GARDENS/MINI-FARMS NETWORK
Wrokshops: USA - TX, MS, FL, CA, AR, NM; Mexico, Rep. Dominicana, Côté d’Ivoire,
Nigeria, Nicaragua, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Haiti, England, India, Uzbekistan minifarms@gmail.com
Workshops in organic, no-till, permanent bed gardening, mini-farming and mini-livestock farming,
using bucket drip irrigation, worldwide, in English & Español
Organic, No-till Farming
The solution to world hunger is teaching the farmers to farm profitably and sell locally. There is a grassroots movement, around the world, for families and groups to produce their own food due to cost, flavor and chemical contamination. "There's this belief that in order to stop poverty, we have to find ways to get people to stop being farmers. What we need to do is find ways to stop them from being poor farmers." Amy Smith, MIT
The following will do that! These are based on the internet, US & international agriculture magazines, experiences teaching agriculture in many countries, research data and farmer experiences in those countries and a demonstration garden. They are ecologically sustainable, environmentally responsible, socially just and economically viable.
Organic, no-till gardening/farming [hand tools only] in permanent beds doubles or triples yields, reduces labor by 50% or more, reduces inputs/expenses to nearly 0 [need seed for new crops and green manure/cover crops], increases fertility, stops soil erosion [no rain water runoff], eliminates most weed, disease and insect problems and greatly increases profits. Use bucket drip irrigation [made by gardener/farmer] to produce during the dry season and in areas of low rainfall.
These practices stopped the migration of farm families to the cities. [Honduras]. There is unlimited, documented proof. There are 100,000,000 no-till hectares worldwide.
Fukaoka Farm, Japan, has been no-till [rice, small grains, vegetables] for 70 years. At the time of my visits, an Indian farmer has been no-till [vegetables] for 5 years, a Malawi farmer has been no-till [vegetables] on permanent beds for 25 years and a Honduras farmer has been no-till [vegetables & fruit] on permanent beds on the contour (73° slope] for 8 years. Ruth Stout [USA] had a no-till garden for 30 years and 7,000 people visited her garden. I will volunteer my time to teach workshops if all expenses are covered.
No technique yet devised by man has been anywhere near as effective at halting soil erosion and making food production truly sustainable as 0-tillage (Baker)
1. Restore the soil to its natural health. Contamination: inorganic pesticides, insecticides & fertilizers
2. Maintain the healthy soil. Healthy soil produces healthy crops with highest yields and prevents most disease, pest, weed and erosion problems.
3. Increase the soil’s organic matter every year.
4. Little or no external inputs [It is not necessary to buy anything, from anybody.]
5. Leave crop residue on top of soil. No burning and never make biochar. You are burning up fertilizer. Do not plow it into the soil; leave on top of the soil.
6. Plant green manure/cover crops to increase the soil organic matter. No alley cropping; hedgerows.
7. Plant the new crop in the crop residue by opening up a row or a place for the seed.
8. Plant every field every year [no fallow land]
9. 0-tillage: no plowing, no digging, no cultivating. No hard physical labor required so children and the elderly can farm easily. After two or three years the yields can double while reducing the labor by half compared to traditional farming. Farmers farm ten acres alone using hand tools only [Honduras]
10. Tree crops: fruit, nuts, coffee [shade-grown], etc. Use perennial cover crops
11. Permanent paths [walking]
12. Permanent beds. They were used 2000 BC in Guatemala, Mexico and many other countries. 15-25% of the land is in paths and that saves 15-25% of the seed, water and labor but yields will be higher. [No alley cropping]
13. Hand tools: machete, weed cutter, seeding hoe. Local blacksmith should make them.
14. Soil always covered.
15. Intercropping with legumes
16. No compost making. Use the organic matter for mulch. If there is an excess, pile it up and use later.
17. Vermiculture: Not necessary; too much labor. Worms will be in the beds.
18. SRI - system of rice intensification. Double yields, reduces water requirements by 50% and reduces labor.
19. SRI for other crops: sugar cane, finger millet, cotton, wheat, mustard, maize, teff, pulses, vegetables.
20. Muscovies for insect control, meat, eggs.
21. http://rodaleinstitute.org/20101005_birke-baehr-food-fighter-and-future-...
