Mother Nature

An old post that reminds me where my passions lie

2010-07-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

ORGANIC FARMING

Organic farming is a system that supports and sustains biodiversity. It is therefore beneficial to any ecosystem, because of its reliance on nature to provide what is needed in terms of soil fertility, pest and disease control. How does this work?

The soil; If we look at unspoiled nature, a forest, for instance that is in pristine condition and untouched by man, we see beautiful big trees that co-exist with all of the smaller plant life in the middle and understory’s, all of which are inhabited by a very diverse array of wildlife including insects that live in the trees and in the soils. It is this diversity that maintains the health of the forest. We cultivate crops to feed ourselves and others and to achieve this, man has cleared massive areas of natural vegetation of all kinds and planted single crops in these fields, and this is called monoculture. This monoculture is alien to the environment, and results in farmers using synthetic fertilizers to maintain yields and applying toxic chemicals to combat pests, diseases and weeds. The result is high levels of chemical residues are left in the produce but more importantly, the medium in which the crops are grown, the soil, has been altered in a negative way. The structure of the soil is being reduced to the basic elements; stone in one form or another, which holds no nutrients, it is just sand without any dead plant matter. A healthy forest does not need any chemical assistance; it generates its own controls, fertilization is accomplished in an ongoing cycle from living matter to dead matter to nutrients that can be used by growing plants, pests are controlled by predatory insects and animals, rodents are controlled by predators such as snakes, disease is controlled by the maintenance of healthy plants that live in a healthy environment in healthy, nutrient rich soils. And so it goes on in an ongoing cycle of health. What is needed to maintain healthy soils?

Organic matter (Crop/plant residues)

Soil life to decompose the organic matter;

Earthworms

These feed on dead plant matter from the surface and below the surface of the soil

Insect larvae

These feed on dead plant and animal matter from the surface and below the surface of the soil

Other microscopic life such as nematodes moss & Algae

These further break down the excretions of larger life forms

Water & Oxygen

Water is required by plants, to grow and it helps nutrients to be taken up into the roots

Water is also required by the diverse sub terrestrial animal kingdom. Without water, underground life either dies or goes into a state of dormancy

Water also softens dead matter in or on the soil, thereby assisting in the decomposition process

We could go on and on, the point, however, is that untouched nature is self sustaining with a history that cannot be disputed. The relatively new practice of monoculture, using synthetic chemical aides to supply crops with their needs, is ultimately and globally, leading to large scale hydroponics because soils are being reduced to their basic parent materials, which farmers have to infuse in ever increasing quantities, with nutrients in order to achieve decent yields. So in the relatively short lifetime of Monoculture, it has proven to be unsustainable. It is also placing huge strain on our planets water resources, and impacting the environment in so many ways, from industrial pollution because of the mining of raw materials to make fertilizer and the large factories built for the same purpose, to the physical impact on the land because huge areas are being cleared to grow food for an ever increasing global population.

Globally, the more ‘open minded’ and forward thinking people in agriculture, realize the need for change, and are actively participating toward the use of more sustainable ways to produce food. Another positive contributor is that consumers, particularly in developed countries, choose only to purchase organically produced goods. This has created a huge market, and farmers have to change in order to satisfy that market.

Here, around Gorongosa National Park, we have a unique opportunity. Traditional farming practices in this area have also become redundant because of population growth, resulting in land being over-farmed because there is not enough land available to allow it to lay fallow, and a small number of farmers are already using more sustainable alternatives, so the realization that change is needed is creeping in. Traditionally, when land became unproductive, farmers would abandon their fields and open new fields. This worked in the past, at a time when community populations were relatively small and as such, farmers were semi-nomadic and able to move around. As this no longer applies because these farming communities live within de-limited boundaries, there is a growing need, and interest, for the introduction of more sustainable farming systems. While there does appear to be some interest in new farming systems, there is, however, deeply ingrained into the culture/s, a sense of tradition and the majority do not see the need for change, believing that if the old ways were good enough for their ancestors, it is good enough for them. I believe that the best way to introduce more sustainable farming systems is through demonstration. In the case of the job in hand, seeing is believing, too many people and organizations have tried to ‘teach’ new ideas and had only little success. Demonstration should include things such as field days attended by farmers, on farms that are using sustainable systems and trips to commercial farms also using acceptable practices to see how they do it. The Idea is to positively impact the lives and futures of the small scale farmers in the GNP buffer zone and around Mount Gorongosa to improve the livelihoods of those communities, on plots of land from which the farmers do not have to move in search of more fertile fields.

Extension Program

The idea that demonstration is the best means of extension work here, given the background of the people, brings us to the question of how best to implement the program. (This program is aimed at farmers, and not schools, however, schools should be encouraged to visit the demonstration farms) Two approaches could be made; (1) For the GNP Human Development team to run plots in various areas within the buffer zone and around the mountain, or (2) To select a farmer from each area and to assist these farmers to farm using Organic Farming practices. Obviously, this is a massive task, so ideally begin with one farmer near to our base and as the program evolves in the chosen starting area, and the various startup problems that will, no doubt, arise, can be ironed out before beginning the second phase in a neighbouring area and so on. The main advantage of option 2 (above) is that the demonstration farms will belong to community members and the other farmers will not think that what the farmer has achieved on his/her farm is beyond their capabilities or budget.

Note: As mentioned above, this program is intended for the farmers and not the schools, the importance of including the schools in this sort of education is vital to prepare the next generation of farmers.

Summary

We live in an exciting time; science is opening up new frontiers so rapidly it is hard to keep up. An understanding of how our home ‘Earth’ functions is one such frontier and it should be realized that man has plundered his planet so terribly that drastic change is needed to repair the damage. Not everyone believes this to be true, on the contrary, the diehard ‘modern’, educated farmer will challenge anyone who tries to promote the use of organic farming, saying that yields and quality will be inferior. My question, then, to these skeptics; I would visit the forest on Mount Gorongosa with them and once there would ask, “Why does everything in this forest grow so beautifully? Why is this forest so healthy? And why is it that nature can sustain such a vast array of plants, including these massive trees you see before you, without the assistance of synthetic fertilizers? How would that educated farmer reply, secure in the knowledge that s/he is correct? The irony is that many such people know a little about the workings of nature, but cannot see how that can be applied to the farm. The fact is that the ‘modern’ farmer has fought with nature to produce crops, and nature has fought back to reclaim that land which is being abused. What we have been taught is a weed, is in fact a natural plant, put there by nature for a specific reason, which in the case of abused soils, is to provide the soil with protection from direct sunlight, or because these ‘weeds’ are short-lived and when they die back will rot back into the soil thereby adding another necessary element to the soil. So, even with the educated farmers of this world, it comes back to a matter of ‘seeing is believing’. This applies, perhaps even more so, to that field of ‘experts’ whom have very set opinions and who are accustomed to being listened to. Our task is a big one, and while we can appreciate the value of many modern applications, such as hybrid seed that is bred to achieve specific results or to be grown in specific conditions, we expect reciprocation from the skeptics. Part of our job then, is to remove the blinkers from their eyes and open up this new world to them.

M. Grant Norvall

15th February 2008

reflections

2010-07-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

I finished this painting today. It is acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inch. Price £175.00 inc postage in the UK, additional postage to locations abroad. Please leave a comment with contact details if you are interested

Some of my Paintings

2010-06-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Lake Malawi-Fishermen

Savannah in Namibia

Rural Peace in Mozambique

A Rural Scene in Zimbabwe

Quiet Mozambiquean Kraal

A Country Church in England

Delph & Dobcross Cricket Club, UK

A bit of the Lake Districts

2010-03-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Cheryl and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in the Lake districts: I haven't been very active, blog-wise, of late, but with summer on the way I can get out of hibernation. I have begun the course for tour guiding and will include something from that in my blog.

Scarlet Ibis at the South Lakes Wild Animal Park.

A Red Headed Poachard, also at South Lakes Wild Animal Park.

Also at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, a Geoffrey's Marmoset.

Lake Windermere from the Windermere quay

A view from the far side of Lake Windermere

Beatrix Potters Hilltop Home in the miniature Beatrix Potter Village at Lake End

This Miniature village has been built using natural materials

Africas Wildlife

2010-03-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Africa and the world are in danger of losing their precious wildlife

Lake Malawi

2010-03-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Beauty & Peace!

Natures Tiny Gems

2010-03-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

A tiny inchworm, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

tunisia pics, a mix of pix

2010-02-21T02:54:00.000-08:00

Trip to Tunisia

2010-02-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

Mat & Natty gave us a lift to the railway station in Wigan. The train was on time and we ended up sitting outside a toilet, so when the conductor came along, we asked if we could go through to the next carriage where we found better seats, and bumped into Simon, Cheryl’s bosses son who was off to join the army. He was obviously very nervous and relieved to have someone he knew to talk to, at least some of the way.

Soon we were at the airport and the first thing we did was book in, then wandered outside to have a smoke and we also got some breakfast. Just as well, because we hadn’t pre-paid for an in flight meal. Soon we were boarding and then followed an uneventful flight, ending with a somewhat bumpy landing, no matter; we had arrived!

At the Monastir airport, we queued to go through immigration and finally got to the front. Everyone on a Brit passport got through no problem, but my South African one seemed to present a problem and the Immigration Officer intimated that some English chocolate might speed up the process of getting me a visa. Anyway, someone with the authority finally came along and after having to change some Brit currency into Tunisian Dinar’s, I was able to pay the 10 Dinar fee and we were on our way.

After being directed to the coach that would drop us at our hotel, we were told a delightful story by the tourist operator rep who has lived in Tunisia for some 10 years. A law had been brought out that motorcyclists had to have motorcycle helmets and the law was immediately enforced. The police confiscated the motorcycles from disgruntled owners who did not conform to the new law, but those who possessed a helmet whether it was being worn or just attached somewhere on the motorcycle, were allowed to carry on as usual. On our way into Monastir from our hotel the next day, we passed a motorcycle; the driver wore no helmet, but there was one strapped to the frame! Classic!

One thing we were not prepared for, coming here, is how tenacious the Tunisians are to get a sale. We were in the market in Monastir when Cheryl spotted a carton of cigarettes and (big mistake) showed an interest in it. The stall minder immediately leapt into action with the claim the cigarettes were as ‘cheap as chips; cheaper than ASDA’ (they all use that line to the English) I enquired about the price and he informed me the carton was 120 Dinar’s. I was horrified and he asked me my bottom price to which I responded ‘20 Dinar’s’. He came down to 70, but I had already decided not to buy from him; he had stated an outrageous sum at the beginning. So we started to walk off. He ran after us, dropped to 40 and we carried on walking and when he said OK 20, we still walked on.

We were also royally ripped off by one shop owner who sold us some candles in ceramic pots for a ridiculous price, but we learnt quickly. I told Cheryl, much to her chagrin, that she mustn’t become the defenceless, weak damsel and plead to me to help, because it only drives the salesman to push more aggressively for a sale. She defended herself with indignation, but when we were next at a market, her haggling had improved ten fold!

The morning after we arrived at the hotel, all the new guests who had come with Thompson’s or First Choice, met with the agent, a young Scottish lad named Scott. He gave a brief outline of what there was to do, and we opted to do the ‘Walk on the wild side’ and the ‘Show stoppers’ on the Friday. We had already spoken to a local fellow who introduced himself as Ali Baba, although I doubt that’s his proper name; he just uses it because tourists will remember it! He offered a camel/horse ride or (as they put it) riding on the asses, which tickled me somewhat. The ride would end at the home of a local person, where an elderly woman would make bread (the traditional way) and this would be served with freshly made olive oil, salad and chilli. Whilst at this rural home, we got to see a traditional Bedouin tent and I was surprised to find it made of sisal fibre and dyed black, possibly some sort of preservative is also infused so the fibre can withstand the elements. Camel riding is very uncomfortable, I reckon I’ll stick to horses. At the half way point of the ride, we all dismounted, one of the camels’ muzzle was removed and a piece of cactus leaf (the thorns had been removed) was handed to each of the guests. The idea was to hold the piece of cactus in your mouth and the camel would take it from you. My turn came and before I knew it, the camels soft, hairy lips brushed mine and he had the cactus leaf which he proceeded to gobble down eagerly.

All the trips we went on were ’OK’, not unforgettable though, I suppose we have been spoilt with the places we have visited and where we have lived. Wherever you go here, there is litter and the stench of open sewers. These open sewers also end up in the sea, so it’s just as well it has been too cold to swim.

Another thing we did was to treat ourselves to a massage. Cheryl went for the one where they put mud all over her after a massage, then that got steamed off in a Turkish bath. I just had the reflexology. It was good, but on the way there, we had accepted a lift, gratis, on a horse drawn cart, so we felt obliged to go back on the same one. The driver, then proceeded to take us off for an hour and a half, to a little town close by. We were not amused, and it was cold. We shouldn’t have paid him when we finally got back to the hotel, but did, just to keep the peace. Needless to say, we warned others not to get onto the horse carriages for fear the same might happen to them.

