Empowering Families Through Food and Economic Security

Permagarden Outreach and Extension:

The Garden Dialogue Approach

Peter Jensen Permagarden Specialist Peace Corps Tanzania

November 2011

1 Table of Contents

The Permagarden Vision: Empowerment and Resilience 3

 Livelihood Assets  Complementary Gardens

The Garden Dialogue Approach 4

The Dialogue Process 5

Building Sustainability 6

 Productive Behavior Checklist  Developing a Neighborhood Network

How to use the Topic Worksheets 7

 Facilitator Tips

Key Messages for Household Production 8

General Problems and Barriers to Adoption 9

Topic Worksheets

 Topic 1: Household Nutrition 10  Topic 2: Indentifying Space for Gardens 12  Topic 3: Nurturing the Soil – General 14  Topic 4: Nurturing the Soil – Soil Amendments 15  Topic 5: Nurturing the Soil – Compost 16  Topic 6: Bed Location and Preparation 18  Topic 7: Household Wastewater Management 20  Topic 8: Surface Water Management 22  Topic 9: Water Retention with Mulch 24  Topic 10: Timing of Planting and Spacing 25  Topic 11: Plant Fertility Needs 27  Topic 12: Plant Disease and Pest Control 28  Topic 13: Crop Rotation 30

Summary

 The Cycle of Better Living 31

Note: This manual is intended to be used in support of the overall permagardening food security methodology. Please refer to the Permagarden Field Manual for more specific technical information.

2 The Permagarden Vision: Empowerment and Resilience

The long‐term vision of permagardening (intensively productive garden beds surrounded by protective, perennial plants and soil structures) is the creation of empowered and resilient people and families able to improve the quality of their own lives. For this vision to be realized we must address the tangible and measurable goals of food and income security. As such permagardens are much more than just simple gardens. Rather, they are a part of a systematic, family-based, livelihood security approach that focuses on appropriate water, land and plant actions that aim to increase household asset retention as well as nutritious food availability and accessibility. As the family gains greater confidence and control through these small, doable, actions, the lessons learned can be applied to the broader landscape which can lead to further improvements in farm and non‐farm business performance. With practice and local modification in the home landscape comes greater control, accomplishment, sense of pride, resilience and hope for a healthy future.

Livelihood Assets for Economic Strengthening

Basic strategies households employ to derive, utilize and maximize their tangible assets (land, food, water, income, savings) and intangible assets (education, social networks) are often referred to as livelihood assets. These productive assets are anything used by the household to sustain and protect family health, nutrition, income or general wellbeing against ‘shocks’, be they economic, climatic, or health related. By improving and stabilizing overall economic livelihoods, and reducing key vulnerabilities at the household level, families will be able to build economic self respect, reduce aid dependency, engage in more productive behaviors to increase income, and build basic financial and business literacy that is vital for sustaining income generating activities over the long‐term. Based solely on locally available resources, these steps become the primary building blocks to more advanced levels of economic development. It is with this overall strategy in mind that the permagarden and its lessons can provide families with a way to maximize their productive household livelihood assets making them far more than simple gardens. Indeed, as stated above, they can be the very catalyst to establishing resiliency and empowerment. These are grand visions and goals. It is imperative therefore that there be a way to quite literally, bring it all “down to earth” using a risk free, interactive approach: the garden dialogue.

Complementary Gardens

Most rural and peri-urban families in the developing world do (or can) engage in some form of gardening or plant growing around their home. This activity is often described as ‘complementary gardening.’ While these small (often less than a few square meters) garden plots can be good sources of seasonal food, medicine and income, households often overlook the benefits of this resource when compared to farms or other larger ‘market gardens.’ This distinction can be seen in the name - ‘complementary’ which can often become translated to mean ‘unimportant’ gardens. The Garden Dialogue is an effort to reinvest in the value of those smaller household niche gardens, by recognizing and building on their potential outputs: food, income, nutrition, fodder, poles, firewood, medicine, spices, herbs, green manures and plant-based pesticides, as well as items for cultural and religious use. By focusing our attention on all that can be gained from a small, well managed area through simple ‘walk about’ conversations, we move from unimportant to important; and we help each other move from a perceived lack of resources and assets to one of abundant productivity, with an edible, permanently-controlled landscape. The complementary garden thus becomes a viable, measurable household economic asset that also provides lessons by which all who observe can gain.

3 The Garden Dialogue Approach

The methodology used here is based on experiential adult learning principles that encourage critical thinking and ensure that families and other members of the community practice gardening skills that will lead to adoption of other productive activities. Using ‘Appreciative Inquiry’, the Garden Dialogues work to ensure that participants will continue to enhance and improve and teach others regardless of external support. The Garden Dialogue is designed to empower family members to create positive change in their landscapes - using local resources and expertise already available in their own communities. Based upon a recognition that these resources exist and can be utilized by even the poorest household, these tools can help individuals, who don’t yet call themselves “gardeners”, to embrace a range of productive behaviors that build their capacities and productive livelihood assets.

This guide will help families discover how to build upon the assets they already have but may not fully appreciate (soil, water and plants). They provide guidance for ‘side-by-side’ learning and creation of key elements of the permagarden. It encourages adoption through simple assessment and creative problem-solving methods which are easily carried out by all family members. Eventually, the created permagarden will become the family classroom from which many other livelihood assets can be built. Once people have shared local knowledge and skills in soil improvement, water control and plant care, the ensuing accomplishment of higher productivity will lead to a greater desire to engage in further activities which continue to build family resiliency to local and external shocks.

Simply put, the Garden Dialogue is a casual exchange amongst neighbors. It begins by listening and building trust through some suggested open-ended questions. The result will be a simple action plan. Dialogues can occur between family members, or members of community-based, self- help groups with occasional technical input and facilitation support from outside sources. It can form part of regularly scheduled self-help group meetings that often occur several times a month. The dialogue is meant to involve neighbors and other critical resource people found throughout the community but is designed to empower families by incorporating their own experience and knowledge to be able to select the most appropriate solution to any number of problems. The overall objective is to get people talking to each other, looking critically at their landscape, so that practical ideas are shared. While outside technical expertise is important, the method and manner by which this is delivered should focus on empowerment and should not be standard, top-down information dumping. All too often, outside technical support comes in sporadic doses without a long term strategy of ongoing support. This irregular “outsider influence” can actually build dependency in a “savior” from beyond that could return “at any time”. This tends to quell local ingenuity and initiative putting a halt to personal or community self reliance. Outside technical experts can and should be part of the process – but as horizontal learner/facilitators rather than top down, “all knowing” lecturers.

