Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] PDC: Konso Special Woreda, Ethiopia.

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Alex McCausland <alex1mcc@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] PDC: Konso Special Woreda, Ethiopia.
  • Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:00:18 -0800 (PST)



KONSO SPECIAL WOREDA (Ethiopia)

PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE

 

With:          Mr Tichafa Sumba Makovere
and local facilitators

From:              January 18th – 31st,
2009.

Where:            Strawberry
Fields Eco Lodge, Konso Special Woreda, SNNPRS, Ethiopia.

 

What:              This is the internationally
recognised 72 hour Permaculture Design Certificate. The authorised issuing
body
is the Regional Schools
and Colleges Permaculture Program (ReSCOPE) and the Fimbadzanai Permaculture
Project based in Zimbabwe.

 

You will:          Train alongside local participants including teachers and
agricultural extension workers

Visit local schools and
talk to teachers, pupils and domestic staff

Visit local farms and
gardens and talk to owners

                        Complete 12 hours of
practical work

Produce site designs for Permaculture
application in Konso
Schools and Villages

Produce designs for application of
Permaculture for improved local resource management and improved livelihoods
for rural women.

 

Workload:        Lots of observation, consultation and
deduction

Analyse
and design for future sustainability

Field
trips into the Konso highlands to visit subject sites

 

Outcomes:        Permaculture designs produced will be implemented in local
Schools and villages.

An understanding of
application of Permaculture to rural community d  evelopment in Africa.

                        Personal empowerment to
effect change for the good

                        Improve your design and
gardening skills

                        Learn about agriculture
in semi-arid climates

                        Meet a great group of
people

                       

Cost:           US$750 per
person

 

Included:         14 days food and accommodation at SFEL

                Necessary
stationary for the course

                Transport and
other necessities for field trips around Konso

Not included:  

Transport costs to and
from Ethiopia

Internal transport to and from Konso (but
we can assist with bookings of busses/cars for internal transport)

                        Accomodaion elsewhere in
Ethiopia
than at SFEL

 

More information Below:

                        SFEL PDC Course
Curriculum

                        Mr Tichafa Makovere’s CV

                        SFEL Project Profile

                        Brief on Ethiopia and
Konso

 

 

Contact:           Alex McCausland + 251 (0) 912 21 46
87 (Ethiopia)

                        Elisabeth McCausland +
44 (0) 7979 857 441

                                                            +
44 (0) 208 871 1861 (UK)

                        Email:   alex1mcc@yahoo.com
by January 15th 2009

 

 

 

STRAWBERRY
FIELDS ECOLODGE, [SFEL] KONSO,
ETHIOPIA

 

72 HOUR PERMACULTURE
CURRICULA [PDC].  1 to 13 Dec. 2008.

 

1.0       Introduction

1.1       Introduction
to SFEL. Course outline, references, materials and housekeeping issues.

1.2       Why
learn the Permaculture concept?

1.3       Historical background to Permaculture, worldwide, relationship
with African indigenous agriculture and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS)

1.4       Characteristics,
ethics and principles of Permaculture.

 

2.0       Ecosystems Blocks

2.1       Permaculture
base is ecology.

2.2       Water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow, cycle of matter, succession
and limiting factors to energy flow.

 

3.0       Resource Assessment

3.1       Why
resource assessment

3.2       Water
management and harvesting techniques, A-Frame construction and practicals.

 

4.0       Principles of Design

4.1       Procedures
skills and techniques.

4.2       Observations,
sectors, zones, deductions, maps, etc.

4.3       Taking
advantage of different macro-climates in design.

4.4       Reduction of risks, energy use and selection of appropriate
plant and other elements to implement on the design.

4.5       Observing
different microclimates and creating various microclimates.

 

5.0       Soils

5.1       Traditional
soil classification.

5.2       Observation
of various soils and relates plant and animal life.

5.3       Types
of soil erosion damage and types of soil repair.

5.4       Water
in relationship to soil and soil rehabilitation.

 

6.0       Plants Uses in Permaculture

6.1       Nurseries
propagation methods theory and practice.

6.2       Plants
multiple functions in Permaculture design.

6.3       Forests
and guilds as air-conditioners, food, diggers, mulches, windbreaks, etc.

6.4       Designing
food forests by mimicking natural forest.

 

7.0       Nature Patterns

7.1
      Creating highly productive
designs/landscapes by integrating nature patterns e.g. spirals, linear
circles,
etc.

 

8.0       Productive Landscapes/ Designs

8.1       World
climatic zones, appropriate and situational approach for the designer.

8.2       IKS
of soils, water use and nutrients have always been sustainable.

8.3       Homebuilding and sitting with productive landscape, comfort,
health, energy consumption in mind.

8.4       Food
gardens for the city and countryside.

8.5       Keeping
water and soil in productive state and developing self-sufficiency.

8.6       Orchards as chemically food forests. Protective fertilizers,
firewood species in the food forests. Use of small animals in food forests;
chickens, ducks, turkeys, bees, guinea fowls, guinea pigs, and pigs.

8.7       Alley
cropping and integrating large animals like cattle and game.

8.8       Dry land farming techniques- principles of erosion control –
strategies, bunds, minimum till, port-holing, tied ridges, tied furrows, mulch
farming, mixed and intercropping, etc.

8.8       Natural
forests creation for provision of firewood, oils, dyes, bark, incomes, etc

8.9       Conserving remnant forests to build up corridors and various
ways of promoting their growth.

 

9.0       Productivity and Sustainability

9.1       Weed
management to acceptable levels.

9.2       Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) – insect classification, structure and life cycle. Role of predators.

9.3       Vegetable and herb gardens – mandala garden design and construction,
keyhole beds, organic materials and mulches.

9.4       Aquaculture
production systems- fish, plants water plants, tortoise, etc.

9.5       Designing for natural disasters – drought, fire, war, storms,
floods, etc so that the landscape recovers speedily.

9.6       Waste disposal-effluent systems animal waste, manure.
Recycling pruning timber and composting.

9.7       Biotechnology
and its effects today including GMO information.

 

10.0     Self-sufficiency   

10.1     Building self-sufficient communities:-country skills e.g.
weaving, crafts, small scale excess food packaging and processing

10.2     Ethical
investments

10.3     Access to production base, the Land for the disadvantaged members
of the community and legal protection for land ownership.