The Walk on the wild side trip started off with Cheryl and I waking to the phone ringing. We had overslept! We hurriedly got ready and rushed down stairs to the bus. Cheryl got told off by the tour guide, an elderly local fellow, short, round and full of self importance. Proper ‘short-man-syndrome’ example! I had forgotten my jacket, and froze my butt off when off the bus. The first thing I did at the market was buy a tracksuit top. We stopped at a pottery factory where we watched a potter, and some ladies and gents painting the pottery, the ceramics made here are really good, but we had to be careful with luggage weight on our return flight, not to mention money.

Our tour guide on this trip, Mr. Short, Round & Pompous, spouted the biggest load of crap I’ve heard in a long time; for instance, olive trees maybe 2 meters in height that are 3000 years old! I think from that point I found it hard to believe anything he said, but a few interesting things were mentioned, i.e.; children here start learning Arabic from age 4, French from age 6 and English from age 8. Also, national service is compulsory for men at age 20. The problem this presents though, is those with jobs in the private sector will lose their jobs when they go for their year stint of national service, so a solution was offered; they can do their month basic training and return to their job, but then have to pay in lieu of their national service amounts that may be up to or even more than half their income. Women can also do national service, but it is not compulsory and they train at a separate facility to the men.

The animal park was, again; OK. The animals are kept in large enclosures, but still, they are caged. But this sort of thing, I suppose, is necessary because young and old can actually see animals they would otherwise only read about or see in pictures. Again, we have been spoilt and we have seen things as they should be; in the wild state. So apart from seeing a few African animals, this place, for me, is not Africa, it is not wild enough, it is people, sand and sea, not the African wilderness as I know it. The only other animals we had seen, that is apart from the camels we had ridden, sheep and horses, were some caged parakeets and emus’ in a little park in our hotel grounds and some peacocks that wandered around the hotel grounds, and the only birds we had seen flying free were blackbirds a laughing dove, some gulls, storks and house sparrows. While I was leaning through the fence railing of the emu cage to get an unobstructed photo of the babies, I heard thumping footsteps approaching at a run and when Cheryl shouted a warning I leapt back just in time to avoid a protective emu mum protecting her young. This of course made Cheryl’s’ day and she couldn’t stop laughing. The only witness to this funny little incident was another guest who wears his pants up around his neck and walks about with his hips sticking forward, shoulders back with arms dangling straight down, his nose up in the air (not in a snobbish way) and with a perpetual smile on his face. Whenever we saw him he was smiling and walking around with a weird gait like a drunk chimp.

Most of the guests were just normal people, but a few stood out from the crowd; there was an old African couple, of what origin I cannot guess, but I have never seen a couple dote on each other quite as much or in the way that they do. It is truly touching to see. He, a tall bespectacled and scholarly looking old gent, made sure she never wanted for anything, and she, quite fragile looking, never expected that sort of treatment and their mutual admiration and respect for each other was plain to see. They seem to have accepted each others quirks and rather than develop misgivings about them, they embrace them and they offer each other comfort and support and above all, love.

Another group who caught my attention were ‘the power walkers’. We called them this because that’s what they did. There were three young lads, two young ladies and a middle aged chap who was their trainer. I think they must have been training for the Olympics and indeed, spent most of their time training. I think they were from Poland, and next Olympics I will make a point of watching the power walking to see if any of them feature. Then there’s an elderly fellow with pointy features and a long narrow face. He wears glasses and is bald on top with a ‘horseshoe’ ring of grey hair back and sides. When he eats, he holds both knife and fork the same way (like most people hold a fork), but that’s not the strange or rather quirky thing, he puts food into his mouth with the fork, then uses the knife to put more in. What a hoot it is watching other peoples odd ways! And speaking of odd ways, I know I probably have some myself, probably more than most, but my dearly beloved, Cheryl, is full of quirks; When she eats, she takes a long time because she puts such tiny portions into her mouth. In fact each little portion is measured; she will anchor a piece of food with her fork, then the knife comes down to cut a reasonably decent sized mouthful, then she carefully moves the knife back towards the fork until she is satisfied the portion is to her liking, then cuts and eats. The pudding though is at an altogether different level, especially when there are two or more types that taste nice together, then each one is measured in exacting amounts so that they all finish at the same time. I am not an impatient person, but watching my other half eat drives me nutty, then I look over to the delightful old couple who have all the time in the world for each other and are comfortable with each others oddities, and I feel guilty about my impatience. But not guilty enough that I don’t let Cheryl know that I am finished and ready to go.

Our next trip was to a hotel in Sousse to the Sousse Palace Hotel. I’ve not been to the theatre since I left school, I think. So I was prepared not to enjoy the evening. How is that for making your own reality. I actually enjoyed it thoroughly. It still isn’t really ‘my cup of tea’ but I had a good time and Cheryl go some half decent photo’s of the occasion.

Today’s weather is lousy. This morning we were going to go quad biking, but the bus never pitched up and we ended up back in the hotel. Cheryl is ready to go back home, so am I, but not to work and I’m not sure I can call England home yet anyway. Africa will always be my home, even though it has taken so much from me, and from so many others. I guess a lot of people probably feel that way about the UK and of other parts of Europe. I suppose, it is about coming to terms with yourself about what is really important to you and trying to balance things out so everyone is happy. I have decided to do a course to qualify as an eco-tourism guide, then use that to get a job back in Africa. So, hopefully, in the not too distant future, that is where (hopefully) we, will go. So the order of things must be; getting that qualification, my health (because that will be my security, ensuring I can keep working for many years ahead) See pics in next post

2010

2010-01-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

I have a new years resolution this year, and it's one I will definitely keep; I am going to do a course that will give me the qualifications to work in the tourism industry as a eco-tour guide! This will give me the opportunity to pass on some of my own enthusiasm for the natural environment to others. Nature is the most potent force and we humans need to re-learn how to live with it if future generations are going to have anything left to enjoy, perhaps with the exception of films and books. Imagine poring through books to see what our ancestors saw regularly; how sad would that be. Some people may already know that sensation.............

Yet more travel pics

2010-01-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

A fishing dhow, Vilancoulos, Mozambique

My family, Zomba Mountain, Malawi

A homestead in the Tete Province, Mozambique. New thatch bundles are stored on the roof of a hut

Pelicans fishing in the Urema River, Gorongosa, Mozambique

Catching a Mozambique Spitting Cobra in Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa, Mozambique. I released the snake into the park far from camp

Hippo, Shire River, Malawi

Elephant enjoying a swim, Shire River, Malawi

Even in national parks people drive too fast, this red necked francolin becomes an unfortunate victim to a thoughtless driver

Happy New Year!!