On another level, the dialogue needs to happen between the group and other members of the local community. In many communities there are people who already have a wealth of skills and knowledge on soils, plants, water, bees, fish and animals. All too often they have simply never been asked to share their expertise or felt comfortable enough socially to do so. The dialogue process can hopefully bring people together in a gentle, non-threatening manner and can even become part of conflict resolution strategies between competing groups.

Essentially, the process focuses on four positive questions: What is working? What do I have? What would make things even better? And finally; How do I get there?

4 The Dialogue Process

1. WALK & TALK: Join the gardener for a walk through his/her garden and around the household compound, engaging them in conversation about the current conditions of his/her garden as well as their current livelihood strategies. Using the Garden Dialogue tools, ask open-ended questions to determine the underlying causes of the problem/solution. Use the opportunity to look for potential resources (waste materials) that may be found around the home such as charcoal bits, swept leaves, wood ash, livestock manure, vegetable waste, etc that could be used in the solution.

2. LISTEN: Allow gardeners to bring up challenges and problems (water, land scarcity, preparation, tools, production, selling, storage or personal issues) that may impact his/her ability to be productive. Ask follow up questions to show that you value his/her opinion. Let the individual or group exhaust the topic before moving on.

3. TAKE ACTION: Get started by taking just a few minutes to do some small, yet meaningful, action. Use the suggested “Action Steps” as a starting point. Reiterate the importance of using resources found around the home and successful examples the group has seen from within the community. Advance preparation (gathering tools, materials) may be required to save valuable time.

4. PLAN: Based on these dialogues and the brief action steps taken, help participants make a plan of what can be tackled together or individually later on at their own homes. Discuss how and when they will implement the solution to encourage rapid application of the new ideas while enthusiasm is still high.

5. SUMMARIZE: Before the group members or individual departs for home, review the key messages that relate to the topic or action steps taken using these simple questions: What do we have? What do we want? How can we get there?

What good practices did we observe or talk about?

What problems/challenges did we observe or talk about?

Why do these problems/challenges exist?

What can we do to overcome these problems/challenges?

6. RETURN TO GARDEN: Follow up on the Action Plan. Applaud success, as well as good attempts that may not initially be successful. Remind all that innovations may take time till the beneficial impacts become evident. However, if the problem

5 persists or requires more technical support, look for guidance from other organizations working in the area or from the relevant government agency.

Building Sustainability: The Return Visit

The final step in the Walk and Talk Extension Method is a planned return to the household. New gardeners need repeated support and encouragement to proceed even if the plan seemed very simple and straightforward. A return visit should occur within a few weeks of the development of the action step, discussion, or plan. These return visits will also build a stronger relationship between neighbors. It is also during the return visit(s), that a quick visual/mental check of productive behavior(s) adoption can be made. Even very modest advances in these behaviors should be noted and applauded. As it can often take years for even the simplest new innovation to be adopted, the steps in the creation of a permagarden and the various landscape improvements that stem from it must, by definition, come in small stages. Do not expect immediate wholesale adoption. Adoption should be slow and steady. That is how behavior change happens – via small, doable actions that build on each other, just as do each of the garden dialogue topics and their resultant productive behaviors.

 Productive Behavior Checklist

Careful monitoring and evaluation of action steps taken is essential for forward learning and thinking. It is also essential for good reporting of successes and challenges so that those coming in the future can have learned from what went on before. Developing a Productive Behavior Checklist for each beneficiary can help both the extensionist and the beneficiary see that progress has been made and where extra work may be required to truly build the vision of empowerment and resiliency.

Action Step or Behavior Date Date Number Others started completed impacted taught Household Asset Map Created new “comp” garden Find/use local soil amendments Making/using compost Making/using liquid fertilizer Water capture from roof (barrels) Water capture in soil (swale/hole) Bio-intensive garden beds Practicing crop rotation Organic pest control Selling or adding value to produce

 Developing a Neighborhood Network

A key element to enabling sustainable adoption of any new idea or skill is to build a locally supportive network. Locally engaged individuals, able to conduct dialogues on their own, can be called upon to assist others who may be interested in following along with the innovation. A strong local network of voluntary “extensionists” will bring stability and resiliency to the

6 local community in the same way that strong individuals make up resilient families. If we manage this we are well on our way to achieving the overall vision of people able to improve the quality of their own lives.

How to Use the Topic Worksheets

Each worksheet is written in the same basic layout and is meant as a guide to the group facilitator rather than as a participant handout. Facilitators should read the entire worksheet thoroughly to achieve confidence and fluency with the material presented.

Topics are organized under four main themes: Nutrition, Land, Water and Plants. Each topic lists the main barriers to adoption followed by the Key Messages and Productive Behaviors that are the objectives for that particular topic. Facilitators will then see Guidance and Training Tips that discuss why and how this topic is important for health and/or economic strengthening and which can serve as background during the walk and talk. Suggested open- ended questions for the Walk and Talk portion of the home/group visit are then followed by one or two small action steps which can be implemented immediately (with advance planning for tools and materials) or which can be done on an individual basis later on. To enhance positive learning outcomes, small actions done by the group are more likely to be acted upon by individuals upon returning to their own homes. If we simply talk about an action, it is less likely to become adopted.

Facilitation Tips

 Clearly introduce yourself to the group members if you are from outside the community. This includes your name, organization, position and expectations or reason you are there.

 Create a positive atmosphere, with a focus on building trust and respect, where everyone is encouraged to discuss and share anecdotes of success they have had or seen in the community.

 Never lecture the group or community members. Have a conversation. Be a good listener. The dialogue approach is the key to empowering the gardener to think for him/herself.

 Answer the gardeners’ questions with a question to urge them to think of alternative solutions to problems rather than waiting for the answers to be given.

7  Allow a topic or subject to be fully discussed before moving on to new issues. Follow the lead of the gardener without imposing your own subject or ideas.