10.4     Preparing management and development action plans including
monitoring and evaluation for the Permaculture design. 

 

 



 

CURRICULUM VITAE



TICHAFA
T. MAKOVERE SHUMBA

 

PERSONAL DETAILS

Date of Birth:                            5 June 1959

OBJECTIVES

·       
Seeking position of
permaculture trainer/facilitator

·       
Permaculture
curriculum/materials development officer

·       
Permaculture site designer and
development officer

 

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

·       
Relevant experience and role
model

·       
Fourteen years as
permaculturist

·       
Can work under pressure

·       
Seasoned, open-minded,
visionary, team player and well-informed leader

·       
Possesses keen interest in
acquiring more knowledge and share with others

·       
Can work in a team and adjust
to knew environments

·       
Courteous and has good
communication skills

 

1.0       
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

1.1       
2002-2003:              Advanced Diploma in Education:
Supervision (ADIS)

Institution:                       Morgan
UZ College, Zimbabwe

1.2       
1998-2000:              B. Tech (Education Management)

Institution:                       Pretoria Technikon,
South Africa

1.3       
1984-1987:              Certificate in Education

Institution:  United College of Education
(UZ Associate College) 

 

 

 

2.0       
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION
BACKGROUND

2.1       
May 2001:      Participatory Training of Facilitators Schools and Colleges
Permaculture
(SCOPE)

2.2       
July 2000:               Training of Trainers Course
(SCOPE)

2.3       
March 1999:            Bird Awareness Course

Institution:                       Ornithological
Association of Zimbabwe

2.4       
March 1996:            Synergistic Agriculture

Institution:                       PELUM
Botswana

2.5       
June 1994:              Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

Institution:                       Fambidzanai
Permaculture Centre

 

3.0       
PERMACULTURE WORKING EXPERIENCE

3.1       
1997 to date:          Facilitator/Trainer

-Permaculture/environmental Projects

-Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (SCOPE)

3.2       
1994-1997:              Permaculture Teacher-in-Charge

 

4.0       
DUTIES

4.1       
Drawing
up 1-week and 2-week programmes for SCOPE

4.2       
Facilitating
at both 1-week and 2-week workshops

4.3       
Producing
training materials and handouts for SCOPE

4.4       
Making
follow-up visits to schools in training, fundraising committees for the
advancement of permaculture

4.5       
Attend
and contribute to permaculture planning workshops, review/monitoring workshops

4.6       
Attend
and contribute to curriculum, training, fundraising committees for the
advancement of permaculture

4.7       
Represent
SCOPE at international forum e.g. Environmental Education Association of
Southern Africa (EEASA)

4.8       
Reviewed
books on permaculture before they were published e.g. SCOPE Learners Book

 

5.0       
PERSONAL PERMACULTURE
HIGHLIGHTS

5.1       
Taking
first position nationally (Zimbabwe)
for the best permaculture implementing school in 1995

5.2       
Producing
handouts which are still being used by SCOPE (Zimbabwe)

5.3       
Representing
the training committee at planning review workshops

5.4       
Participating
in the panel that formed Re-SCOPE in Lusaka,
December 2006

 

6.0       
MEMBERSHIP TO ASSOCIATION

6.1       
1996-1998:     Chairperson, Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe
(PAZ)

6.2       
1994-1996:     Secretary, Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe
(PAZ)

 

7.0       
HOBBIES

7.1       
Raising
nurseries and distributing them to the community

7.2       
Eco-tourism
and bird-watching

7.3       
Seed
vending

7.4       
Writing
on herbeological, nutritional and environmental topics

7.5       
Writing
poetry

7.6       
Watching
and training soccer

7.7       
Reading and traveling

 

REFEREES

Nyika
M.W. (Regional Co-coordinator)

Re-SCOPE

P.O. Box 32280

Blantyre, Malawi

Cell:
+2659 788 373

E-mail:
zipscope@yahoo.co.uk

 

Samuel
Whande

SCOPE
(Zimbabwe)

P.O. Box CY301

Causeway,
Harare, Zimbabwe

Cell:
+263 912 395 838

E-mail:
zipscope@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

 

BRIEF
INFO ON ETHIOPIA
AND KONSO

 

Ethiopia is a land of fantastic natural wealth and cultural
diversity. In few places on earth can you buy locally grown apples and mangos
from the very same market stall. But
Ethiopia’s
a huge range of climates, which result from its truly awesome topology, make
this a reality. The great plains of Abyssinia sit atop two massive highland
plateaus, cloven, as a coffee bean down the middle, by the Great
Rift Valley. From the sweltering dry deserts of Somali Ogaden in
the east, Sudan in the west and the Danakil in the North, where Africa crashes
into Arabia, the land sweeps up, rising through semi-aril lowlands and pockets
of tropical jungle, to montane forests, to alpine pastures on the slopes of
the
Simien, Bale and Ghugi mountain ranges, all of which top 4000m, and all of
which are home to numerous endemic species of flora and fauna. Ethiopia’s
ecological diversity is mirrored by her cultural diversity, which is
unrivalled
on the African continent. No fewer than 87 distinct languages are spoken,
belonging to four major linguistic groups. The fantastic diversity of culture
and ecology is further expressed in Ethiopian agriculture.

 

“When the Russian plant
geneticist N.I. Vavilov arrived… to Ethiopia… in the 1920s, he was amazed...
he
found so much genetic diversity that he included (it in)… the few great
centres
of crop plant diversity (as)… the Abyssinian gene centre.” “On wheat variation
Vavilov says that "Abyssinia occupies
the first place" and on barley that there is "an exceptional
diversity of forms". But then he also found impressive diversity of
native African crops (such as teff) and of sorghum, millets and many grain
legumes, oil crops, vegetables, spices and other species.”
(http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=374) It is also the mother-land of coffee,
the
world’s second most valuable traded commodity after oil.