2009-12-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

All the best for 2010 everyone! I hope it is a good year and brings you all everything you hope for. A special thought to people everywhere who are less fortunate, may your lives be enriched and full.

More Travels in Africa

2009-12-31T05:07:00.000-08:00

A Little Argus Reed Frog, Mozambique

A view overlooking Monkey Bay, Cape McClear, Lake Malawi

Exploring the hills overlooking Monkey Bay, Lake Malawi

A beautiful, dainty Nyala doe, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A lovely Bush Buck doe (Bush Buck is the common name) same family as the Nyala, above. Mozambique

A male Warthog foraging for food

Crownd Cranes in the Urema flood plains, Gorongosa, Mozambique

A group of baby Water Buck, Gorongosa, Mozambique

Apart from the malaria, everything else; the climate, the people, the big open spaces; paridise! and we lived there, I grew up in that bush. I obviously have something on my mind, pleasant thoughts I imagine. Now I live in one of the most built up areas of the UK, all in the name of a secure future? Who am I kidding, give me the uncertainty any day

The sunsets never get boring

My eldest son (right) and his friend from Australia with a Baobab tree in the back ground

Snorkelling in the crystal clear waters of Lake Malawi

Fishing at a dam near Chimoio Mozambique

The view from the lodge we stayed in on Benguerra Island, Mozambique

Pansy Island, Mozambique. So called because of the Pansy shells found there. This Island is only above water at low tide.

An Organic Approach to Farming

2009-12-29T03:59:00.000-08:00

Mulching to conserve water which also provides an ideal habitat for life in the soil such as earth worms

A work hardened hand holds some of the pests infesting the crops of a woman's cooperative market garden in Mozambique. We helped introduce Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control pests in an environmentally friendly way

A little Jumping Spider, a fierce predator of aphids and other small pests.

A small scale farmer in Mozambique uses 'Conservation Farming' practices, using a multi-cropping rotation. In this case a row of maize and three of beans. The beans help fix Nitrogen into the soil and in the next season maize will be planted where the beans were and visa versa

School children at a school in the Vinho area of Nhamatanda, Mozambique are shown the benefits of compost and how natural fertilization occurs

Our Wild Neighbours

2009-12-29T03:31:00.000-08:00

An African Fish Eagle, Lake Malawi

Beauty in the smallest things, an inch worm, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A Black Headed Heron, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A herd of Impala antelope, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A young Lioness, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A harmless, but feisty little Herald Snake, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A young Elephant bull warns us to stay our distance, Shire River, Malawi

My son and I back burning a fire set by poachers, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Travels in Africa

2009-12-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

Our home for two years in Gorongosa National Park Mozambique

We also lived here for two years. Vila Ulongue Mozambique

Vila Ulongue Market

Cape Mclear Lake Malawi, fishing village scene in the morning

Chembe Eagles Nest Lodge looks out onto Lake Malawi, Monkey Bay

Murombodzi Falls, Mt Gorongosa, Mozambique

Bicycles for sale, Vila Nhamatanda, Mozambique

Flood plains near Lake Urema, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

2009: Another year gone!

2009-12-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

Who would have believed it? Christmas 2009 already and it seems only a week or so ago that I was spending my first Christmas in the UK. Not all of the snow has melted yet from the past few days so it is going to be a whitish one! The sun is forecast for the day though, not to say it'll be warm!

My three sons and my oldest, Mathews' girl friend Natalie pose with the snowman they built in the middle of the night a few days ago.

This picture taken from our front door, the snow completely changes the face of the world. Nice on a post card

Click the images to enlarge

What Are We Losing?

2009-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

People, the world over, work because they have to make a living. Some are fortunate enough to travel and see other parts of the world, go on safari and appreciate the thing that is the worlds biggest tourist attraction; Mother Nature. Indeed, she has many wondrous and magnificent things to show us, and whilst on holiday, those who can afford the luxury, these wonderful things are seen, explained by tour/nature guides and appreciated. But this appreciation is sometimes only for the moment, and only individual aspects are highlighted and the 'big picture', how everything within an ecosystem works is not understood. These fleeting visits to enjoy the beauty of nature does not leave an impact on the visitors, the plight of ever receding natural habitats does not register as a problem. In short, most people do not understand what we can lose, and so one of the biggest and most daunting tasks the people who do understand this problem have, is to make people realise what is really happening, then there is an outside chance that something can be done simply because more people do something positive to help.

Changes

2009-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

We used to go to this place on the shores of Lake Malawi quite often. A lovely, relaxing retreat

This tent was our home for two years in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Our good friend Carlos, holding a baby croc caught in the camp swimming pool in Gorongosa when the park flooded

One of Africa's many gems, a lilac breasted roller.

A warthog gives us a cursory glance then continues foraging for food

From the heat of Gorongosa to such cold as I have never experienced!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

That's Life

2009-12-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Young people, the world over are all in a similar position. We are born, we develop personalities, some of that personality we are born with and some of it is from the influence of other people we know or read about and the things we see. We are all different and we all perceive things in individual ways. We develop passions, love and hate and fear. All animals, on one level or another must have emotion, it is what determines each and every character. But for humans, life is much more complex than the lives of any other animal species, we are unique, our thought processes are more advanced. When we leave school, we leave the sanctuary of our parents home, this is one of the many things we have in common with many other animal species. We have been taught what we need to know so that we can choose a career and become a productive member of whatever community we live in. But there is an increasing number of people who, from their mid 30's suddenly discover what they really love to do and because they are passionate about whatever this new-found thing is, they know they would have excelled doing it as a career. Is this growing phenomenon a result of us having access to so much information, so much stimuli? I don't think it's a bad thing, I think it is a temporary condition that will disappear as more young people, globally, are given access to the information that my generation didn't have such easy access to.

An interesting topic, perhaps? Or is it just pie in the sky?

Finding a Happy Medium

2009-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

I am passionate about many things; the Southern African bush, wildlife, plants, photography, all the intricacies of organic farming etc etc, the list goes on. But whilst I am passionate about some things, I am careful not to become the over bearing know-it-all fanatic. Whilst watching a program on the telly tonight, a couple wanted to build a home whilst being considerate of the environment. They wanted to take a responsible approach. Fantastic! But the problem arose when their architect who obviously has a passion for 'eco-building' started using methods that had not been properly tried and tested and despite the 'limecrete' foundation not setting properly, she still couldn't understand why her clients were questioning the use of materials that have yet to be properly tested. Let's remember; they wanted a responsibly built, afordable eco-home and yet their architect, so totally focused on experimenting with materials, at her clients expense, was completely blind and deaf to the realities right in front of her!

