permaculture

["Sharon Gordon" <gordonse@one.net>]

Even if the emergency garden is done more from a biointensive standpoint,
it's worth it to consider location of the gardens in the camp from a
permaculture point of view.  Also given how frequently some areas are
repeatedly at war or have repeating natural disasters, it could also be
worthwhile once the biointensive space is planted to create some long term
plantings, especially ones that grow well on their own.  They could serve as
a sort of living food bank.  Thirdly, the camp could do restorative
gardening expecially with respect to reforestation and future cooking fuel
supplies along with compensating the camp neighbors who normally live in the
area and whose livelihoods are affected by the camp.

To me the best strategy is make a quick and thoughtful survey of the area
and decided where the permanent plantings will be and where the biointensive
gardens will be.  Then get the biointensive gardens going right away.
Shortly after these are well underway and along with this people can be
propagating a nursery of the permanent plantings.

One thing I learned from one of the Latin American biointensive teachers who
works with refugees and people who are hungry for various reasons is that
the small mild round radishes are an excellent first crop.  The radishes
give people food in three weeks which consist of both the radish and the
green tops which they can cook like any other green.

For the potato quote, was someone thinking of a suggestion made by Albie
Miles following his complete nutrition garden experiment?  He said:

"Although few people have the time or inclination to produce all their own
food, even those who want only to supplement their diets from a garden can
learn from the nutrition garden project. Miles recommends that if you can
only choose a couple of crops to grow, dark green leafy vegetables and
potatoes are good options. He says greens provide the most nutrients and
potatoes the most calories, both for the smallest investment of time and
space. These crops can also be among the most expensive to purchase when
shopping for organic produce. "
http://www.cityfarmer.org/albie.html

And while it's true that potatoes are not suitable for all climates, usually
if the sort of potatoes that Miles grew won't grow somewhere, then sweet
potatoes will.  And sweet potatoes have the advantage of producing their own
greens as well.  I have read that you can use up to 1/3 of sweet potato
greens without having a big impact on the yield of potato, but I don't know
if timing of taking some of the leaves is an issue.  I usually have one
section where I harvest the leaves and one where I harvest the potatoes.

Other things that I think are important:
1) Use the region's heirloom seeds as much as possible and avoid hybrids and
gmo's from overseas.
2) Use familiar foods.
3) Try to id and transplant wild foods from the area into the gardens
4) Include some animal excluding fencing in the camp aid supplies.  Make
sure the fencing can handle the local wildlife.  I have seen pictures of a
rhinoceros in a garden, otherwise I would not have considered this. :-)
5) The D handled flatbladed shovel with flat tops can be used by people in
most any condition (even people with no shoes) to prepare a garden.  It can
be helpful to have a number of shovels suited to people less than 5 feet
high and even under 4 feet so children can help as much as possible.
6) It's helpful if the aid organizer can interview a number of good
gardeners/farmers and good cooks to see what the usual combination of foods
and herbs are for each season.  Then a nutritional analysis can be done to
see what sort of garden plan is needed for a complete nutrition garden.  In
the short run people may want to get greens going to supplement the usual
bean-grain aid food.  People may need different proportions that their
traditional home gardens if they do not have access to their traditional
amounts of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy.  It's also useful to
include medical herbs and culinary medical herbs if possible.
7) See if the containers the aid items (or other aid generated "trash") come
in are useful for living or gardening.  See how to make a watering can from
a restaurant sized bulk  food oil can for example.
http://journeytoforever.org/at_can.html
8) Composting safely.  See if it's possible to strategically locate latrines
or gray water discharge into future orchard or forest areas for example.
9) Each culture usually has an ideal garden aesthetic.  It's more appealing
and satisfying if the refugee garden can fit to a large degree whatever the
people find appropriate.  For example in our community gardens, there is a
group which likes very even spacing of plants in rows and carefully sawed
even stakes.  Another group likes lush intensive beds, using downed tree
limbs as stakes, and rampant vines.  Though most of the gardeners are happy
for any of the other people to garden as they like, neither of the
aforementioned groups particularly values the other's style of gardening,
considering the other type of gardens somewhat of a missed opportunity.  So
if you can make the garden "look right" to the refugee group, this will
increase their comfort with the garden.  If you do think it's important to
change something, have a demonstration garden and also ask some of the
better gardeners in various sections of the camp garden to do a
demonstration bed as an experiment so that their neighbors can see how it
does.  They may modify the experiment based on their own experience, so
don't expect anything beyond your own demonstration garden to be done
precisely as you'd like.
10) Get solar ovens, haybox cookers, and fuel efficient stoves into use as
soon as possible to reduce deforestation.

For info on how to do the analysis for a complete nutrition garden see the
following used in combination:
1) One Circle: How to Grow a Complete Diet in less than 1000 square feet by
Duhon
2) How to Grow More Vegetables 7th ed by Jeavons
3) Some good nutrition software with international little known food plants
included for the area if possible
4) One Basic Kenyan Diet: Diet, Income and Compost Crop Designs in a Three
Bed Learning Model (Booklet 25)
5) One Basic Mexican Diet (Booklet 15)
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/products.asp?dept=104
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/products.asp?dept=113

Your friend might also like some of the ideas from Path to Freedom
http://www.pathtofreedom.com

See the photos in The Hungry Planet of the family in the refugee camp in
Chad for inspiration.  One if on the internet and more are in the book.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5005952

If the refugee camp is in an area suitable for rice farming, consider a
Power of Duck farming system.  See book  at
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/booksvid/ag%20ecology.htm

I am working on some projects related to this as well and would appreciate
thoughts from anyone on the permaculture lists who have thoughts about this
or email copies of any of the class proposals that people are willing to
share.  If the proposals are graphics heavy, please ask people to email me
first so I can space the downloads.

Sharon
gordonse@one.net