 

Of the nine regions which make up the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia today, the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples
Regional State (SNNPRS) is far the most culturally diverse, comprising a
tribal
matrix of 56 different ethno-linguistic groups. These range from fair skinned
Semitic highland farmers of Ghuragie and Siltie, just south of Addis Ababa,
to the
archetypal African lowland nomads of the Omo valley, down on the Kenyan
borderlands, who’s blood drinking, paganism and tribal way of life are shunned
as primitive and barbaric by the majority Orthodox Christian habesha to the
north.

 

Of all the peoples in that ethnic tapestry, perhaps
most remarkable are the Kushitic people of Konso; an industrious farming
culture who populate a barren and rugged basalt outcrop, strung from east to
west across the bowl of the Great Rift Valley, just parallel to the southern
tip of the Ethiopian highlands. Surrounded by warlike nomads on three sides,
the Konso are a notoriously hardy farming people whose quaint little
civilization is structured for defense. It is the final outpost of settled
agriculture, as one descends into the arid badlands of Borena and the Omo
valley, that stretch away to the Kenya border. Their little hilltop
villages cannot be too dissimilar from those of the Kelts in pre-Roman
Britain,
ringed by rough hewn walls of stone and broken up into fortified compounds.
The
entire village is build of locally harvested materials and paved with the
black
rock of the earth around them. The Konso’s lives are governed by a deep,
draconian and quite unique social order, to the point that the men of the
village are all obliged to sleep in a single giant house (the Mora), set to
poor forth, “as a swarm of
bees”, in the event of a fire or an attack, should their enemies come to steal
their animals or run their own cattle through the Konso’s crops. Konso women
sleep in their houses and the men are only allowed to sleep in their homes
periodically. As well as a defense mechanism this also acts as a cultural form
of contraception. Too much contact with women is believed to make men soft.

 

Konso land is poor quality and the country is cut up by
deep eroded gullies and canyons. Rain is unreliable, increasingly so in recent
years. These harsh conditions have bred what some call ‘the toughest farmers
in
Africa’. Tough, they certainly are. And the
Konso are very good farmers. “The major
economic base is agriculture (80%) and 20% only is butchery, weaving, pottery,
black smithery, petty local brewery trades, tannery and local carpentry.”
(Korra Gara, 2008) The most notable feature of their renowned agricultural
system is its terracing, constructed over large tracts of the rugged landscape
by centuries of communal labour. The terraces reduce erosion and are carefully
crafted to balance the competing demands of maximizing water infiltration,
with
allowing adequate drainage so that the terraces do not collapse in times of
heavy rain.

 

The terraces are planted with sorghum and intercropped
with a range of species; including trees, most importantly Moringa oleifera
(the cabbage tree) Terminalia birowni, and Cordia Africana, grown for timber;
shrubs such as pigeon pea,
coffee and chat (Catha edulis) (a
cash crop) and annuals including, sunflower, maize, millet, chick peas,
various
beans, cotton and cassava. They are fertilised with wastes from the villages,
including partially burned plant residues mixed with animal dung, which acts
to
keep the soil fertile.

 

“The Konso people are more
focusing on intercropping systems and agro-forestry systems because some crops
are early maturing, some are drought resistant, some are much productive even
if they are less drought resistant to stand against side effects of
inter-cropping systems, not to miss something to eat at least.” (Korra Garra,
2008)

 

Within the villages, Moringa (the cabbage tree) is planted all around the
family
compounds and harvested regularly to form one of the staples of the diet. Its
leaves, which are reported to be extra-ordinarily nutritious (NSM; June, 2005
“Versatile
Moringa tree eyed as wonder drug in Africa”),
are cooked and mixed with dumplings made from Sorghum flower, a dish called
“Dama”. The other main food item in Konso
is chagga, a sort of sorghum beer,
though it more closely resembles porridge. It is drunk as a broth mixed with
hot water, in the mornings and at lunch-time when the people are preparing for
work. It is extremely rich in carbohydrate and provides plenty of energy for
the farmers, but it also insures that people are generally drunk.

 

Despite their tough character and all their hard work,
Konso is suffering increasingly these days from food insecurity and
environmental degradation. The average family plot, shrinking with population
growth, is now down to half a hectare. Climate change is adding to the
problem.
“This condition leads to the deforestation
actions to get new farmlands and sell wood for gaining incomes.” (Korra
Gara, 2008) Deforestation further reduces the reliability of rainfall as
desertification begins to set in. The Belg
rains which usually come in March failed to materialize this year, and food
aid
has been brought in to cover the deficit. In recent times Konso has repeatedly
suffered food insecurity. The UNDP’s Rapid Assessment Report: Konso Special
Wereda, SNNPR (1999) states that; “since the 1950s, drought induced
famines have hit Konso and the immediate area almost once every ten years…
Konso was devastated by the droughts in 1973/74 and 1983/84”.

 

Issues of legality and administration set aside, the
solution to the problems of the folk of Konso, and many other places, lies in
a
successfully marrying the positive elements of the traditional and the modern
societies, while rejecting the negative. Environmental degradation is a
problem
that besets most of the globe in the modern era. In the comfort of the west it
will not lead to starvation and famine. We will simply use our high energy
economy to import our nutritional requirements from further a field. We can
even import energy expensive American wheat to Ethiopia to cover little
deficits
like the one in Konso this year. Strangely enough, however, there is more than
enough food just down the road, and Ethiopia should in fact be feeding
half the African continent. But as The West’s own oil fuelled climb to the tip
of the energy peak begins to near its zenith, the foundations of our own
limitless
consumption are beginning to look decidedly unstable. Oil is no longer being
discovered as fast as it’s being used. The downturn is approaching.

 

These days a world wide movement has begun to grow
amongst those who look to a sustainable future, recognising that for any
society to be truly sustainable, it must respect the function of the
ecological
systems upon which it relies for its sustenance. The movement is based on a
methodology
developed by two Australians in the 1970’s, called Bill Mollison and David
Holngren. Their project is Permaculture. Forty years later, it has grown into
a
movement of global scope, with active associations on all five continents.
Permaculture
is the design of ecological systems to support human life, and the design of
human life to fit within ecological systems without degrading them. For those
in the west, this offers a way to climb down the far side of peak oil without
crash landing too heavily. For the impoverished farming communities of Africa
it offers an answer to the Siamese twin calamity of food insecurity an
environmental
degradation, both brought about due to population growth, deforestation, soil
erosion and over-grazing. Permaculture is a system for sustainable land
management, production from a diverse and perennial base and the design of
solutions to meet unmet needs and prevent unnecessary labour.