We all need to think more like the couple in this story, and bear in mind that it is just such a practical yet responsible mindset that will move humankind toward an existence of harmony with their natural surroundings. It is the misguided fanatics who will get us deeper in trouble because they just do things without rational thought.

What he heck!!

2009-12-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

What the heck am I becoming, every day I wake up at the same time (ish), I get in my car and drive the same route to work, get fully engrossed in my job (even though it is not one I like), get in the car and drive back home, have supper, watch tv, bath, read then go to bed. The kids even jokingly ask me, every day, "How was work Dad" and my reply is always the same; "The same as always". The big worry is that my imagination seems to have gone numb and I am blogging less and less, It's dark when I leave home, it's dark when I return, it's raining, it's cold, I work a half day Saturday so only have a few hours of day light on Saturday and maybe 8 on Sunday, but chances are it'll be raining and it is always cold, so the time left for me to see some of the out doors is minimal. I am not living my life right now, I am existing. Bummer, roll on summer!!

A Look Into The Future

2009-11-29T04:21:00.000-08:00

Is the outlook a bleak one? As the natural balance tips, overloaded by the sheer force of human impact, what can we expect? Everyone seems to have an opinion, but in the main, only a handful of people really understand what might happen and how soon it will happen. Will it be gradual or will it be sudden? I have heard on one hand that the ocean levels may increase by 5 meters in as many years and I find this hard to believe, I have heard that global warming has been caused by human impact and another that argues that human impact has contributed in only an insignificant way in what is otherwise a natural global/planetary cycle.

Al Gore has done a lot of research on this subject, and is campaigning for change to take place globally. I am inclined to follow his way of thinking, predictions based on scientific research, and, I believe, we have to take steps to repair the damage we humans have done. So join this ever expanding mindset, read, watch the many documentaries available on the subject and help keep our impact to a minimum.

A Farmer Who Dared

2009-11-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

This is a true story. A small scale farmer in Mozambique, by Western standards, a poor man, saw the benefits of organic farming, made the transition and has never looked back. A church missionary organisation had come into the area and began teaching farmers organic farming. Their progress is good but slow because the local markets sell pesticides of all kinds and farmers are reluctant to change the way they have farmed for so long. But the farmer in this story patiently watched the demonstration plots set up by the mission, he saw how healthy the crops were and how abundant the crop yields were, so he too set about changing how he farmed. He told me that he always struggled to feed his family, but in the 5 years since he began farming organically his fields have provided well. Walking through his fields, he shows me how damp the soil is under the thick layer of mulch and ground cover crops, pumpkin and water melon. The maize is a healthy green colour and towers above us, yet all the adjacent fields are barren and dry whilst their owners await the rain so they can plant their crops. The organic farmer, on the other hand will soon be reaping the third crop that year. But although his methods are obviously successful, whilst many of his contemporaries in the community now farm as he does, the majority do not. Why? I don't know, but there is a transition taking place, and that is encouraging.

One thing to think about here, is that this story is about a farmer who has no mechanical aids to farm with. What he and his family produce from their land is what sustains them, it is their livelihood in the true sense of the word. These people do not have lots of money, they do not have the modern material possessions that we in the Western world take so much for granted, they do no own a car or even a motorcycle, and yet their lives are full and rich. They have had fewer choices in their lives than I have and yet they are more content than me. From such people, we have much to learn, the farmer in this story is a wise man, he has chosen to farm organically after careful consideration because he would and could never jeopardise his family their bread and butter. He is a good man, and I am privileged to call him a friend

Crazy Sick World

2009-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

We live in a world that is ill. We are out of kilter with nature and in a crazy spin of repetition. From one generation to the next and the next and the next our inventiveness gives us all these wonderful gadgets, our nature is to be inquisitive, to want these wonderful things. We toil day in day out to make enough money to pay the bills and to buy the things we want, and so it goes. It's great, isn't it? But we haven't achieved a balance, the impact we humans have on this planet is huge and although we are slowly learning how to reduce that impact, it is all too plain to see, wherever we look, that whilst some try hard, others don't think there's anything to worry about, that it's OK now and that is all that matters.

If the vast majority, or maybe even only half of the people living in high density population areas took an active interest in just one of the millions of natures little intricacies and that interest spread through to things linked to it, that little bit of personal knowledge or even expertise will raise that persons awareness to the plight of mother earth. Be thoughtful, get interested, become involved, become a part of the solution, not the problem.

Organic Farming, Opinions

2009-11-12T11:37:00.001-08:00

There are a number of arguments fore and against the use of organic agriculture. Today at work, a young man who comes from a farming family in the Northwest of England said that organic farming doesn't work here. This reaction is typical to 'modern farmers' all over the globe, and in one sense that young man was correct, but only in the sense that anyone attempting, for instance, Integrated Pest Management and surrounded by neighbours who control pests with chemicals, the efforts of the farmer in I.P.M. would be hampered because the pest predators would perish if the chemical spray drifted over. Another set back would be that pests would migrate to the crops that are free of chemicals, and even if there are good predator numbers, the pest numbers would be too great. So this is why entire areas would have to be dedicated 'chemical free'. My opinion is that organic agriculture is the only sustainable way forward. But my opinion is only my opinion. There are others who share this opinion, but the majority of farmers who control the land are in the business of survival or profit. They are the ones who have to be convinced and no amount of yelling and screaming will hold with them if money is to be lost, or yields reduced during the transitional phases. For them it is too big a gamble because their entire livelihood would rest upon such a decision. They would rather stick to what they know works, and that's the end of it. The answer is to prove beyond doubt that becoming fully organic actually works, and if there are losses during the transitional phase from non-organic to organic, then assistance should be given.

I also believe that the future of food production will rely upon more sustainable use of land. The world, as always, and possibly even more rapidly, is changing. The raw materials from which fertilisers are made are not in endless supply, toxic chemicals and rapidly expanding populations continue to pollute the air and water and soils, yet we bumble aimlessly along, completely unaware of the long term and only living for today. We say we want a better world for our children and so many of us do, but some do not mean what they say because they are blissfully unaware of the implications and others just don't know any better.

We hope that the next generation and the next and the next will be more aware..............

