Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Nancy Babbitt <nbabbitt2003@adelphia.net>]

Ken,

Thanks for this information.  I am forwarding it to my husband.  You have included many links to keep us busy for a while!

I'd like to say that you mention PVC hoophouses, but I have found the plans, spent good $$$ on building to only discover that the PVC reacts with the Visqueen plastic and causes it to tear.  I suggest that you change the plans to use something other than PVC pipes.  Maybe metal conduit tubing could be better.  

Nancy

On Jul 21, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Ken Hargesheimer wrote:

I have a document "Appropriate Technology for Villages" that I send to NGOs and people in developing countries.  I am going to add some things to it and post it here since there so much interest in this but please contact me directly for more info, minifarms@gmail.com, as this listserve is for crops, land, food, etc.

 

Ken Hargesheimer

 

ol3

GARDENS/MINI-FARMS NETWORK

USA: TX,  MS,  FL,  CA,  AR,  NM, WA;   Mexico, Rep. Dominicana, Côté d’Ivoire, Nigeria,

Nicaragua, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Haiti, England, India, Uzbekistan

Box 1901, Lubbock TX  USA  79408-1901     minifarms@gmail.com

Workshops in organic, no-till, permanent-bed gardening, mini-farming, mini-ranching worldwide in English & Español

 

 

Appropriate Technology for Americans

 

More information can be obtained from me or on the internet.  Ken Hargesheimer  minifarms@gmail.com

 

1. Organic, No-till gardening/farming in permanent beds:  These will double or triple yields and will reduce labor by 50% .  No digging, no plowing.
2. Soil:  Before doing anything else, add organic matter to the soil.   Bring it to the farm [leaves, grass, sawdust, manure] or grow green manure/cover crops [do not till into the soil; leave on top]. 
3. Hoop houses:  A sheet of plastic and some PVC pipe make it possible to grow during cool or cold weather.
4. Greenhouse:  Cost-$100  NC Coop. Ext. Service.  AG426.  I can email it to you. Can’t find url.
5. Shade for vegetables:  Shade over cool season crops may makes it possible to grow during warm weather.
6. Farm tools:  Scythe for harvesting grain, etc.
7. Water pumps:   hand or pedal-powered; solar-powered using batteries [see below]. 
8. Bucket drip irrigation:  Use a bucket to supply water to a drip line.  A kit can be purchased [chapinlivingwaters.org] or made locally by farmers [In Nicaragua, US$3 for DIY dripline].  Water is carried from a stream, well or pond.  40 liters per day for a 33 meter row of veggies.
9. Solar cookers:  Cook food with the sun, free.  Do not buy them; DIY.  solarcookers.org  
10. Solar electricity panels:  Light homes, classrooms, etc.  Can power radios, computers, etc.  Use to recharge batteries.  Contact: Graham Knight at  <biodes@tiscali.co.uk>, biodesign.org.uk. 2x3 inch [$1] powers a radio.  6x12 inch [$10] recharges a 12v. battery.  I know him personally.
11. Solar water purifiers:  solarcookers.org;  jalmandir.com [English, Español, French];  echonet.org   
12. Solar water heaters:  A drum/barrel, painted a dark color, will heat water.  In cool/cold climates, put it in an insulated box with a clear cover.  For more hot water, add more barrels. DIY.
13. Solar driers [dehydrators] for food. 
14. Solar collectors:  heat homes, etc.
15. Bicycles:  Should be used by everybody. 
16. Bicycle trailers:  Make one, using metal, by drilling holes and bolting it together.  Use for cargo, passen-gers, selling, etc.  Can be made from bamboo, wood, pipe, etc.  minifarms@gmail.com
17. Pedal-powered tools/machines:  www.mayapedal.org;  bikesnotbombs.org/at-list.html  I have two documents of other peoples’ ideas. Veggie harvester.
18. Portable DVD players: They are available with 7” to 10” screens, operate on 220, 120 & 12 v. and has a cable to connect a 12 v. battery.  Use a solar panel to charge the battery.  These can be used to teach people anywhere on earth.  Every school should have at least one.  People who cannot read and write can learn by listening and watching.  minifarms@gmail.com
19. DVDs:  Free and on many subjects.  Contact NGOs, government offices, etc.  www.cd3wd.com
20. Ram-earth construction:  Forms are set and soil-cement packed in.
21. Soil-cement bricks:  Bricks are made by mixing soil and cement [6%-10%] and adding water.  The mix is put into a brick press.  The press cost US$150 in most countries.  They are then cured and are equal to a fired brick.  Contact the AT NGO in your country.  http://www2.unam.na/pdf/RevSTFocus/Part-3of3.PDF
22. Soil-cement roof tiles:  See url above.
23. Soil-cement floors:  Cement is mixed into the soil, wet and packed down.  Equal to a concrete floor. 
24. Fencing;   Set post in a soil-cement mix.  Excellent.
25. Sawdust toilet:  minifarms@gmail.com for plans.
26. http://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/LTRAS/itech  I Tech designs, PO Box 413, Veneta, OR 97487 Public Domain--a gift to humanity.

·        Farm-Scale Food Dehydrator

·        Hand-held Narrow Flame Propane Weed Burner

·        A Propane Weed Burner for the Garden

·        Garlic Clove Separator

·        Hand Operated Garlic Trimmer

·        Make Your Own Weeding Spade

·        Serrated Hand Hoe and Mower Blades

·        Grain Huller for Rice, Spelt Wheat, Quinoa and Millet

·        Conversion of a Leaf Shredder/Wood Chipper into a Grain Thresher

·        Hand Operated Vacuum Packing System for Seed Storage

·        Hand Operated Winnower

·        Small Electric Winnower

·        Bug Zapper

 

Other Important Information:

1.       Periodicals: Footsteps Magazine tearfund.org/tilz [English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, KiSwahili];  LEISA Magazine LEISA.info [English, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Portuguese, English/India];  Urban Agriculture Magazine ruaf.org. On internet.

2. Micro-loans:   Many organizations make small loans to people to create or expand a farm or business.  No collateral required.  Check for one in your country.
3. Idealist:   idealist.org  List your organization, etc.  54,000 listed.
4. Nabuur: nabuur.com is where you can have a website for your village and “neighbors” around the world can help you by the internet.
5. Books:  Where There is no Doctor [in 90 languages], Where There is No Dentist, Midwifery. hesperian.org and Micro Eco-Farming – Barbara Berst Adams
6. Pedal/hand tools:  compatibletechnology.org

Go to: http://bibledvd.googlepages.com/home and www.nabuur.com

---

Groups are talking. We´re listening. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups.

_______________________________________________

Livingontheland mailing list

Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland