permaculture

[Larry London <london@metalab.unc.edu>]

http://metalab.unc.edu/london   InterGarden   
london@metalab.unc.edu   lflondon@worldnet.att.net
-

From: "burkie" <burkie@mir.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: Humans make the desert turn green
Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 00:29:32 +0200
Organization: 1&1 Internet GmbH

GREEN BELT SOUTHERN EUROPE

Humans make the desert turn green
The Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka revolutionizes
agriculture. For half a century he does not plow his fields, does not
fight
the weeds or cut the trees, works without herbicides and uses no
artificial
fertilizers. He does not sow in neat rows, but distributes the seeds
broadly
on the soil. His harvests are rich, his soil is thoroughly healthy and
flora
and fauna are of sumptuous varieties.
He spread his message in the whole world . In Somalia he helped native
farmers to reconvert their dried up country into green fields. In India he
opened a perspective to the poorest farmer by his method to operate with
simplest means agriculture - completely in the spirit of Gandhi.
1988, today 86 - year old Masanobu Fukuoka received the Magsasay price
(the
Nobel peace prize in the far east) for his world-wide contribution to the
well-being of mankind . In the last 20 years he applied his method with
the
greening of desert areas. In Thailand, the Philippines, India and Africa
he
transformed smaller devastated areas into varied and green landscapes .
The
first larger-scale experiment took place in March ' 98 in Greece.

News from the Project area "Tamera - Centre for humane ecology" in
Portugal
Amlie Weimar, Tamera, 27 Jan 1999
Next sowing in Portugal from 16 th of August to 5th of September
Tamera - Center for humame ecology takes part in the "Green belt movement
for Southern Europe", as our region (Alentejo/Algarve) also is threatened
by
desertification and soil erosion. In autumn 1997 there was big floods and
mud slides. On our site (134 hectares) we have been experimenting with
Fukuokas method since autumn 1997. Together with local and international
eco-activists and other interested people we want to elaborate on
solutions
for the whole region.
Using Fukuokas method we starteded our re-vegetation activities with a
three
week workcamp during September last year. About 25 people helped in
producing pellets and sowing. Thanks to the donations we received we were
able to sow about 100 different qualities of seeds on 20 ha of our site.
Due
to the lack of buyable fine clay powder, we constructed our own clay mill
so
we could use clay from our site.
We will go on with this activities in August 1999, sowing additional 40
ha.
We have planned a three week workcamp, starting at the 16th of August,
right
after the big Tamera- Summercamp. We will invite especially young
eco-activists (16-25 Years) for this camp. We hope for active, material
(donations of seeds and tools) and financial support for our experiments.
If you are interested or can give donations of seeds and tools to realize
this project, please request further information from:
Amlie Weimar
Tamera, Monte Cerro, P-7630 Colos, Portugal
Tel. ++351-83-63306, Fax: - 63374
email: tamera@mail.telepac.pt

South-european Greenbelt Initiative
In spring '98 Masanobu Fukuoka and his longtime scholar Panaiotis Manikis
initiated the "Greenbelt for southern Europe"initiative . The goal is to
create a green belt in Europe - to stop desertification and recreate
fertile
soils . A first largescale sowing (10.000 ha) took place at Lake
Vegoritida
in Northern Greece . Fukuoka led the project .

European volunteers, several hundred pupils, students and farmers sowed
out
completely 7 tons of seed pellets with 60 tons of alumina and on 2.500
hectars . Ministers, scientists, journalists and the local population
showed
active interest and supported the action .
This was the first of further planned sowings in deforested areas in
southern Europe. Resumed in the autumn 1998 sowing internal message it
north
Greece. Further action will take place in southern Greece, Italy and
Portugal.

Possibilities of participation
Seed collecting Seedbanks Information Cash Donation
Participation-sowing

Seed collecting
- everything that is germable and occurs in Europe
- all cores of fruit, which one eats daily, also of grapes and lemon type
fruit , can be collected
- Vegetable seed of all kinds from the own garden (types of radish, salad
and spinach, peas and types of bean among other things.) The seeds are
best
washed, dried, filled in marked paper bags , indicating their origin

Seeds from seed enterprises and seed banks
Seeds supplies of seed growers, grain, peas and types of bean and
vegetables
of all kinds (best of biological cultivation), also such, which deviates
from the standard, can be donated to us or be transferred at a favourable
price.

Inform Friends, Clients, etc. and make them participate the project
- Copy and distribute info-flyers
- Write articles about this project
- Make Links in the WWW.
- Support us with vehicles, tools, food and material
- Cash donation

DONATION ACCOUNT: Zisula Cordaches, Account Nr.: 801812-103, Bank:
Postbank
Berlin
Bank-Code: 100 100 10, Stichwort : Grner Grtel Sdeuropa

Participation with the sowing
Every person , who would like to help with the sowing experiments, and
would
like to become acquainted with the method, in order to apply it locally at
home, are warmly invited . We are gladly ready, to present the work in the
form of dia or film - lecture. If you would like to participate in planned
activities , you can retrieve information at the appropriate addresses
(see
below) . We are also still looking for humans, who support the project by
translating the text of this homepage into other languages of the
Mediterranean area e.g.: English, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, French,
Turkish...

Masanobu Fukuoka
1988 , today 86 - year old Masanobu Fukuoka received the Magsasay price
(the
Nobel peace prize in the far east) for his world-wide contribution to the
well-being of mankind . In the last 20 years he applied his method with
the
greening of desert areas. In Thailand, the Philippines, India and Africa
he
transformed smaller devastated areas into varied and green landscapes .
The
first larger-scale experiment took place in March ' 98 in Greece.
Contact in Greece:
Panaiotis Manikis
Parodos Nikomidis 7
GR-58200 EDESSA
Tel: +30 (0) 381 27312
(7-9 h german time)

Contact in Portugal:
Amelie Weimar
Tamera
Monte Cerro
P-7655 Colos / Portugal
Tel: +351 (0) 83 63306
Mo.- Fr.: 10-13.00 h (german time)
Fax: +351 (0) 83 63374
Email: tamera@mail.telepac.pt

Contact in Germany:
Zisula Cordaches
Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 89
D-14806 BELZIG
Tel/Fax: +49 (0) 33841 30111
Mobile: 0177 4471104
Email: Greenbelt_eu@mir.org
Donation account:
Zisula Cordaches
Postbank Berlin
BLZ: 100 100 10
Account Nr.: 801812-103
Keyword: Grner Grtel Sdeuropa
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video documentation A movie about the project " green belt south Europe "
and about Masanobu Fukuoka is in work.

A video version is soon available from Crystal Lake video, Amsterdam
No 1: sowing seeds in the desert.
masanobu fukuoka following his dream of revegetating the growing desert
regions of southern europe together with his greek student panos manikis.
the action takes place in greece, italy and portugal and shows masanobu
fukuoka leading the project principally in northern greece near the
albanian
border with his clay-ball seeding methods. filmed in march thru to october
1998.

as well soon on video:
No 2: austrian farmer sepp holzer on his farm at 1500 meters in the
mountains.
this truly amazing man campaigns to turn the valleys of austria into
permaculture farming areas and edible landscapes.

we are also preparing other films for a sustainable future. please make
contact with us.

malcolm st julian bown and heidi snel
dorfstr. 26
D-14806 hagelberg
germany
phone: +49-33841-34472 / 34675
email: heidis@xs4all.nl
http://www.mir.org/crystal
and
http://www.mir.org/greenbelt
----------------------------------------------------------
"If we manage to sow 10.000 ha,  we can call the rain ..."
Masanobu Fukuoka