Organic Farming; Local Knowledge

2009-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Local knowledge on any farm is important. This picture shows a little jumping spider on a tomato plant. This spider is a hunter, and by spraying it with an insecticide, just like the pests, it also dies. Then begins a vicious circle in which the farmer sprays, wipes everything out and invariably the pests come back quicker and stronger causing even more damage because the natural predators have been eradicated. The balance is upset, and the scales tip, and the crops suffer.

Toxic chemicals offer an immediate solution in the control of diseases, pests and weeds, but pests do build up resistances against pesticides, residues of specialised herbicides build up in the soils and ultimately cause problems with crops, such as stunted growth. The natural elements of the environment adapt and change, the chemical companies develop new chemicals to replace those to which a resistance has been forged by nature. Nature is an immense force and to work against it is folly, work with it, apply what occurs naturally and she does not have to fight back, she settles down, the farmer, and nature win.

Organic Farming; An example of transition

2009-11-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

These are images of an excellent attempt (and a rather successful one at that) by a small scale farmer in Mozambique, to change to a more sustainable way of farming. The reason this farmer is doing this is because he has seen the benefits of doing so, and says his crops have done well since he started. His is a more 'regimented' approach to what I promote, but it is still a huge step in the right direction. I do not mean that my approach is all higgldy piggldy and all over the place, but what I promote is something that is more permanent. In the 1970's two Australians coined the term 'permaculture', a term they derived (I believe) from 'permanent agriculture'. The idea is that people farm using all the natural resources available to them, to their benefit. It is a state of everything within a given environment, plays a role toward the balance and health of that environment. Absolutely everything is used in some way to add value to the environment, to earn it's keep. The idea is fantastic but since the introduction of modern agricultural methods, we have all but lost the knowledge of how to farm without the aid of chemicals. We became a little too clever for our own good.

But do not worry!! Not only have our scientists worked out how to make things that ultimately destroy, some have gained a deep understanding of how most things work, and we can use that knowledge to bring our depleted agricultural soils, back to health. Nature always fights to make a come-back when people tear it down and strip it back, so the cause is never fully lost; soils that have relied on heavy chemical fertilisation to support crops, can be rehabilitated.

In these pictures the farmer has planted a bean crop and every three rows of beans there is a row of maize. The following year the main crop in this field will be maize and every fourth row will be beans, and so on. This type of farming has been called 'Conservation Agriculture' or 'CA'. CA does tick some of the boxes, and will sustain land for much longer periods than 'mono-cropping', but it is not, in my humble opinion, a fully self sustaining system.

A self sustaining system is one that has a number of permanent or long term components. It is a system that fertilises itself, providing all the plants nutritional needs. It supports everything on its soils, livestock, people and plants and if done properly on a scale that can be managed by one family, it will produce a healthy excess which the farmer can sell.

This is what must be aimed at, it is an attainable goal, but many obstacles exist.......................

Organic Farming; Integrated Planting and Pest Management

2009-11-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Integrated Planting is to plant an assortment of plants in the same field, each plant having a specific purpose. The whole idea of farming is to produce food and whilst the principles outlined in this article can be used on any scale, it is primarily aimed for use by small scale farmers in developing countries, who do not have access to the same resources available in more developed countries. Having said that, the issue of whether to resort to Organic Farming or not is a global concern and forward thinking and the more enlightened farmers in developed countries are already changing the way they farm.

So, to a subsistence farmer in a developing country, the primary concern is to produce enough food for the family. Any excess is a bonus and that excess is often difficult to get to market before it goes off. Our aim is not only to introduce these farmers to a system of agriculture that is at one with the environment, it will also produce greater yields of superior quality and without any trace elements of toxic chemicals.

Now back to how to select plants for an integrated planting. The things to be considered are

(a) The creation of an environment that will provide an adequate habitat for pest predators

(b) Leguminous plants who's root nodules provide a habitat for Nitrifying bacteria that are essential to the production of Nitrogen in the soil

(d) The seasonal crop, which in many cultures, is a staple food such as maize or rice

With the above as a guide, a number of other issues must be considered; What will grow well in the climate of an area, Ideally all the plants selected must produce a crop that will be used and can be sold in the local area, Will some of the plants provide an adequate habitat for pest predators and the plant populations must be carefully considered so that not too much demand is placed on the soil, but enough produce can be yielded.

A basic example is;

The staple crop is maize

The legume crop, pigeon peas

Ground cover using cucumber and pumpkin

Ground nuts can also be used as a ground cover crop

Inter-cropping can be done in a number of ways, and what we want to achieve is a natural balance;

Say for example we plant two rows of maize, two of ground nuts and one row of pigeon peas. All the rows with an 1 meter spacing and an inter-row spacing of say 50cm. We would then plant cucumbers an pumpkin; 1 station every 3 meters in-row and every 4th row. Each year/season, the maize and groundnut rows should be alternated because the ground nuts 'condition' the soil.

Looking at this we now want to establish some permanent structure for our plant predators without taking too much from the soil. This, we will discuss in the next post...........

Organic Farming, a few tips

2009-11-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

It is not always possible to make an immediate transition to organic farming, so here are some things that can be done during the initial phases to minimise pest damage and reduce the incidence of disease;

In a healthy natural habitat, pest infestations are controlled by pest predators and if the balance is right, pest numbers are kept to a minimum and plants can remain healthy because that damage is negligible. This includes life that resides in the soil, on the soil or in plants. Unfortunately all life, pests and predators are wiped out when a farmer sprays to control the pest levels. Chemical pest control wipes out the natural control and in monoculture (the practice of single crop fields) the habitat is not ideal for pest predators. So how do we tackle the problem in the transitional phases? Farmers firstly need to provide the ideal habitat for pest predators. My experience is that pest predators do not necessarily require specific plant types in which to live, they require structure in the form of shrubs, trees, grass and a healthy soil adequately covered with dead plant matter. The provision of this structured habitat for predators will take some time to establish properly, so until we have created the right environment, we still have to contend with the pests. This can be done in a controlled manner; (a) by teaching farmers what are predators or pests (b) teaching the farmers to 'scout' their fields and record pest and predator numbers and to use given pest/predator numbers as a guide as to when to spray and (c) to spray using chemicals that pose the least threat to the natural environment.

As already stated, the transition will take time, and until such time the natural balance is achieved and the farmer understands what is required to maintain that balance, some 'modern farming' practices will have to be used, but only as a last resort and only in a strictly controlled way.

More to come......................

Organic Farming, some pictures

2009-11-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

A tomato plant has been transplanted from a nursery into a well mulched field.