22. Bucket drip irrigation should be used during the dry season and in areas of low rainfall: Imported bucket drip kits are US$20-$25 in most countries. A bucket drip line can be made locally from poly tubing [US$3, Nicaragua]. One will irrigate a row of crops 33 meters long using only 20 liters of water per day. A dripline can be moved to irrigate several rows per day. Water can be from a stream, pond or well. A drip kit returns US$20 per month to the farmer [FAO study].
Thank you for all the info. I am applying it in my own vegetable patch. It is working. Got half a pocket of potatoes off a square metre. So would imagine about 10 pounds per square yard. This off previously dead low, carbon soil. Sure next crop will be better. Got yams coming up on same spot already. Want to plant herbs and spices. I will send photos.
Your advise is so simple. People do not believe me when I tell them. I am so excited about growing things now. This coming from a commercial plum farmer. May you be blessed this holy season a thousand times more than you blessed me with you help. Jeremy Karsen, middagkrans@mwebbiz.co.za
Hi Lia,
We have already started several gardens in Jinkfuin community and the people working on them have benefitted from the DVDS we received from Ken. We watched the DVDs and got so many lessons and there women and men already running gardens, good ones! Kimilili
Project room: Kyomya, Uganda
We have been working on improving farming techniques for almost a year. Unfortunately, the farmers are planting small plots of land that only feed their family. There is no other choice but to try new techniques to improve the output of their plot. Ken Hargesheimer suggested the "no till" farming techniques as well as the "drip system". Both have proven effective at increasing production by at least 5 fold. The time is now for Kyomya to become a model agricultural village. [nabuur.com]
Due to un employment in uganda many youths engaged in robbery, adicted to drug abuse,due to poverty parents are forcing there young daughters into marriege where some die when delivering,others go to streets and sell off their selves as sex workers.
thus why Kyamagwa youth development group was set up solve some problems.
And many of the youth responded positevely and we started asmall garden of cabbage.due to our hard working the we were successfull but we 're looking forward to get abig land to rent which will employ more youths.
And we're looking forward to get poultry where by some sex workers and school drop outs, girls with out school fees can work and earn aliving.
any kind of assistance in kyamagwa youth development group is highly appriciated.
all members of sustainable Agriculture.
for more vist us on innocentmugabi@ymail.com
may GOD bless u as u serve.
It appears in the photo you are planting rows running up and down the slope; should be across the slope to prevent erosion. Increase the organic matter in the soil to increase yields. Use paths between beds. So simple and so effective.
thank you very much for your advice in fact your very right,but we want to expand this programme by teaching the community improved agriculture and employing more un employed youth in the project.
And know we are looking forward on how to reach that target because we began last season and still lucking alot to score our goal.
But we need so much your advise may GOD bless you as you teach the world.
but i dont know to get those CDs
i thank you for the massege and your kindness, mercy and love for our community in its campain of fighting againist poverty.
may GOD award you abundantly
this is our postal address.
( ibanda anthony po box 1783 jinja uganda)
we use that because ibanda anthony is the treasurer of our project.
the area code number is 50402
dear all,
kyamagwa youth development group has also started maize gardens and pictures will be soon out
starting to day,
therfore we need your surpport on our garden
thank you very much as u prepair to surpport us
may GOD bless u all.
hi Ken,
Am so glad and happy because we have recieved the DVDs we where waiting for along time therefore we thank you very much.
we recieved three DVDs (1)close to nature garden
(2)organic, no-till
(3)bible study which will help the youth and children to know more about GOD and JESUS our savior.
and other two will help commuty of Kyamagwa to polish and modernise their methods of farming.
And know we're prepearing to teach the community about modern way of farming,so the project will need every one's coperation , advise and surpport for our commuty.
may GOD bless every body who is praying,surpot for our community.
nice time to you all.
hi ken i am very glade to have word of shre with you and every one we need some training with our organisation in farming activities,rearing and growing like as we have been doing with the childrens during their time of garden learning
with much respect
ibanda anthony
It will arrive in 7-10 days.
Ken
They will arrive in 3-5 weeks.
