country for sure)

Have not contacted them. Let me know if addresses, etc. are desired

Up with Permaculture! john irwin







SEEKING INTERESTED PERMACULTURALISTS....
>
>I am writing to put the idea of a project on the permaculture grapevine to
>anyone who might be interested or know fo someone who would be...
>I am currently working in El Salvador for an organisation called CESTA (the
>Spanish acronym for: El Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology).
>This group works in a broad spectrum of projects around the country - from
>reforesting, to nutrition, to pedal powered tools, any everything in
>between. One of their projects is to develop
>a permaculture centre, though this one is just in its very initial stages.
>The intent is explained somewhat in the excerpt from an article below, but
>in short CESTA would like to get permaculture practices going here in El
>Salvador with their Ecocentro as the starting point. This group is an
>amazing vehicle to transfer ideas as they already work with communities and
>have so many incredible projects underway. Unfortunately, there is some
>lack of communication between all the ideas, and all the work would benefit
>from being brought under the same umbrella.
>
>To bring the projects together, and to help bring permaculture to the
>devasted lands across the country, CESTA needs a permaculture instructor
>who wants to put some time in here to run courses at Ecocentro for the
>workers of CESTA and for local farmers, so some of these ideas and
>inspirations can be spread around the country. There have been some
>Australians here in the past as well as volunteers from other countries who
>have helped get some projects underway, but at the moment there is no one
>here who is trained in permaculture. There is no money to pay such a
>person from here, but it is likely possible to be funded through another
>group to come and work here on this project. CESTA has received
>international reknown for many of its undertakings and is truly an
>incredible force in bettering the environment here. In my short 5 month
>stay here I have been moved and inspired, educated and welcomed wherever I
>have gone. The experience of working here would be incredible for anyone
>who wanted to take it on. I am just putting out in the world the
>information that there is this need here, and anyone with any ideas on how
>to fill it, or if you would just like more information on what is going on
>here, please respond. Also if you are an interested person, but do not
>know how you could be funded, we might be able to help find sources for
>you....
>
>This excerpt from an article on Ecocentro offers a little more information
>on the vision for this project.
>
>
>THE TRUE 'GREEN REVOLUTION'
>
>Tucked between rows of cornfields in the El Salvadoran countryside, lies a
>26 hectare oasis of organic gardens and primary and secondary forest.
>While neither large nor, as yet, well known, this terrain may well be one
>of the most important pieces of agricultural land in the country. It is
>the site of a project undertaken by the organisation CESTA (El Salvadoran
>Centre for Appropriate Technology). Founded in 1980, CESTA has been
>working on a variety of projects throughout the country in an aim to create
>an environment of thriving communities and healthy ecosystems. This
>particular undertaking, Ecocentro Cojutepeque, is a permaculture school and
>centre for: research and experimentation with landscape designs, viable
>agricultural alternatives and appropriate technology; production of organic
>foods, medicines, and seeds; and a place for natural regeneration and
>protection of the native ecology.
>
>The volcanic soils of El Salvador have long been used for food production,
>and today 80% of its roughly 13,000 km2, is given over to food production.
> Unfortunately, the fertility of the past has been diminished by
>monoculture plantations for both export and local markets, poor
>agricultural practices influenced by poverty or industry, loss of forests,
>changing climatic patterns, and the wake of devastation following the 12
>years of civil war. Productive, sustainable practices, coupled with careful
>land-use planning are therefore of prime importance in such a country,
>whose large population, and whose economy, rely so heavily on its soils.
>
>As a demonstration, research, and training centre for alternative ideas and
>practices, Ecocentro has the potential to initiate a land-use and
>agriculture revolution in El Salvador. In order for these ideas to fully
>take root, they need to be accessible to farmers and communities across the
>country. To meet this end, there is Ecomuna, the community outreach
>portion of CESTA. CESTA already does much community outreach work, and as
>such they are in direct contact many communities. Their plan is to use
>Ecocentro to train the outreach workers as well as local farmers, and these
>people can then go and sow permaculture ideas across the country.
>
>As food production touches directly on so many other environmental and
>social issues, this one small area of land has great potential to yield
>positive changes in the environment of El Salvador. The agricultural
>systems initiated will not contaminate the soil and the water, will provide
>healthier food and a higher quality market product, and will have increased
>productivity and lower land requirements; thereby leaving space for forests
>and other landscapes to regenerate. The attainability of such improvements
>can in turn allow local farmers a greater degree of self-sufficiency. In
>short, these ideas hold the promise for a sustainable El Salvador.
>Although there are many hurdles to overcome on the path to permaculture, in
>Ecocentro Cojutepeque the seed has been planted for a truly green revolution.
>
>
>




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