 The Walk & Talk questions listed in each tool are suggested questions and are not meant to be read or used in any order. Use them as talking points to start a discussion.

 Balance participation to ensure all voices are heard. Stand/sit in a circle for discussions.

 Technical input from outsiders can be important, though should be delivered in a way that allows the intervention to be talked about and discussed by the beneficiaries. Key Messages for Household Production

Improved household production can lead to significant levels of increased economic security for the entire family. Creation of the permagarden or portions of it within the home landscape should carry the following key messages for sustainability and overall adoption success:

o Properly managed, small-scale ‘complementary’ gardens can eventually be grown without rainfall using appropriate water conservation and long-term soil fertility measures.

o A significantly higher yield can be achieved on a small plot of land, managed well than on a large parcel of land, managed poorly.

o Control and manage both small and large amounts of rain water by forcing it to stop, slow, sink and spread into the garden soil.

o No new tools or external funding is required to get started.

o High yields of nutritious annual and perennial crops can be grown in the dry season around the home in complementary gardens that capture waste and runoff water.

o Many local resources already exist around the home or the neighborhood that can help grow and sustain productive activities.

o Building soil fertility and structure with compost is a low-cost way to increase soil health which can result in greater harvests and profits from small areas.

o Water can be used beyond its original purpose saving money, time and energy.

o Complementary gardens can be important sources of food, nutrition and income for the household.

8 o Small, doable actions around the home landscape that give immediate, visible results create a ‘climate’ for other positive behavior change and resiliency to develop.

o Increased yields give an opportunity to practice appropriate meal preparation, value added processing and the teaching of effective marketing, storage and post harvest handling.

9 General Problems and Barriers to Productive Behavior Adoption:

Nutrition, Land, Water and Plants

Nutrition Problem Statement: There is high seasonal food and nutrition insecurity amongst many rural and urban Tanzanians due to lack of access, availability, and/or poor levels of nutrition education leading to poor utilization.

Barriers  Perceived lack of land and water accessibility to grow food  Lack of attention given to the role that complementary gardens can play to alleviate food and nutrition insecurity  Perceived need for large income increase to be able to afford a more nutritious diet.

Land Problem Statement: Perception that people don’t have enough land to produce crops for family consumption or sale.

Barriers  Many people don’t value or place importance on the few crops they grow around their compound  Many people feel that in order to double their yield they need to double their land under cultivation (when in fact, the opposite is true)  Many don’t see how much productive space around their household could be used to grow fruits, vegetables and other crops

Water Problem Statement: The perception, and reality, that water, be it from rain, river or municipal supply, is not reliably available, thus limiting garden production and expansion.

Barriers  Most beneficiaries are practicing only limited water-conservation methods at their homes, with much of the rain that falls subsequently lost to run-off or in- field evaporation.  Most beneficiaries do not see the value of reusing bathing or cooking ‘waste’ water, despite water’s relatively high cost in terms of money, time and energy.  Most beneficiaries burn crop residue, leaves and other plant ‘trash’ which could otherwise be used as compost/mulch to prevent evaporation and erosion.

Plants Problem Statement: Perception that people don’t have adequate access to inputs, including seeds, seedlings, fertilizer and pesticides.

Barriers  People are reluctant to spend money on inputs without some confidence in getting a return.  People have developed a reliance on items freely given to them by donors.

10  Perception that people don’t have adequate land and water to grow plants and crops.

11 Topic 1: Household Nutrition

Barriers  Perceived lack of land and water accessibility to grow food.  Lack of attention given to the role that complementary gardens can play to alleviate food and nutrition insecurity.  Little awareness of the nutrient content and benefits of most crops grown for household consumption.

Messages and Productive Behaviors  A healthy, well-balanced diet can be secured from locally grown foods found in small complementary plots as well as medium sized permagardens.  Specific crops, especially yellow, orange or dark green leafy vegetables, are the best to grow for their nutritional value.  The daily meal should contain 50% carb, 30% protein and 20% vegetable/fruit

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we need a balanced nutritious diet? o A balanced diet maintains a body’s defense mechanism or immune system, promotes physical and mental development and is essential for good long term vigor and health o Vegetables and fruit high in iron and Vitamins A and C help the body fight illness and infection o Food security and nutrition play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS, especially when coupled with Anti Retroviral Therapy o Healthy eating can allow PLHA to remain active and earn income for a healthier and more productive life  How do we secure a nutritious diet? o Grow a range of crops around the home in complementary gardens that can be harvested for home consumption, especially deep green leafy vegetables o Income earned from selling excess crops can be used to buy other nutrient rich foodstuffs o Orange, yellow, red and dark-green-leafy vegetables are high in iron, Vitamin A and C o Leaves and stems of dark, green leafy vegetables should be steamed lightly so as not to remove important nutrients

Questions for Walk and Talk  What are your eating habits? What do you eat the most of? The least of? What elements could be missing in your diet?  What roles do different foods play in our diets? How and where can we get them? How can we produce them ourselves?  What is the relationship between nutrition and health? Nutrition and HIV/AIDS?  Why do people, especially PLHA, need to eat more nutritious foods?  How do you feel when you eat just ugali? How do you feel when you eat a mixture of ugali, beans and mchicha? Why the difference?

12 Action Steps:

1. Select Nutrient-Dense Vegetables for a Nutrition Garden

 Discuss which local vegetable varieties are known to be high in Vitamin A, C and iron

 Choose colored vegetables such as those that are orange, yellow and dark- green to regularly add to the family meal:

o Amaranth – stem and leaves

o Mustard – stem and leaves

o Cowpea (khunde) – leaves and beans

o Sukuma wiki (collards) - leaves and stems

o Pumpkin – fruit and leaves

o Matembele (sweet potato leaves) – leaves

o Beans

o Peas

o Tomato

o Carrot

o Orange fleshed sweet potato – roots and leaves

2. Plant a Small Nutrition Garden

o Properly prepare a small garden bed (0.5m x 1.5m) close to a fence or wall to support climbing plants. (see Topic 6) o Plant climbing cowpea seed 25 cm apart along the fence or wall; these will grow up the wall with trellis as support. o Plant pumpkin, 2 seeds together, 1 meter apart, between the bean plants. These will spread over the ground. o Scatter amaranth seed along the front half of the bed and cover lightly with soil. Harvest the entire plant after 4 weeks. Allow pumpkin to grow to cover entire space where amaranth had been. o Water gently. Repeat watering with excess kitchen water every day. o Cover with 1-2 cm rice straw or dry maize leaves. More can be added as beans and pumpkin grow through this first layer. o Make a plan to return to see progress at least every two weeks to provide continuing encouragement and sharing of success stories.