Ken
GARDENS/MINI-FARMS NETWORK
Wrokshops: USA - TX, MS, FL, CA, AR, NM; Mexico, Rep. Dominicana, Côté d’Ivoire,
Nigeria, Nicaragua, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Haiti, England, India, Uzbekistan
minifarms@gmail.com
Workshops in organic, no-till, permanent bed gardening, mini-farming and mini-livestock farming,
using bucket drip irrigation, worldwide, in English & Español
Organic, No-till Farming
The solution to world hunger is teaching the farmers to farm profitably and sell locally. There is a grassroots movement, around the world, for families and groups to produce their own food due to cost, flavor and chemical contamination. "There's this belief that in order to stop poverty, we have to find ways to get people to stop being farmers. What we need to do is find ways to stop them from being poor farmers." Amy Smith, MIT
The following will do that! These are based on the internet, US & international agriculture magazines, experiences teaching agriculture in many countries, research data and farmer experiences in those countries and a demonstration garden. They are ecologically sustainable, environmentally responsible, socially just and economically viable.
Organic, no-till gardening/farming [hand tools only] in permanent beds doubles or triples yields, reduces labor by 50% or more, reduces inputs/expenses to nearly 0 [need seed for new crops and green manure/cover crops], increases fertility, stops soil erosion [no rain water runoff], eliminates most weed, disease and insect problems and greatly increases profits. Use bucket drip irrigation [made by gardener/farmer] to produce during the dry season and in areas of low rainfall.
These practices stopped the migration of farm families to the cities. [Honduras]. There is unlimited, documented proof. There are 100,000,000 no-till hectares worldwide.
Fukaoka Farm, Japan, has been no-till [rice, small grains, vegetables] for 70 years. At the time of my visits, an Indian farmer has been no-till [vegetables] for 5 years, a Malawi farmer has been no-till [vegetables] on permanent beds for 25 years and a Honduras farmer has been no-till [vegetables & fruit] on permanent beds on the contour (73° slope] for 8 years. Ruth Stout [USA] had a no-till garden for 30 years and 7,000 people visited her garden. I will volunteer my time to teach workshops if all expenses are covered.
No technique yet devised by man has been anywhere near as effective at halting soil erosion and making food production truly sustainable as 0-tillage (Baker)
1. Restore the soil to its natural health. Contamination: inorganic pesticides, insecticides & fertilizers
2. Maintain the healthy soil. Healthy soil produces healthy crops with highest yields and prevents most disease, pest, weed and erosion problems.
3. Increase the soil’s organic matter every year.
4. Little or no external inputs [It is not necessary to buy anything, from anybody.]
5. Leave crop residue on top of soil. No burning and never make biochar. You are burning up fertilizer. Do not plow it into the soil; leave on top of the soil.
6. Plant green manure/cover crops to increase the soil organic matter. No alley cropping; hedgerows.
7. Plant the new crop in the crop residue by opening up a row or a place for the seed.
8. Plant every field every year [no fallow land]
9. 0-tillage: no plowing, no digging, no cultivating. No hard physical labor required so children and the elderly can farm easily. After two or three years the yields can double while reducing the labor by half compared to traditional farming. Farmers farm ten acres alone using hand tools only [Honduras]
10. Tree crops: fruit, nuts, coffee [shade-grown], etc. Use perennial cover crops
11. Permanent paths [walking]
12. Permanent beds. They were used 2000 BC in Guatemala, Mexico and many other countries. 15-25% of the land is in paths and that saves 15-25% of the seed, water and labor but yields will be higher. [No alley cropping]
13. Hand tools: machete, weed cutter, seeding hoe. Local blacksmith should make them.
14. Soil always covered.
15. Intercropping with legumes
16. No compost making. Use the organic matter for mulch. If there is an excess, pile it up and use later.
17. Vermiculture: Not necessary; too much labor. Worms will be in the beds.
18. SRI - system of rice intensification. Double yields, reduces water requirements by 50% and reduces labor.
19. SRI for other crops: sugar cane, finger millet, cotton, wheat, mustard, maize, teff, pulses, vegetables.
20. Muscovies for insect control, meat, eggs.
21. http://rodaleinstitute.org/20101005_birke-baehr-food-fighter-and-future-...
22. Bucket drip irrigation should be used during the dry season and in areas of low rainfall: Imported bucket drip kits are US$20-$25 in most countries. A bucket drip line can be made locally from poly tubing [US$3, Nicaragua]. One will irrigate a row of crops 33 meters long using only 20 liters of water per day. A dripline can be moved to irrigate several rows per day. Water can be from a stream, pond or well. A drip kit returns US$20 per month to the farmer [FAO study].