 

In Konso the traditional systems of agriculture and
land management have begun to break down. Yet this little nation has already
been held up as an example for others to follow. The FAO has awarded them
recognition of their agricultural system as an example for farming peoples
elsewhere in Ethiopia
to follow, and Konso folk have been taken to other areas of the country to
train locals in dry-land agriculture. Konso’s terracing is now due for
designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet the Konso people continue to
suffer from lack of food security, poor or non-existent infrastructure, lack
of
sanitation and health care. Women in particular spend much of their life in
toil and drudgery without any hope of a significant cash income, most being
illiterate and unable even to speak Amharic,
Ethiopia’s
national language.

 

One project now establishing in Konso is the
Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge (SFEL), a sustainable business which integrates a
lodge, farm, organic restaurant, and Permaculture design training facility.
SFEL
is a concept in applied community development. It seeks to provide community
benefit through a range of direct and indirect channels; economic stimulus,
employment provision, education and skills training and promotion of improved
resource management and food security for the local community. When handled
correctly tourism offers the chance to
benefit the local community. SFEL proudly stands against the rash of
commercialization and exploitation of indigenous peoples that is happening in
southern Ethiopia, most
notably the “human safari” syndrome which besets the neighbouring Omo Valley,
encouraging a rash of negative behaviors, antagnisms and cultural erosion.
Tourism
must be havendled in sucha way as to, first and foremost, benefit the local
community in order for it to produce a desirable result, an atmosphere of
respect, understanding and mutual appreciation. Strawberry Fields offers
accommodation to tourists as well as organising responsibly managed cultural
tours, delivering a quality service, embedded in the local cultural landscape
and tailored specifically for the environmentally aware visitor to Ethiopia.
The lodge represents the local culture, and the organic restaurant serves
organic food, produced on-site, freshly harvested from the farm and gardens.

 

As well as accommodation SFEL offers Permaculture
Design Courses (PDCs) and training, for local community, local stakeholder
organisations (including NGOs and GOs working in agriculture) and for f

oreign participants all of whom are trained alongside
one-another and encouraged to interact and share ideas and experiences. In
June
and July 2008, SFEL hosted two PDCs given by Rosemary Morrow, author of The
Earth Users Guide to Permaculture, training and feeding over forty across the
span of two months. SFEL’s next PDC is scheduled to run from December 01 – 13,
2008 and will be lead by veteran permaculturalist, Mr Tichafa Makovere, from
Zimbabwe.
SFEL also intends to host a range of courses for skills in income generating
activities (job skills and micro-business management) for local people in
Konso, funded through support from the International Labour Organisation
(ILO).
SFEL also acts as a platform for volunteers to come and get actively involved
in local community development; assisting with training in the lodge but also,
through networking with local organisations, SFEL can arrange placements for
teaching in local schools or medical placements in local clinics, for
experienced professionals who want to contribute in kind to community
development. As well as this SFEL offers contacts to foreign and indigenous
development orgnisations which are active in the Konso Special Wareda, thus
acting as a forum for the local and international communities to meet,
exchange
ideas, share skills and experiences, network and cooperate, but also to enjoy
together.

 

Konso is a land of stunning beauty but harsh reality.
SFEL offers you a chance to enjoy such a fascinating place and put something
back at the same time. Whether you are a development activist or just an
adventurous traveler who wants contribute a little through your enjoyment,
SFEL
wishes to say “Okado!” Welcome to the
magical land of Konso.

 

SFEL runs its
next PDC from December 1st to 13th in Karat Konso. 8
places are open to guest participants. The course fee for Ethiopian residents
is ETB3000 and for non residents $1000 (or equivalent in UKP, ETB or Euro) and
includes food and accommodation on the site for 13 days. (Contact
Alex for more information: 0912 21 46 87, alex1mcc@yahoo.com)

 

 

 

Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge PROJECT PROFILE

 

Section 1: PROJECT CONCEPT

 

Strawberry
Fields Eco Lodge (SFEL) will deliver a quality service, embedded in
the local cultural landscape and tailored for the environmentally aware
visitor
to Ethiopia.
It will form the epicentre of a new
series of ethically-minded, community-based, education and adventure-tourism
activities. Offering standard hospitality and
fresh organic food to national and international guests, our unique Cultural
Immersion Programs, marketed
online alongside regular Permaculture
Design Courses (PDC) shall
ensure the circulation of fresh revenue in the local economy and help to
spread
the sustainable wisdom of Permaculture in the local community and throughout
the world. 

 

SFEL comprises
three main components:

1)   Eco-lodge

2)     
Permaculture training facility and
demonstration farm

3)     
Responsible Tourism and Cultural Immersion

 

 

Figure 1: SFEL Project Concept

 

 

 





Section 2: PROJECT LOCATION

Konso Special Wareda is one of 8 special
waredas in the Southern Region (SNNPRS) of Ethiopia,
which is by far the most ethnically and culturally diverse of Ethiopia’s nine
administrative regions, home to over 56 distinct ethnic/cultural groups. The
region is divided into 13 administrative zones, which are assigned to major
ethnicities and another eight “special woredas” assigned to smaller
minorities,
including Konso.

Konso is situated at 5'15' N and a longitude
of 37'30' E and covers an area of approximately 500 square kilometres, ranging
in altitude from 500 to 2500m, with its main agricultural zone ranging from
1400 to 2000m above sea level (Engels and Goettsch 1999). The Konso highland
is
a basalt massive, which runs east to west across the bowl of the Great Rift
Valley. Konso’s capital, Karat-Konso, is
situated at 1600m altitude, located 85km south of Arba Minch, and around 590km
south of Addis Ababa.

2a)
KONSO’S CULTURE

 

The Konso people have
a unique culture, based on sedentary mixed agriculture, which distinguishes
them from their neighbours in the lowlands to the east and west who are
pastoralists (Engels and Goettsch 1999). The pastoralists have in the past
been
prone to raid the Konso villages for livestock, which has greatly affected the
Konso lifestyle and their society is centred on walled hilltop villages, which
are constructed for defence.