13 14 HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION — LAND Problem: Perception held by many that they don’t have enough land to produce crops

Topic 2: Identifying /developing spaces for “Complementary Gardens”

Barriers:  Families don’t value or place importance on the few crops they grow around their compound.  Families don’t see how much productive space exists already around their household that could be used to grow fruits, vegetables and other crops.

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Regardless of not having space for a larger garden or farm field, every household has some space to grow plants in a ‘complementary’ garden that could provide food and income for the family.  Many local resources exist around the home or the neighborhood that can help grow and sustain productive activities.  Long-term planning and mapping of the homestead can help avoid further loss of resources (assets) and can actually build them for the future.

Guidance and Training Tips

 There are many unused or underutilized spaces around the home that could be used to grow fruits and vegetables  Ensure that people know the differences between agriculture, gardening (larger market gardens) and complementary gardening (household level, small-scale).  A plant has five basic needs: soil, water, sun, air and protection.  Walk through the compound and gardens and ‘map’ the resources currently available that can help build productive assets (land, water, agricultural or fish waste, animal manures, plants, etc).  Observe where runoff water has moved and been lost in the past and think how it could be stopped and allowed to slowly sink and spread.  Complementary gardens don’t need to be big (1 m2 to 20 m2).

Questions for Walk and Talk

 What food do you grow?  Where do you have spare land around your home that could used to grow more food?  What kind of gardens do your neighbors have?  What do we mean by a complementary garden?  Do you think that complementary gardens can be larger than they currently are? How could they be expanded?  What type of land do you think is suitable for a garden? Can it be close to the house? Can it be on the side of the house closest to the main road?

15 Action Steps

 Household Compound Mapping:

o This should take form through a participatory mapping exercise in which the gardener and other group members sketch a map of the terrain together (location of dwellings, paddocks, prevailing wind direction, amount of sun, fields, trees, waterways, geographical features, source of water) and draw up a list of assets (materials and resources: animals, manures, fruit, timber, artisanal skills, outside income sources, fuelwood, fodder, compost, water, etc) that are present and available for use by the household.

o A similar list should be drawn up of materials and resources used by the family, but presently do not appear in any useful quantity around the household. These are things such as food, cooking oil, fuel, construction materials, composting materials, water, grazing areas, etc.

o Making the connection between what is used in a household and the cost and effort it takes to acquire such an item helps give ideas for gardeners and households to work on changing the situation. From these lists is drawn the action plan for each homestead.

 Locating and creating a complementary garden site:

o Walk around the home and identify potential areas to grow more plants . Does the area get enough sun? at least 6 hours? . Can the soil be prepared to grow plants? . What local materials can be used to protect the site from chickens?

o Beds can be various sizes and can be located under existing trees (papayas, bananas) or along fence lines if there is still some sunlight reaching the soil

o Mark out and prepare the garden bed

o Plant, nurture, harvest (see topic 1 and 6)

o Make a plan to return to check on progress regularly.

16 Topic 3: Nurturing the Soil – General Barriers:  Gardeners don’t see the need to invest in long term nurturing of the soil  Widespread lack of knowledge and information on how to nurture the soil  General over-reliance on chemical fertilizers to grow plants

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Soil is living and needs to be healthy just like plants and people. Healthy soil= healthy plants= healthy people=healthy communities  Managing soil fertility and depth enables higher yields from smaller areas.  Nurturing soil is a continual process.  Building soil fertility is a low-cost way to increase harvests and profits.  Maintaining soil health does not require special tools- most homes already have what they need (hoe, digging spade, machete, buckets).

Guidance and Training Tips  A healthy soil is rich in microbial life. Microbes help the soil release nutrients to the plant through the creation of beneficial acids.  Plants use nutrients to grow so the gardener needs to continually amend the soil to allow future plants to grow and produce in the same space.  Expose gardeners to various ways of improving the health and quality of their soil: o Sourcing and using soil amendments- to condition and fertilize o Making and using compost- to condition and fertilize o Mulching the garden- to hold moisture and provide nutrients o Proper bed preparation- to allow water and root infiltration

Questions for Walk and Talk  Describe what a healthy soil looks like? Feels like? Why is this soil healthy or not?  Why is it important for a soil to be healthy?  What are some ways you know to make a soil healthy?  What are you doing now to the soil before you plant a garden near your home?  What waste material could be used to nurture the soil? Do you have any of this material around your house?  Do you think that healthy plants give a better yield? Do they taste better?  How are your neighbors nurturing or caring for their soil?  What tools are best to help nurture the soil?

Action Step:  Gathering Local Soil Amendments . Walk around the home and through the neighborhood to locate amendments . collect these soil amendments and bring home: Wood ash from cooking area Charred crop residues or charcoal dust from point of sale Dry grasses or crop waste (maize husks or straw) Animal manure – cow, chicken – fresh or dry Green leaves from leauceana, glyricidia, or neem trees

17 Topic 4: Nurturing the Soil - Soil Amendments Barriers:  Gardeners don’t recognize that much of the material or resources to amend the soil can be found around the home or within their communities/markets

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Animal manures, ash, charcoal dust, burned crop residue, fish waste and organic plant material are all valuable assets available locally that can be used to improve the long-term quality of the soil.

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we add soil amendments? o Soil amendments add important nutrients for plant growth o Soil amendments improve air and water structure of soil o Soil amendments help to increase microbial life for soil health  How do we use soil amendments? o Added directly to the garden bed during soil preparation o Ask neighbors or others in the community to use their waste materials o These materials can be heavy or bulky so proper transport should be arranged o Dry manure is best as a soil amendment; fresh manure can harm plants  What are commonly available amendments and what nutrients do they have? o Wood ash - calcium, potash, phosphate and magnesium o Charcoal dust and burnt rice husks – carbon (holds CO2 in soil) o Manure (cow, pig, poultry)- nitrogen, phosphate, potash, micronutrient o Green plant leaves (shredded)- nitrogen, organic material o Maize cob and plants, Rice straw- organic material, carbon  Burnt rice husks add carbon to soil and serve as a deterrent to soil based pests (worms), which are cut by the sharp edges.