This field was planted with cabbages and mulched in the initial phase of soil rehabilitation. Interplanted among the cabbages were cow peas for the supply of Nitrogen

Soil rehab

2009-11-06T14:17:00.001-08:00

Heavily farmed soils, without man made fertilisers is almost basic parent material which is only one element of soil. The parent material is weathered rock, but healthy soils contain much more. They contain decomposing vegetable and animal matter and water. This additional content feeds a vast terrestrial population of microscopic and non microscopic life and is recycled into food for growing plants. But the health of the soil does not rely solely upon recycled pant and animal matter, plants also play an important role.

The first part of rehabilitating depleted soils is to add moisture and decomposing plant matter to create an environment in which the living organisms that recycle this matter can survive. Also, unlike the modern farming practice of monoculture, we should plant a carefully selected variety of crops and everything must have a purpose, a role within the new micro ecosystem. In addition, the soils should be mulched or covered from the direct sunlight using trailing plants such as pumpkins, so that evaporation is reduced and hence, moisture retention improved and all plant residues from the land should be used as mulch or turned to compost to enrich the soils once the compost is sufficiently decomposed. The advantage of controlled composing is that the decomposition process is accelerated and so the nutrients are ready for use by plants sooner.

So the key 'things to do' on an organic farm are; Do not waste any plant residues, make compost, mulch the soils and plan an 'integrated planting'.

Much, much more to come...........

The transition phase...continued

2009-11-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Continued from the previous post.....

This image shows composting grass pulled out from under a heap of grass cleared from a field in Vinho, Mozambique, and had been piled there for only about a month. Note the advanced state of decomposition.

This image is an example of how quickly nature takes hold, if it is allowed to do so. The problem on farms is that nature is kept at bay and the natural balance of things is lost. The compost in the picture was moist in an area that had received virtually no rain in two months and the reason it was moist is that the sunlight could not penetrate past the outer layer, this is why mulching is vital. It was full of earth worms and a myriad of other life including fungi. Our aim here is to explain how to revive the natural balance of an environment, so I will not digress into the roles played by all of these terrestrial life forms. Suffice to say, everything has a role to play and in a balanced environment, the desirable natural elements thrive and keep the undesirable elements at a level to which they are not detrimental to the health of the plant life in that environment.

In the next article, we will begin with the practical things we can do on the farm, to rejuvenate the soil, showing how natural fertilisation occurs, and then we will move onto the control of pests and diseases using Mother Nature as our guide.

The Transition to Organic Farming

2009-11-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

The most daunting decision to make for any farmer who relies on what their land can produce for survival, is to change from a well known system they have used for years, to something that is new, something that in that farmers eyes is open to all sorts of failure. The image above is a grim reality to every hard working farmer; PESTS. Another are crop diseases, and what they find hard to get past is that if they do not control pests and disease, their crops will never amount to anything. One of the most difficult obstacles we have is that the transitional phase may well produce poor results in the first two or three years. So in order to help poor farmers in developing countries make the transition, they would have to be assisted to a point where their land has regained its natural healthy balance and can once again produce abundantly for them.

Next, we will cover the process of bringing the soils and the farming environment back from 'ill health' to a self sustaining, balanced micro ecosystem, of which the people and everything else on the land are an integral part.

Valid critisism

2009-10-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

I have received some constructive criticism about my blog, and I totally agree. I need to put in more pictures relevant to the subject matter. An example is this;

The African Elephant in the picture above plays an important role in its natural environment. It eats vast quantities of vegetation every day. Not all of what it eats is fully digested and a number of symbiotic relationships exist. Two such examples are; the dung beetle, which makes use of the elephants dung, rolling it into a ball and laying eggs in it. When the larvae hatch, they have a ready source of food, the second symbiotic relationship is that some trees require that their seeds to pass through the digestive systems of some animals before they are able to germinate.

This is a simple example and very briefly touches on the roles played by a few elements of nature.

Part 4 (7) Sulphur, Other Elements then on to the exciting stuff

2009-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sulphur is a structural component of some amino acids and vitamins and essential in the manufacture of chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are present in plant cells and is another element critical in the process of photosynthesis. Once again, Sulphur as with all the other macro and micro nutrients required by plants, plays an important role in a plants health. If the balance is upset, the whole plant suffers and will not produce what it could do if it were healthy.

So, from this point, I will not bore you with an explanation of why every single nutritional element is necessary, I think the point has been made. Now we will get down to the bare bones stuff of how to establish a natural balance in the farming environment.

Now the exciting stuff begins; from how to begin a transition from modern to organic farming, pest and disease management using the tools given us by mother nature, rich, productive soils fertilized by natural processes, moist, soft and well aerated because of an abundant sub terrestrial ecosystem; everything in balance, everything working as mother nature intended, health and abundance.............keep watching

Part 4 (6) Magnesium

2009-10-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Chlorophylls are magnesium centred porphyrins which are a group that play an important role in photosynthesis, it is an important part of chlorophyll so it is essential to all plants. Yet again, I repeat myself, the natural order of things has to be maintained or disorder will reign. This is not a lesson on plant biology, it is an explanation of why the re-introduction of organic farming is important, and all I am doing is giving a brief insight to all the basic requirements. In practice, one does not need to know all the little details, but only that what is done in practice will achieve a natural balance, and also result in ample crop yields. It is these practices that one needs to know and a certain amount of understanding of the farming environment you create so that you can ensure the balance is maintained. Next to follow.....Sulphur.....keep following!!!

Part 4 (5) Calcium

2009-10-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

Calcium occurs mostly in sedimentary but also in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Calcium deficiency can cause stunted plant growth because it regulates transport of other nutrients into the plant and helps activate certain plant enzymes. Once again (and this will be repeated again and again simply because of the very nature of the natural chain of events that comprise a balanced natural system) if the natural balance is disturbed, the whole cycle is interrupted. There could be an abundance of calcium in a farmers field, but if the soil lacks other essential elements needed by plants, the role played by an even abundant element becomes ineffectual. So, once again, a natural diversity has first to be established, and then maintained. The establishment and of such a system may be difficult for a farmer and the road to achieving a result from which the farmer can still produce the crop yields they have produced with the aid of toxic chemicals, may be a long one, but ultimately it will be worth it and yields and crop quality will be improved and more importantly, the land will remain productive and healthy year after year............as ever, much more to come, keep watching

Part 4 (4) Potassium

2009-10-25T03:07:00.000-07:00

The word Potassium is derived from the word 'Potash' which comes from English and means just what it says; ash of burnt wood, taken from a pot. Traces of Potassium occur naturally in the soil for example from naturally occurring veld fires and, as plant and animal cells contain an abundance of Potassium, it is also introduced via decomposing plant and animal matter. So the natural introduction of potassium in the farming environment is simple enough. Do not waste any plant/crop residues, use them as a mulch so they rot back into the soil. This practice also shades the soils, reduces evaporation and creates an ideal living environment for useful terrestrial life such as earth worms. Terrestrial life is another subject which we will eventually get to, but this shows how all the natural elements of a self sustaining ecosystem are linked. The word coined for this sort of thing is 'biodiversity' which means biologically diverse, and basically a healthy natural system IS diverse, containing a multitude of interlinked living and non living things all of which play an important role, and if one link is broken a chain reaction ensues. But I am digressing, one thing at a time hey??? Back soon..............

