Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: permaculture in el salvador

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu, John Irwin <pcdirect@lancnews.infi.net>, Peter Bane <pcactivist@mindspring.com>, nola <nola@islandnet.com>
  • Subject: Re: permaculture in el salvador
  • Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 16:34:56 -0700



nola wrote:

> Thank you so much for your response... i would love to have any of these
> addresses that you could send along! and how can i get a copy of the
> american permaculture directory? permaculturally, nola.

Nola,In addition to John Irwin's <pcdirect@lancnews.infi.net> Permaculture
Designers Directory, The Permaculture Activist magazine also maintains a
website
<http://sunsite.unc.edu/pc-activist> where there is an extensive global
resource
listing of Permaculture practitioners.

Also, John, please note, that Andrew Goodheart Brown, recently completed a Pc
teaching/consulting job in Belarus.

And Peter, this letter from El Salvador maybe should run in the Activist.(?)

> At 03:18 PM 15/09/1998 -0500, you wrote:
> >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.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page