Questions for Walk and Talk  What materials are available around your house? neighborhood? market?  What is the best way to use animal manures to help the soil?  How are other people using waste products to amend the soil in their garden?  What amendments have you added to your own garden? Why did you do it? Could you see a good result? Can you describe the change you saw?

Action Steps  Applying charcoal dust/burnt rice husks and wood ash to the garden: o Locate a source of charcoal residue or burnt rice husks o Gather enough charcoal dust to apply 2 cm over the top of your growing area o Gather enough woodash to apply thin layer over the top of the growing area o Mix both amendments into the top 10 cm of the soil o Repeat once a year o These amendments add important minerals back into the soil  Applying well-aged (dry) manure to the garden: o Locate a source of well-aged poultry or cow manure o Gather enough to apply 2-5 cm over the area where you will plant your crops

18 o Mix into the top 20 cm of the soil o Repeat before every planting cycle

19 Topic 5: Nurturing the Soil - Compost Barriers:  Benefits of compost are not widely known or understood.  Many gardeners don’t know how to prepare nor apply compost to the soil.  Pervasive feeling that compost is not as effective as chemical fertilizers.

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Gardeners regularly make and use compost as a soil conditioner.  Compost serves as a waste management tool as well as to build soil health.

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we make compost and use it to amend the soil? o Compost is a cheap and effective soil conditioner made from local waste. o Adding compost increases the microbial life of the soil, adds nutrients and improves the root growth and overall health of plants. o The addition of compost helps to increase the moisture holding capacity of the soil. (compost will hold 6x its weight in water.)  How do we make and use compost? o Locate materials such as leaves, grass, straw or other residue. o Build compost pile (see Action Step below for guidance). o With regular mixing compost can be ready in 2-3 months (brown and crumbly and cool to the touch). o Apply 2 cm layer of well-aged compost to soil of growing area and mix in prior to planting. o Continue to source materials and make compost throughout the year  Compost must remain moist (wet sponge) so keep it out of direct sun/wind.  Heat generated in the compost comes from billions of beneficial bacteria.

Questions for Walk and Talk  What do you know about compost?  Have you ever tried to make compost? What happened? Why?  Do you know anyone who has successfully made and used compost?  What materials in your area could be used to make a compost pile?

Action Steps  Preparing a compost pile: o Bring the following to a shady or covered area near the garden (you will need enough material to a make a pile 1mx1mx1m): . Green vegetative materials (water hyacinth, tree leaves, grass, plant waste) . Brown material (dried crop residue, straw, grass, tree leaves, shredded or chopped branches) . Manure (1 20-liter bucket to sprinkle through the layers as bacteria source) . Water: 60-80 liters

20 . Long, sharp, pointed stick (to aerate and measure pile moisture and temperature in coming weeks)  Making a compost pile:

o In a shady area, dig a 1m x 1m hole, 10cm deep only. Top soil removed is to be added throughout the pile.

o Add a 5 cm layer of coarse sticks to the hole.

o Add a 20 cm layer of dry brown material – grass, tree leaves (carbon).

o Add a 10 cm layer of fresh green plant material (nitrogen).

o Add a 1 cm layer of animal manure or dark topsoil.

o Mix layers (not sticks) together with 3-4 liters of water.

o Continue adding and mixing layers till the pile is 1m tall and 1m wide. Cover with old grain sacks or large leaves to keep the sun and wind off and the moisture in.

o Put a long straight stick down through the center of the pile from the top - this helps to aerate the compost and can be used to measure the temperature after 4-5 days.

o After 2 weeks, mix and turn the whole pile to the space to the right or left, adding 20 liters of water throughout. This leaves the original space open to make a new pile.

o Compost will be ready when material is dark, crumbly, and only slightly warm to the touch. If the material is cut into small pieces, and with regular turning and moisture, the compost will be ready to add to the garden soil within 2-3 months.

21 22 Topic 6: Nurturing the Soil - Bed Location and Preparation

Barriers:

 Widespread lack of knowledge on how best to prepare the soil for planting.  Beneficiaries don’t see how much productive space around their household could be used to grow fruits, vegetables and other crops.

Messages and Productive Behaviors

 Proper soil preparation allows for closer plant spacing which shades soil, limits water loss and weed infestation, helps plant roots to grow and helps to reduce pests .  Plant roots require water and air to move freely in soil in order to grow.

 Why do we take time to prepare beds for planting? o Deep soil allows closer plant spacing which encourages a dense and protective canopy - this canopy will capture and hold moisture in the soil and can help to keep weeds from growing. o Deep soil can hold more water and air - leading to stronger plant growth. o Preparing a bed lets the gardener apply important soil amendments prior to planting.

 How do we prepare beds? o Choose a sunny area close to the house o Define and mark out the area where you will grow plants o Loosen the soil, add amendments and mix (see action step) o Think about protecting the area by building fence from material (sticks, bamboo) found nearby

 Garden beds can range in size, be located in multiple areas around the home  The double digging process needs to happen only one time - the next planting cycle you will only need to amend the topsoil; smooth, and plant.

 Have you ever prepared land for a garden before? How did you do it?  Do you have areas around the house that could be used for planting?  Do you know how to prepare a deep planting bed?  What do you think would be the benefits of having a deep soil?  Do you need to add anything to the soil to help plants grow?  What tools do you have that can be used to dig and prepare the soil?

23 Action Steps

 Simple Bed Preparation (double digging):

o Mark out the area to be dug, less than 1m wide. Can be as long as desired. o Loosen the top soil in bed area to a depth of 15 cm or to the depth of the compacted, lighter colored, subsoil. o Make a 30 cm wide trench along one end. o Place this soil outside the bed at the other end. o Break up the harder soil that remains in the bed and leave it in the bed o Add and mix two handfuls of charcoal dust and manure into this broken up lower soil layer. o Move ahead, bringing the next 30cm of topsoil over this loosened and amended subsoil. o Break up the compacted subsoil and amend as before. o Continue down the length of the entire bed. o Add first trench of removed topsoil back in at the end. o Smooth the entire bed with hands, stick or rake. o Add other amendments such as manure, char, ash and compost and mix into the top 15 cm of soil. o Smooth the bed flat by hand (so water does not run off). o Sprinkle with water to allow soil and amendments to settle. o Plant using triangular spacing to maximize plant density and health.