 

The Konso people
display a strong moral code and work ethic, which immediately distinguished
them from much of the rest of Ethiopia.
They speak an eastern Cushitic language, suggesting a link to other Cushitic
speakers in Ethiopia, such as Oromos, however their exact origins are obscure
and their own folk-law only indicates that they came from some where to the
east between 500-1000 years ago.

 

The Konso village is
remarkable for the beauty and simplicity of its workmanship, constructed
entirely of natural materials, cultivated or gathered from the surroundings.
The entire village is ringed by dry-stone walls, at least a meter thick and
two
meters high. Stone-lined pavements run between the housing compounds and the
stones have often become polished to a shine by long years of service in the
village’s transport system.

 

Houses are arranged
into family compounds, each with three to five houses and grain store, which
is
raised off the ground on wooden poles. Animals including goats, cattle and the
distinctive Konso fat-tailed sheep, are tethered under the grain-store or
elsewhere in the compound and fed on hand-cut food, especially sorghum straw.
The family compounds are further organised into sub-communities, which form
sections of the village. Each of which has its own “mora” or community house.
The community house is a two-storey
building comprising a sitting area under a large roof, with a wooden ceiling
underneath. The “ground floor” of the community house is where the men gather
to govern the village life. It is also a place for recreation and the Young
females and boys may gather here to play, chat and relax during the day when
they are not working. The attic of the mora
serves another function. It is here where all unmarried men over the age of
12 are obliged to sleep. This traditional mode of organisation meant that the
men were grouped and ready to defend the village in the case of attack, but
although there are no longer such threats to the village the tradition is
maintained today.

 

 

2b) KONSO’S AGRICULTURE

 

The most notable
feature of Konso’s famous agricultural system is its terracing, which has been
constructed over large areas of the slopes of the rugged landscape by
centuries
of communal labour. The terracing reduces soil erosion and terraces are
carefully crafted to balance the competing demands of maximising water
infiltration into the ground, with insuring adequate drainage in times of
heavy
rain so that the terraces do not collapse.

 

The terraces are
planted with sorghum, which is intercropped with a range of other species;
including trees, most importantly Moringa
oleifera (also called the
cabbage tree) Terminalia birowni, and Cordia africana which are grown for
timber; shrubs such as pigeon
pea, coffee and chat (Catha edulis)
(a cash crop) and annuals including sunflowers, maize, millet, chick peas,
various bean species, cotton and cassava. The terraces are fertilised with
wastes from the villages including partially burned plant residues mixed with
animal dung, which acts to keep the soil fertile.

 

Within the villages, Moringa (the cabbage tree) is planted
all around the family compounds and harvested regularly to form one of the
staples of the Konso diet. Its leaves, which are reported to be
extra-ordinarily nutritious, are cooked and mixed with dumplings made from
Sorghum flower to make a dish called korkoffa.
The other main food item in Konso is chagga
which is a sort of sorghum beer, though it more closely resembles porridge.
It is drunk as a broth mixed with hot water, in the mornings and at lunch-time
when the people are preparing for work. It is extremely rich in carbohydrate
and provides plenty of energy for the farmers, but it also insures that people
are generally drunk.

 





Section 3:
PROJECT COMPONENTS

 

3a)   THE LODGE

 

The lodge buildings have been constructed using local
techniques, labour and materials to insure a low eco-logical impact and
appropriate reflection of the local culture and architecture in their
appearance and structure. The lodge is an asset of the Konso people and it is
important that they have been involved in its creation, giving them a chance
to
display their cultural heritage and artesian skills to those who visit Konso
from the outside.

 

The
Bedroom Tukuls

 

The bedrooms are housed in “tukuls”
(houses of the traditional local style). The tukuls are of two sizes:

 






Circumferance


Floor Area


Function


Number of Tukuls




4m
 


12.5m2


Double Room


5




5m
 


19.6m2


Twin Singles
Family/Deluxe
Dormitory


2
1
1






 

The tukuls are a
beautiful environment in which to sleep. The thickly thatched roof serves as
insulation from the cold at night and from the heat of the day so that there
is
always a comfortable climate inside them. The thatch also insulates from sound
so that they area a remarkably peaceful environment in which to relax. The
tukuls are served by external common showers and composting toilets.

 

3b)   RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM

 

Konso is well positioned to reap economic benefits from the
tourism industry, boasting, as it does, a fascinating culture and a world
renowned agricultural system, set amid the splendour of the great rift valley.
Positioned at a junction between routes to Arba Minch, The Omo Valley and the
road to Moyale (Kenya)
via Yabello, Konso already has a large flow of visitors passing it by. Konso’s
villages, with their unique style and atmosphere make for an amazing
experience
simply to walk through. Attractions around Karat town may include trekking in
the majestic highlands Konso highlands around Fasha, which itself has an
interesting market on Sundays. Also close to Fasha is the bizarre landscape
nick named “New York”,
which resembles a city of sky-scrapers. There is also an anthropological
museum
in Karat town, and an ancient archaeological site close by.

 

THE
EFFECTS OF TOURISM

 

Tourism has a great potential to infuse wealth into the locality
and generate employment in the area, drawing as it does on economic reserves
which come from outside and are far less limited than those available locally.
It is therefore apt that Konso was named as one of the six first recipient
destinations for projects “aimed specifically at helping to reduce poverty,
to be supported by the ST-EP Foundation. ST-EP, "Sustainable Tourism -
Eliminating Poverty", an initiative of the World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) launched in 2002 at the Johannesburg Summit.”

 

However key to success in utilising tourism to tackle poverty
and promote community development is to 
insure the flow of funds into the appropriate hands. The major problem
with tourism industry in Konso today, as with elsewhere in Southern Ethiopia
is
that the communities who display such fascinating and diverse cultures which
are the primary attractions for visitors to the area, are not the same people
who receive most of the benefit of the industry. This leads to community
alienation from the tourism industry creating a bad atmosphere and negative
behaviours towards visitors by the local communities. This in-turn will
reflect
negatively on the local area as a destination for tourism, which will affect
the whole industry in a negative way.