A. http://rodaleinstitute.org/20101005_birke-baehr-food-fighter-and-future-...
I volunteer my time to teach workshops, worldwide, in English or Spanish. All expenses must be paid. Free farming DVD on request.
Ken Hargesheimer minifarms@gmail.com
Dear Ken,
Thank you for all the info. I am applying it in my own vegetable patch. It is working. Got half a pocket of potatoes off a square metre. So would imagine about 10 pounds per square yard. This off previously dead low, carbon soil. Sure next crop will be better. Got yams coming up on same spot already. Want to plant herbs and spices. I will send photos.
Your advise is so simple. People do not believe me when I tell them. I am so excited about growing things now. This coming from a commercial plum farmer. May you be blessed this holy season a thousand times more than you blessed me with you help. Jeremy Karsen, middagkrans@mwebbiz.co.za
Hi Lia,
We have already started several gardens in Jinkfuin community and the people working on them have benefitted from the DVDS we received from Ken. We watched the DVDs and got so many lessons and there women and men already running gardens, good ones! Kimilili
Project room: Kyomya, Uganda
We have been working on improving farming techniques for almost a year. Unfortunately, the farmers are planting small plots of land that only feed their family. There is no other choice but to try new techniques to improve the output of their plot. Ken Hargesheimer suggested the "no till" farming techniques as well as the "drip system". Both have proven effective at increasing production by at least 5 fold. The time is now for Kyomya to become a model agricultural village. [nabuur.com]
Due to un employment in uganda many youths engaged in robbery, adicted to drug abuse,due to poverty parents are forcing there young daughters into marriege where some die when delivering,others go to streets and sell off their selves as sex workers.
thus why Kyamagwa youth development group was set up solve some problems.
And many of the youth responded positevely and we started asmall garden of cabbage.due to our hard working the we were successfull but we 're looking forward to get abig land to rent which will employ more youths.
And we're looking forward to get poultry where by some sex workers and school drop outs, girls with out school fees can work and earn aliving.
any kind of assistance in kyamagwa youth development group is highly appriciated.
all members of sustainable Agriculture.
for more vist us on innocentmugabi@ymail.com
may GOD bless u as u serve.
It appears in the photo you are planting rows running up and down the slope; should be across the slope to prevent erosion. Increase the organic matter in the soil to increase yields. Use paths between beds. So simple and so effective.
Ken
thank you very much for your advice in fact your very right,but we want to expand this programme by teaching the community improved agriculture and employing more un employed youth in the project.
And know we are looking forward on how to reach that target because we began last season and still lucking alot to score our goal.
But we need so much your advise may GOD bless you as you teach the world.
but i dont know to get those CDs
mugabi innocent.
Email me your postal address. minifarms@gmail.com
i thank you for the massege and your kindness, mercy and love for our community in its campain of fighting againist poverty.
may GOD award you abundantly
this is our postal address.
( ibanda anthony po box 1783 jinja uganda)
we use that because ibanda anthony is the treasurer of our project.
the area code number is 50402
They will arrive in about 4 weeks.
thank you very much mr ken,we are waiting for the DVDs to modernise our agriculture in the area
thank you may GOD bless you
dear all,
kyamagwa youth development group has also started maize gardens and pictures will be soon out
starting to day,
therfore we need your surpport on our garden
thank you very much as u prepair to surpport us
may GOD bless u all.
hi Ken,
Am so glad and happy because we have recieved the DVDs we where waiting for along time therefore we thank you very much.
we recieved three DVDs (1)close to nature garden
(2)organic, no-till
(3)bible study which will help the youth and children to know more about GOD and JESUS our savior.
and other two will help commuty of Kyamagwa to polish and modernise their methods of farming.
And know we're prepearing to teach the community about modern way of farming,so the project will need every one's coperation , advise and surpport for our commuty.
may GOD bless every body who is praying,surpot for our community.
nice time to you all.
Email any questions.
ken
hi ken i am very glade to have word of shre with you and every one we need some training with our organisation in farming activities,rearing and growing like as we have been doing with the childrens during their time of garden learning
with much respect
ibanda anthony