 Locating Space for a Micro-garden

o Locate an area which meets the plant’s basic needs: sun, soil, air and support.

o Use an area with an existing support structure: fence, wall, house posts

o Area can be very small ( less than 0.5 m2) so long as it has some sunlight for plants to climb into.

o Deeply loosen and amend the soil.

o Select plants which will climb: bean, luffa, or cucumber or

o Select plants which will fill the space together: Pepper with amaranth or daikon radish; sweet potato (creeping) with luffa (climbing)

o Plant

o Water with household waste water from cooking or bathing.

24 o Train the climbing plants onto the existing support structures or add more (such as bamboo) to help trellis the plants.

25 HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION — WATER

Problem Statement: The perception that water, be it from rain, river or municipal supply, is seen as not reliably available, thus limiting garden production and expansion.

Topic 7: Household Wastewater Management

Barriers:  Many families do not see the value of reusing bathing or cooking ‘waste’ water, despite water’s relatively high cost in terms of money, time and energy.  Concern that wastewater can bring disease if it is reused.

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Water can be used beyond its original purpose saving money, time and energy.  Wastewater can be captured easily to grow plants in a small area.

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we want to use wastewater? o Capturing and using wastewater can turn a problem area (muddy, smelly) into a nice garden area. o Reusing water can help the family save money and energy, as s/he will not have to gather more for gardening. o Using wastewater in small gardens can bring more food (and possibly money) to the family without large amounts of extra effort. o With good planning and action, wastewater will continue to naturally soak into the soil to sustain garden beds from year to year. o A small garden bed created near the bathing area can give many easy- to-see lessons to draw upon when creating larger garden beds farther away.

 How to use waste water o Observe bathing, cooking, and hand washing areas. What do you notice about the soil and plants nearby? (Likely to be greener, healthier, and softer even in the driest months.) o Loosen soil from this area. Notice how deeply water has soaked. How would this help the plants grow? (longer and with less stress.) o Observe how deeply the water has soaked down if it has stopped for some reason – next to a rock, tree, pot, or grass clump. o A narrow ditch can now be dug to draw water away so that it can moisten a bigger area. o To compare, try to loosen soil far away from the bathing area. It will be too hard to dig and would not support plant life without extra watering. o When a return visit is made, have the gardener point out how the bathing/cooking area has improved in terms of soil quality, plants, food, flowers or any other values she may see.

26 Questions for Walk and Talk

 How often do you bring water to the home? At what cost? For what purposes?  What do you notice about the area near where you bathe/cook? (Soil soft, Plants green)  Could the bathing area be relocated from time to time throughout the year? How would this help to create more small garden areas?  How are the plants growing nearby? (Compare to plants farther away.)  What does the soil look and feel like? Wet? Heavy? Muddy? Smelly? Is this a problem you would like to see solved?  Do your neighbors have plants growing near bathing/cooking areas? Is this a good thing?  Would you like to have more plants growing here? Why? Could this area become a garden?  What simple actions could you take to turn this area into a small garden?

Action Steps

 Creating a wastewater garden bed o Locate a small space near the bathing area. (0.5mx0.5m or slightly larger) . With a hoe, make a small channel for water to flow slowly away. . At end of this channel, dig a shallow hole or furrow to let water spread wider. . Add rocks or sticks at the end to hold the water within in the small area. . Add dry grasses, leaves, charred plants to cover the soil, hold the water and keep the soil soft and wet. . When soil is moist (could be in a few weeks), loosen and amend the soil and plant locally available plants (lemongrass, pepper, beans, matembele, even papaya if space allows). . Observe the area several weeks later to see the difference a small change has made.

27 Topic 8: Surface Water Management

Barriers:  Minimal knowledge on effective conservation measures that can help manage surface water for its most effective storage and use.

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Stopping and slowing water runoff will prevent soil erosion and increase soil moisture retention to continuously grow garden plants.

 Why should you create swales and berms? o Digging a simple, soil-based structure (a ditch or ‘swale’) will give the gardener a measure of control over the water moving across and away from his/her land. o Water will be held in the swale and be slowly directed where s/he wants it to go. o Once stopped, water will slowly sink and spread within the soil below the swale allowing plant roots to get water as they need it, and over a longer period of time. o What had been a problem area (soil erosion) is now an asset area (a garden with greater moisture).

 How can you make a swale and berm? o Observe where water has flowed: off the roof, onto the soil and then away. o As you walk over the land, you can ‘feel’ the slope. Where is the highest point? Water would have entered the area from the highest point around. o Observe where the water has stopped in a hole or ditch. The soil nearby and “down slope” or below the hole will be wet and soft; the plants greener and healthier. o Create a simple swale, berm (low wall) and garden bed. (See Action Step below).

 The main purpose of the swale is to hold and redirect surface runoff. The berm must remain intact and strong. Notice however, how the berm can become a planting bed itself. If food crops are grown, care should be taken to maintain the overall structure of the berm once these plants are finished producing.  Several garden beds can be created below the swale and berm structure you have created.

28 Questions for Walk and Talk

 What happens when it rains here? Where does all the water go? Is this a problem?  How do you control the rainwater now? Can you collect it from the roof?  Do any of your neighbors control surface water? How do they do it?  What happens when the water stops in a hole or near a rock or bunch of grass?  What do you notice about the soil around this hole or ditch? Is the area wet for a longer time? What is the soil like?  What can we do to make water stop? Slow down? Sink? (answer: dig a hole or a ditch.)

Action Steps

 Create a simple, permanent, water-holding swale: o Observe where past rainwater has entered the land and moved away. o At the top of the slope, dig a 40cm wide x 15cm deep “ditch” perpendicular to the slope of the land (against the flow of water). This ditch/swale can be 1-4 m long depending on the size of the garden area. o Place loosened soil from the ditch on the lower side of the swale to form a low bed or ‘berm’. o Double dig and add amendments to the berm, and smooth the surface. o This berm can now become a growing garden bed as well. (use perennials if possible – aloe, lemongrass, matembele)

 Create a garden bed, “below” the swale.

o Mark out a 1m-wide garden bed, following the curve of the swale, 30 cm from the berm. This space in between becomes a permanent pathway for easy garden bed management later. o Prepare and plant a garden bed (as in Bed Preparation Dialogue). o Return after rain to see how the swale has stopped water and allowed it to sink towards the garden bed.