 

 

MANAGING
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

 

We define responsible tourism as tourism which is managed to
insure the following:

·         
Provide benefits (especially employment and
skills) to the communities which themselves form the tourist attraction in the
visited area.

·         
To promote an atmosphere of respect,
understanding and appreciation between the visitors and the local people.

·         
To preserve and promote, rather than exploit
and corrupt local culture and traditions.

·         
To reduce the impingement of tourist
activities (such as photography) onto the lives of the local people to a bare
minimum.

 

In order to affect these aims SFEL intends to:

·         
Employ local staff and contract jobs to
local workers, where-ever possible, as well as initiating training programs
for
locals where not.

·         
To work in close contact with the Local
Tourism Bureau in Konso and promote the use of local guides by lodge guests.

·         
By providing itineraries for tours and
trekking in the area, which take in community based projects at different
locations around the woreda.

·         
To brief all visitors on appropriate
behaviours before visiting villages, so that their behaviour will promote good
will between tourists and the local community and wont ruin the experience for
future visitors.

·         
To make it clear that there are appropriate
channels through which donations can be made if people are keen to help a
particular community economically, and that they should not go about showering
gifts on children.

·         
To show multiple aspects of the local
culture (food, customs, music etc.) to guests within lodge

·         
To facilitate constructive activities
locally such as volunteering to teach in schools or to undertake
anthropological or language learning locally, which will promote the formation
of meaningful relationships between visitors and locals.

 

All of the above can be achieved by good management and
co-operation with local institutions. We hope thus to increase the range of
activities available for tourists in the area, subsequently making Konso a
more
attractive place for tourists to spend their time. This will cause tourists to
spend longer in Konso and increase the revenue contributed to the local
economy.







3c)    PERMACULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY IN KONSO

 

Konso has repeatedly
suffered from food insecurity in the past. The UNDP’s Rapid Assessment
Report: Konso
Special Wereda, SNNPR (1999) states that; “since the 1950s, drought
induced famines have hit Konso and the immediate area almost once every ten
years.” “Konso was devastated by the droughts in 1973/74 and 1983/84”. SFEL
will help to alleviate this problem by introducing of new agricultural
techniques and resources, into the area.

 

SFEL is set in a model permaculture farm, demonstrating permaculture to
local community and to guests. SFEL acts as a forum, hosting experienced
permaculturalists from around the world, to work together with local farmers
in
developing an effective permaculture system for the local conditions, using
the
local agricultural system as a starting point, introducing new techniques
which
have not been employed in the area till now due to lack of information and
capital.

 

Permaculture design schools around the world offer a
standard certificated 72-hour Permaculture design course. The curriculum
covers
all the topics outlined in Mollison’s basic text The Introduction to
Permaculture. SFEL will establish such a school
on the project site, offering training to local community, agricultural
extension ecperts from around Ethiopia
and abroad. It is hoped to focus the attention of the permaculture movement
on Ethiopia and encourage people from abroad to
come for training, to exchange information and ideas with the community and to
contribute financially to the permaculture movement in Ethiopia.

 

In May an June 2008 SFEL already hosted two full PDCs
given voluntarily by Rosemary Morrow, author of the Earth User’s Guide to
Permaculture, which were attended by a total
of 36 participants including experts from the Konso Office of Agriculture and
Rural Development, representatives from the Konso Developemt Association and
the Mekane Yesus Drought Prevention and Preparedness, Yandafaro Project, eight
agricultural extensions workers from Kambata Zone, sent by KTMM, a Kambata
based NGO, as well as 8 members of the Konso farming community (6 women and 2
men) and 11 foreigners from 5 different countries including Europe, America,
Asia and Australia.

 

 

BOX 1: WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?

 

Permaculture is
methodology which addresses the issues of agricultural productivity and
environmental stability at the same time. It is the design of sustainable
human
habitations within productive landscapes.

 

A Global Permaculture Movement has
emerged since the 1960’s in response to Bill Mollison’s ideas and those who
have developed them, such as David Holngren, Rosemary Morrow and Patrick
Whitefield. Permaculture organisations have been established world-wide.
However, it is in Africa where Permaculture promises
to give the maximum benefit to the ordinary people, helping them to insure
food
security, that it is least known.

 

Permaculture aims
to improve the quality of land while yielding from it, maximising the sum of
yields from the land by designing diverse
and synergistic systems. Elements are the components of the
system; any part of the house-hold or farmstead into which energy and
nutrients
flow, and from which they exit. (e.g. the kitchen, the toilet, the vegetable
garden, the shower, the fish pond etc.)

 

Each element requires inputs and produces outputs. Permaculture aims to
make the outputs of all elements into inputs for other elements so that
wastage and reliance on external inputs are
minimised. The output of the system will be greater than that of the combined
output of its parts in isolation (synergy). Observation is the
most important tool at our disposal for achieving this aim. By observing and
understanding ecological processes we can make them work for us, rather than
against us.

 

Multifunctionality: All outputs are also inputs; each element performs
multiple functions.
For example a composting toilet disposes of human wastes and provides compost
for use in gardens. A living fence may also provide us with fruit or oil,
which
can be used for making soap.

 

Permanence: Perennial crops (especially trees) are favoured over annual
crops, where possible, for a number of reasons:

1.                 
Trees do not need to be re-sown annually and  require less work-load and less
external
inputs.

2.                 
Perennials do not require ploughing so their use does not cause
soil-erosion.

3.                 
They protect soil and add to fertility by laying down leaf
litter. Legume trees (like Acacias,
Sesbania, Leucinnea) may also fix huge amounts of nitrogen, so are an
essential source nutrient input for the whole system.

4.                 
The multi-storey of the forest can produce many yields which sum
up to a huge productivity relative to annual mono-crops.

5.                 
They give many useful products: food, fuel, tools, mulch for the
gardens (leaves), building materials, animal forage etc.

6.                 
They put down deep roots which direct water into the ground,
recharging aquifers and can access ground-water during dry periods so will
survive and produce when annual crops fail.