29 Topic 9: Water Retention with Mulch Barrier: Little understanding that mulch can help store water longer in the soil

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Locally available plant waste materials are regularly saved for use as mulch to protect the soil and increase water retention and infiltration.

Guidance and Training Tips  Why should you practice mulching? o Plant material, living or dead, left on the soil surface will help keep soil cool and wet because the sun will not reach it. o Weeds cannot grow, leaving more water for growing crops. o Decaying organic matter improves the water-holding structure of soil. o As soil holds more water, plants can grow during dry periods. o Decaying organic material good housing for beneficial insects and earthworms and serves as food for good microbes that provide many values to the soil. o Mulch on the soil softens the force of falling rain, preventing erosion.  How to practice mulching o Gather leaves, crop residue and dry grasses. o Keep them in or near an area where you wish to grow a garden. o Place a 3-5cm layer of dry material around the base of plants. o Remaining material can be left on the soil surface to keep sun off and prevent erosion from rainfall impact.  Many things can be used as mulch but materials should be dry. Wet, green plant material can be used but if it is placed too close to stems or leaves of growing plants it can cause them to rot. Therefore, if using green materials as a mulch, make sure they are placed away from tender stems and leaves.

 Do any of your neighbors add mulch to their land or around their plants? Have you asked them why?  What do they use? Can you see any difference in the plants or the soil? Weeds?  Do they have to water as often to keep their plants growing?  Do you have any plants growing that dry out quickly? Why is that happening?  What materials do you have around here that could be used as mulch?  What is happening to those materials now? Are they being burned?  Are there any problems with using these materials as mulch? How can you solve those problems? (“looks messy; it blows away; chickens move it away”)

Action Step: Mulching your Plants  Walk around the landscape. Pull leaves away from the soil. Feel and see the moisture difference in this soil compared to an area that had no leaves on the soil.  Is there any noticeable difference in the moisture? Weeds? Worms?  Have a pile of dry leaves, straw and grass ready to use as mulch whenever needed.

30  Gather mulching materials and place it around growing plants, including fruit trees. HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION- PLANTS Problem Statement  Perception of beneficiaries that they don’t have adequate access to inputs, including seeds, seedlings, fertilizer and pesticides

Topic 10: Timing of Planting and Spacing

Barriers  Poor knowledge of the correct season to grow crops  Crops are often planted without knowing the correct plant spacing

Messages and Productive Behaviors  The best yields in crops result from proper plant timing and spacing

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we think about timing when it comes to planting? o Successive plantings (not all at once) allows for a continual harvest o Proper timing enables the most productive use of land  Why do we think about plant spacing? o Proper spacing between plants allows for best growth/maximum yield o Plants that are properly spaced can suppress weeds and hold moisture in the soil most effectively  How do we do it? o Sometimes it is good to grow plants according to when you can get the best price in the market - though this means growing the plants at a different time than other people o Learn the proper plant spacing for each crop and follow it when you are in the field planting o Different plants can be spaced and planted together according to height (multiple layers) or root growth habit- this allows for closer plantings o Developing a cropping calendar is an effective way to manage the timing of your planting  Triangular plant spacing enables more plants per productive space than the traditional method of planting on a square

 What time of year do you grow vegetables? Is that the only time you grow vegetables? Could you grow in another season? Have you ever planned the planting of your garden according to a calendar  What is the effect of too much water when growing in the rainy season?  Do neighbors grow in the dry season? Are there times of the year when people are not growing vegetables and the price is high in the market? Could you grow a crop to get those higher prices?  What happens when plants are spaced too close together? Too far apart?

31 Action Steps

 Triangular Plant Spacing o Choose the garden bed to be planted o Select seedlings for planting o Locate a straight stick that is the length of the correct between-plant spacing for your crop o Use stick to mark out planting locations along the end of the bed. Dig those holes by hand o Use the stick to form a triangle between two of the holes and a point further into the bed. Dig a new hole at that point. o After whole bed is marked out and dug the pattern should appear as many small triangles. o Plant seedlings to cover the roots completely o Water well

 Staggered Plant Timing with Amaranth o Gather local amaranth seed. o Smooth and prepare first 1/3rd of a garden bed. o Scatter seeds, cover and water. o Wait 2 weeks. o Repeat seeding, covering and watering on next 1/3rd of the garden bed. o Wait 2 weeks. o Repeat final 1/3rd planting. o Harvest and eat from first 1/3rd of the bed.

32 Topic 11: Plant Fertility Needs

Barriers  Knowledge of specific fertility needs of different crops is low  People don’t know the nutrient value of certain locally available soil amendments

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Plants have specific fertility needs that should be met when growing

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do plants need to be fertilized? o Fertility allows for the proper growth and development of a plant, the same as balanced food nutrients for people. o Proper fertilization and plant growth limits pest and disease problems o Different types of crops have different fertility needs depending on the part of the plant we are looking to harvest (root, leaf, stem or fruit)  How can we best provide fertility (nutrients) for the plants? o Plants take up nutrients through their roots and through their leaves- enabling us to provide nutrients in a number of ways o Liquid fertilizers are a quick and effective way to provide nutrients to growing plants o Soil based fertilizers provide longer-term feeding to the plant  Compost is a good soil conditioner but not a complete fertilizer- therefore should not be seen as the sole source of nutrients for a garden

Questions for Walk and Talk  What do you use to fertilize your plants? Do you apply this to all of your plants in the same way?  Do different plants need different types of nutrients to grow best? Do papayas need the same nutrients as lettuce?  Is it possible to over-fertilize a plant? What effect could this have on a plant?  Are there materials around the community that could be used as a fertilizer? Do other people practice this? Have you tried it?  How can you turn waste material into something useful?

Action Step  Preparing a Liquid Fertilizer o Locate a large pot or barrel that can hold at least 50 liters of water o Gather material and add to empty pot- . Fish waste and/or cow or chicken manure . Green leaves from glyricidia, neem or leucaena trees o Fill the pot with water o Mix the ingredients and water, and then cover o Wait at least a month while the materials ferment o When ready (a strong dark tea color) scoop out liquid and filter into a watering can. Half water and half “tea”.