 

Placement: The relative
location of elements should reflect their relationships with each other
and with their operators (us!). For example placing a toilet up at the top of
a
hill, or far away from the house will waste a lot of energy, as we must visit
the toilet each day and will walk many miles doing so over the course of the
years. This energy may have been better spent doing more productive tasks!

 

To simplify this
process, Mollison uses the concept of ACTIVITY
ZONATION. He breaks a farmstead into five zones according to their
ease of access from the centre of activity - usually the house:

·                     
Zone I is nearest to the centre of activity, and contains elements
that are visited more than once daily by the worker: for example herb and
salad
gardens, toilets, fuel storages, tool shed etc.

·                     
Zone II is further from centre of activity and contains
elements requiring less attention; chicken pens, fruit trees, and vegetables
not regularly tended like Brassica or
root crops. We may set up movable pens to allow a controlled foraging system
for our chickens or other small live-stock. Zone III includes elements
visited on a less frequent basis such as orchards, forage stands, wood-lots
and
bees. Agro-forestry is highly favoured over pastoral systems or arable
mono-crop.

·                     
Zone IV is semi wilderness. We may remove fuel, or collect wild products,
but only on a sustainable basis.

·                     
Zone V, lastly, is the wilderness. Here we let nature run its course
and observe the patterns and relationships that emerge between species in
natural systems. This zone is very important for observation and inspiration
for the rest of the system. It also serves for natural hydrological regulation
which is very important for this particular area.

 

Maximising
Synergy

 

Beneficial relationships may exist between
any of our elements and it is these we look to enhance. Elements are added on
the basis of their relationships to each-other and ourselves (the system must
be manageable). We thus look to minimise the labour requirement and external
inputs, while maximising the sum of
yields and recycling
nutrients and energy, just as in natural ecosystems.

 

Energy Flows

 

It is also necessary to consider exogenous flows
of energy onto the site in placement of our elements. We should
consider:

-                          
Local wind patterns

-                          
Seasonal sun-light and shadow patters

-                          
Slope and gravity

For example, wind can be bad for the garden and solar
radiation can be captured to heat water so we site wind-breaks and solar
heaters according to wind a radiation patterns. We plan placement of elements
relative to our energy requirements, to “scatter
hostile energies and harness beneficial ones”. We look for
multi-functionality; For example Hedges can serve as wind breaks, as well as
providing animal fodder, fruit, mulch, habitat for insect predators and
protecting the garden from grazing animals.

 

 

We also consider gravity
(i.e. slope) and its effects on the movement of water
across the site. We must try to make maximum use of gravity in water
management.

·                     
Swales, Check
dams and Keyline
Management techniques are used to regulate water-flow across the land,
reducing or eliminating run-off if possible, thus erosion is minimised.

·                     
Grazing
regulation is used to allow the creation of new topsoil under living plant
materail.

·                     
Tanks and
ponds are used to catch and store water which cannot be absorbed by
the ground. It is then released slowly over the dry season through a gravity
fed irrigation system.

 

All these principals are universally applicable, and
have been put to use in every climate on earth, from The Arctic to The Amazon.
But in Africa their application could prove to
be of the greatest benefit to both the people and the ecology. Permaculture
has
the potential to increase the
self-sufficiency of the rural poor, to help them to manage their assets
more effectively and reduce their dependence on the plough and unpredictable
markets for their monoculture crops.





 

The major resource
management systems planned to be developed on the lodge site include:

·                     
Water harvesting and Irrigation systems

·                     
Vegetable Gardens and
Agroforestry

·                     
Black Water treatment (including septic
system and soakage field)

·                     
Composing Toilets

·                     
Solar Water Heating System

·                     
Biogas production (at a later stage in
development)

 

Section 4: PROJECT OPERATION

 

WATER SUPPLY

Rainwater is
harvested from roofs of the lodge’s buildings to supplement pumped
ground-water from the municipal supply for irrigation. Rain run-off, which
crosses the site during the rain times is harvested in bunds, check dams,
barrier dams and ponds. This water is also used for of vegetables and tree
crops including fruit and animal fodder.

 

ELECTRICITY

During the initial
phase of the project a petrol-generator is being used to generate electricity.
It can be replaced by energy supply from the domestic grid, which in Ethiopia
is primarily derived from hydro-electric power. We also plan to use
photovoltaic
electricity when a system can be installed.

 

GREY WATER SYSTEM (SECOND USE OF
DOMESTIC WATER)

Water outflow from
the showers and also from the kitchen will directed into swales planted with
fruit trees and other nutrient-hungry crop.

 

DRY COMPOSTING TOILETS

We shall also employ
the urine-separating dry-composting toilet design. These toilets separate
urine
from the solid waste component. The urine is passed on to a pit where it is
absorbed by a large bulk of dry organic material, which slowly decomposes. The
solid waste is also surrounded by a large volume of organic material with high
carbon content and good aeration. This simple and elegant toilet design is
able
to produce fine quality compost, hygienically and with minimal odour.

 

Section 5: PROJECT IMPACT

 

4a) ECOLOGICAL IMPACT

 

The impacts of construction on the landscape
and wildlife are considered. The buildings are constructed from local
materials
using traditional techniques and style as a baseline for design; the best way
to minimize or prevent any negative impact on the surroundings.

 

The local materials that shall be utilized in
constructions includes:

4)      Weybetta (Terminalia
sp.)

5)      ‘Tidd (a local conifer species)

6)      Grass

7)      Clay

8)      Stone

 

The main concept in the project design is
conservation of natural ecosystems and re-generation of productivity and
biodiversity through generation of cultivated ecology. Many factors are being
considered to insure the project’s ecological sustainability, including:

·         
Water
collection, storage and conservation methods

·         
Ecologically
sound first use of materials (low embodied energy, natural materials)

·         
Recycling,
re-use, and ecologically sound disposal of all waste materials

·         
Soil
conservation and re-generation

·         
Minimal
fuel and chemical usage

·         
The
use of energy-saving equipment and renewable energy

·         
The
use of transport for various tasks including arrival of guests to the country
and to Konso  from Addis Ababa.