33 o Apply directly to leaves and whole plant- can be applied every two weeks

Topic 12: Plant Disease and Pest Control

Barriers  General knowledge of plant diseases and pests is low  Overreliance on chemicals to solve problems

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Crops can be protected from pests and diseases using low-cost, locally- available resources

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we protect plants from pests and diseases? o Pests and diseases attack crops and lead to reduced yields or total loss  How do we control pest and diseases? o Cultural- . Crop rotation to break disease and pest cycles . Build a healthy soil to grow stronger and more resistant plants . Plant different crops together that can help discourage infestation (companion planting) o Physical- . Grow a diverse selection of different plants within the same growing area to limit pest infestation (moving away from monocultures) . Observe problems and hand remove the pests or diseased plant parts as they appear- remove these from the garden . Weeds may hold plant pests and diseases so should be removed by hand or prevented from growing with mulch. o Botanical- . Include flowering plants at garden margins to help attract beneficial insects that will feed on the pests (not all insects are pests) . Certain plants have pesticidal and fungicidal qualities that can be used to make pest and disease remedies for the garden

Questions for Walk and Talk:  What is the importance of managing pests? What could happen to your crops if you don’t deal with the problem?  What are the signs and symptoms of possible pests or diseases in the garden?  What are common pests or diseases in your area? Do you know how to control them?  Can you control pests naturally? Have you seen neighbors using local remedies to control pests? Do you know what they used? Do you know how they prepared it?  Do you have a problem growing certain crops because of pests or diseases in your area? What could you do to avoid such problems if you still wanted to grow those crops?

34  Are you spending money now to buy chemical pesticides? Is it working? Can you think of other ways to control the problem without spending money? Are there resources in the community to help you do this? Action Steps

 Making a Botanical Pest Remedy using Neem o Collect, depulp, wash and dry ripe seed o Dry in shade 3-7 days. Any bad seeds should be thrown out. o Crush seeds in a mortar or other vessel (mortar used for edible crops should not be used). 500g crushed seed should be mixed with 10 liters of water and let sit overnight (or 50 g of seed in one liter of water). o Filter the liquid through a cloth and put in container for use. o Preparation can be used directly using a sprayer, brush or swab technique. Use no more than once a week, with every 10-15 days the optimal interval. o Effective against most chewing and sucking insects on crops. Does not kill pest outright, merely disrupts their feeding mechanisms so they eventually die. o Neem is also good at controlling fungal outbreaks of early and late blight (tomatoes) as well as powdery mildew on cucumber, pumpkin and melon. o Fresh neem leaves, soaked for 3 days as a tea, can be sprayed on crops as a pest repellent whereas the oil process above works as a pest killer.

 Practice basic cultural pest control

o Practice good weeding and soil health building to improve plant ability to fight insects and diseases.

o Loosen the soil to kill weeds and break surface crust to allow water to sink.

o Remove weeds when very small; add to compost pile if no seeds.

o Add rice straw or compost as mulch around plants to add nutrients and control weeds.

o Add burnt rice husks or other charred residue to soil surface to discourage crawling pests.

 Plant various plants within margins of garden or property to assist in pest control

o Aromatic plants to discourage pests from entering garden: lemongrass, mint, marigold, tansy.

o Flowering plants and shrubs to attract beneficial insects that can eat or destroy pests: marigold, flowering vines.

o Companion plants that assist each other by discouraging pests.

35 o Trap crops that draw pests away from higher value crops for hand control.

36 Topic 13: Crop Rotation

Barriers  Gardeners rely on only one or two crops to grow  Little knowledge on the beneficial effects of a crop rotation system

Messages and Productive Behaviors  Practicing crop rotation will result in lower pest and fertility problems

Guidance and Training Tips  Why do we rotate crops? o Crop rotation helps to break or disrupt pest and disease cycles in the garden o Rotating different crop varieties in the same spot is an efficient use of existing fertility in that specific plot  How do we practice crop rotation? o Learn the different fertility needs of each type of crop . Leaf crops (lettuce, cabbage, amaranth)- requires high nitrogen . Fruit crops (tomato, eggplant, winter melon, cucumber)- potassium, phosphate, needs less nitrogen . Root crops (sweet potato, daikon radish, carrot, onion)- lesser amount of phosphate, does not like nitrogen . Legumes (beans, clover, peanuts)- adds nutrients back to soil o Design your planting for the year building on this knowledge of varying plant fertility needs. o A good planting sequence is the Leaf-Fruit-Root rotation, designed to give each of the crops the nutrients it needs to grow best.

Questions for Walk and Talk  What have you grown in your garden over the past year? Do you plant the same crop in the same place every time? Have you noticed any change in the quality of the crops? Is there an increase or decrease in the amount or type of pests? Diseases?  Do you plan for the types of crops you grow in succession in the garden?  Are your neighbors doing any type of crop rotation? Have you ever spoken to them about it?

Action Step  Developing a basic Crop Rotation Plan (Leaf, Fruit, Root) o Choose the crops you will grow over the year o Identify which plant type they are (leaf, fruit, root or legume) o Plant leaf crop first and then harvest o Plant fruit crop following the leaf crop. o Plant root crop following the fruit crop. o Plant a legume to help return nutrients back to the soil o After each harvest, ensure that the soil is properly amended with compost.

37 Summary

Through these simple dialogues and action steps, families and individuals will gain a well rounded appreciation for the assets and resources they already have and those which they could attain with relative ease and at minimal cost. No additional tools or extra money is needed to have a successful perma(nent) garden which could lead to further household economic development and overall resiliency in the face of so many global climate, health and economic shocks.

These simple tools can form a broader philosophical framework to embolden and empower communities to take action to improve in a manner of their own choosing, and move away from the negative cycle of dependency that many have fallen into. Through this appreciative inquiry process, families, individuals and communities can move from this negative cycle to a more positive one: The Cycle of Better Living.

Through this simple dialogue process, communities, individuals and families can:

 Take pride in who they are and what they have achieved  Dream of what might be  Plan and Act for what can be  Feel the power of making commitments and taking the first step