·         
The
interaction between staff/clients and wildlife

·         
The
use of endemic species whenever possible

 

4b) SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT

 

Project construction and operation will be
undertaken carefully considering the social and cultural factors that are
influenced by construction:

·         
Full compensation to previous occupants/users of the land for loss of capital
and any
inconvenience incurred in the transfer of land use rights from the to the
eco-lodge.

·         
Use of local labour, both skilled and non-skilled, providing further
opportunity
for acceptance of the project by the local community as a positive economic
and
social influence on the area. It is hoped a trustful, healthy, long-lasting
positive social relationship will be established with the community in this
way.

·         
Fulfilment of the of all procedures,
regulations, directives, guidelines or proclamations, correctly and on-time,
was insured through
careful adherence to regultaions.

·         
Promtion of community based tourism activities
in the area: The lodge guests are also the local-community’s
guests and will have the opportunity to partake in interactive community based
and cultural activities in the area. Programmed visits and trekking tours will
run to local villages, organised in co-operation the local community and
administration, using local guides.

·         
Cooperation with other projects of similar
orientation in the area:
Strawberry Fields will establish links with like-minded project in the area,
offering technical assistance, advice, information sharing or access to
contacts abroad, thus opening up new funding opportunities or market access
for
other projects being started or run by local people in Konso.

·         
Promotion of Konso Culture: The lodge will serve local organic dishes and
local handicraft products will be available for sale in the lodge’s souvenir
shop. Which, will help to support traditional artisans in the area. Promotion
of volunteering activities in the
local area: It is also hoped to encourage foreigners to undertake
volunteering activities in the local area, including both permaculture related
activities and undertaken alongside the local people themselves, and health
care and educational activities in local institutions.

·         
Access to information: The lodge will also have a library providing
access to information for guests, volunteers and trainees.

 

 

 

4c) ECONOMIC IMPACT

 

The lodge aims to have a positive impact
on the local economy through providing and promoting new activities for
visitors to the area, thus encouraging tourists to spend more time in Konso.
Konso’s position already gives it a high flow
of tourists passing along the roads towards Jinka, Arba Minch or Moyale. Since
it is positioned at the “gate” to the Omo
Valley, most visitors pass it by
twice, on the way to and from South Omo. Thus
getting tourists to stay in Konso longer will increase the revenue generated
and stimulate the economy in the town and surroundings. Through good service
and fair treatment of all guests we will provide a relaxed atmosphere that
guests will want to spend more time in. Through provision of activities
outside
the lodge will benefit the economy in the surrounding villages, providing work
opportunities for guides, hosts and lecturers to participate in activities
organised through the lodge.

 

The Lodge’s pricing structure will be designed
to suit a range of categories of eco-tourist. There will be facilities to suit
those just wanting to relax, or others interested to enjoy adventure tourism
(hiking, trekking, camping, birding etc). We will cater for independent
travellers, as well as via tour operators, and there shall be facilities built
for research, study, and volunteering activities on the project and to serve
the local area.  Food and laundry
services will be available with cheap prices. Laundry, showers and cooking
facilities will be available on camping area.

 

The core of the project marketing plan is to
run a business with high sustainability, to benefit both the local-community
and project’s stake-holders economically, socially, and ecologically
(agriculturally). The project
will be sensitive to reflect the natural values of region. It will also
provide
educational services, teach the principles of ecotourism and strive to prevent
damage to environment or the communities visited.

 





CONCLUSION

-          
A Permaculture school has been established
on the project as well as Ethiopia’s
first permaculture demonstration farm. Training programs are offered to the
local
community and local stakeholder organisations, as well as to guest
participants
and it is hoped the project shall act as a forum for the exchange of knowledge
between these groups. We act as an initial base for the Permaculture movement
in Ethiopia,
and have been active in the process of establishing the Ethiopian Permaculture
Association.

-          
The project aims to realize the
‘Responsible Tourism’ and ‘Ecotourism’ concepts in the Kons Special Woreda,
promoting
a positive and constructive relationship between local communities and
tourists. Konso has a rich and colorful cultural and heritage and it has a
full
responsibility to maintain protect it from negative and destructive attitudes
and practices as a result of irresponsible tourism process.

Project Relationship

-          
The project has or will form cooperative
relationships with local, national and international concern bodies and
authorities in the Konso Special Woreda and beyond, such as:

·         
Konso Special Woreda Administration

·         
The Konso Culture and Information Office

·         
The Konso Agriculture and Rural
Development Office

·         
The Konso Development Association

·         
Local villages’ Chiefs and elders.

·         
CISS (Italian NGO active in Konso)

·         
International Permaculture organization
such as the Permaculture Association (Britain)

·         
National and International Eco-Tourism
Bodies

 

 

 





>From dford@suffolk.lib.ny.us Thu Dec 25 11:17:55 2008
Return-Path: <dford@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
X-Original-To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Received: by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix, from userid 3002)
id 7A4EF4C02B; Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:17:55 -0500 (EST)
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on malecky
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=disabled
version=3.2.3
Received: from mta2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net (mta2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net [167.206.4.197])
by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 383654C02A
for <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>;
Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:17:55 -0500 (EST)
Received: from dylanwmvi3setm (ool-18bfce92.dyn.optonline.net
[24.191.206.146])
by mta2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net
(Sun Java System Messaging Server 6.2-8.04 (built Feb 28 2007))
with SMTP id <0KCF00ABXX9U9RT0@mta2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net> for
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org; Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:17:54 -0500 (EST)
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:17:38 -0500
From: Dylan Ford <dford@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-id: <000901c966ac$4fdc8570$92cebf18@dylanwmvi3setm>
MIME-version: 1.0
X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1807
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1807
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-priority: Normal
References: <492FB348.3040102@intrex.net>
Subject: [permaculture] comfrey
X-BeenThere: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9
Precedence: list
Reply-To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Id: permaculture <permaculture.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture>,
<mailto:permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture>
List-Post: <mailto:permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture>,
<mailto:permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:17:55 -0000

Happy Solstice Folks.

Does anyone recall a post or thread sometime back in which there was mention
of an outfit in the North West that sells comfrey starts? Thaks dyln




  • [permaculture] PDC: Konso Special Woreda, Ethiopia., Alex McCausland, 12/25/2008

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page