Part 4 (3) Phosphorus

2009-10-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Phosphorus comes from inorganic phosphate rocks and various other sources, and is an essential element for all living cells. This is made available naturally via the decomposition of bones, the exoskeletons of beetles and millipedes, urine etc and also from weathered rock that contains phosphorus. Modern agriculture has phosphates in industrially produced fertilizers which is applied in a concentrated blend containing various other elements needed by plants. Once again, modern agricultural methods include the eradication of all things that pose competition to a crop or that are considered pests. By doing this farmers not only kill the pests, they kill the pest predators too and basically create an environment in which very few insects can survive. This in turn means that the natural cycle is interrupted, and insect and animal population eradication means that not as many insects/animals die naturally on the affected ground, so the natural replenishment of phosphorus is also interrupted........... more to come, keep watching

Part 4 (2)

2009-10-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

So to what practical purpose can my last post be used in agriculture. All plant life needs N, and what we want to achieve are sufficient levels of N in the soil that are readily available to the plants we cultivate for food. Part 4 (1) clearly shows us one of natures tools that we can easily employ and benefit (a) by the introduction of natural N fixation by introducing leguminous plants such as beans and peas into the same field as our main food crop, and (b) the same plants introduced to help us maintain or increase N levels, will also yield a harvest of their own.

Modern agriculture has used this concept for many years, but not in a natural way. Legume crops have been used to improve soil health, but only in rotation with another crop. The practice of planting a single crop type in one field is called monoculture. In monoculture most of the crops nutrient requirements have to be added to the soil because the natural balance has been disturbed when all the plants and animal life have been cleared away to make way for modern agriculture. A much more natural method for the introduction of N is to have legumes growing in the same field as the main food crop. Of course, this one thing is not all that is required to become a successful organic farmer, we will cover much more in the weeks/months to come, discussing how nature works and how we can practically mimic her brilliant systems............................. Keep watching this blog!!

Part 4 (1) Plant Nutrition

2009-10-24T01:22:00.000-07:00

The nutrients needed by most agricultural plants are broken down as follows;

Macronutrients:

Micronutrients (trace levels) include:

Cl = Chlorine
Fe = Iron
B = Boron
Mn = Manganese
Na = Sodium
Zn = Zinc
Cu = Copper
Ni= Nickel
Mo = Molybdenum

If we start at the top, Nitrogen (N) we can give a brief description of how this is made available to plants;

The Nitrogen Cycle:

The earth's atmosphere is about 78 to 80% Nitrogen, and Nitrogen is essential to every living thing on earth. In plants N is used in chlorophyll molecules which are essential for photosynthesis which occurs in plants, algae and many species of bacteria, and converts carbon dioxide into organic matter, especially sugars. For our purposes and without going into too much detail, the Nitrogen cycle is as follows;

While N is abundant in the atmosphere, most of it cannot be used by plants, so gaseous N has to be processed into forms that can be used by living organisms and this is what the N cycle does. Some N fixation is done by lightening strikes, but most is done by free living bacteria that have symbiotic relationships with other living organisms. An example of this are the Rhizobium bacteria which live in the root nodules of certain leguminous plants such as beans or peas. Here they live in symbiosis with the plant, producing ammonia from atmospheric N which they then convert to carbohydrates which are used by plants. So this is a part of the N cycle where N2 is converted into a form that is readily available to plants and hence to animals. This type of conversion is known a 'Biological Fixation' and is one of four ways that N can be made available to plants and animals. The other three ways are;

Industrial fixation, which are man made fertilizers which, because of their concentrated nature, poison the environment.
Combustion of fossil fuels, engines and thermal power plants which produce various nitric oxides and these also poison the environment.
Natural phenomenon such as lightening, veld fires, decomposition of dead plant or animal life etc.

Nitrates are then converted back to N2 by dentrifying bacteria in anaerobic conditions and the process (N cycle) begins again.

This is a very basic description of some of the roles played out in the N cycle, but as I have already stated, it is a vast subject. What I have written down, however, does spell out the necessity for farmers to revert to Organic Agriculture. The big problem with 'modern' agricultural methods, is that the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides have long term negative impact upon the soils, rivers, lakes, the air we breathe etc, etc. Fortunately, Mother Nature is a powerful force, and will re-establish her natural balance, given the chance, very quickly.

More to come, keep watching........

Part 3, the foundations

2009-10-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

What are the foundations on which mother nature has to build? Firstly the soil which consists of its parent material (i.e.: the weathered down rock) which also contains dead matter from plants and animals that decomposes into the soil, and a multitude of living organisms both microscopic and those that can easily be seen. Everything has a role to play; the parent material is the bulk matter that provides plants a stable place to root, the millions of different life forms that live in the soils feed on dead plant and animal matter and reduce it to a form that can be used by plants. Here, I am only glossing over what is really a massive subject, but will go into it in more detail later. Suffice to say, everything is part of a cycle, the cycle of life.....keep watching this space........

Organic Farming Part 2

2009-10-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

So how does mother nature create the balance that enables everything in a given environment to thrive and what has human kind done in the process of food production for their ever increasing populations? First of all, everything that occurs naturally in any given environment has adapted and changed with its environment. Nothing is now as it was thousands of years ago and the things that have been unable to adapt to change have become extinct. Nature feeds itself and provides the means for the food requirements of all living things to be made available in a form that can be used by those living things.

I know this is getting somewhat drawn out, but I am writing this in dribs and drabs, when I get the time. This short paragraph certainly opens up a vast chasm of mystery and intrigue for us to explore. Stay tuned for more..........

Organic Farming, The Basis

2009-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Where does the concept of organic agriculture come from and what is its definition?

Organic refers to the natural means by which crops are fed and how pests and disease are controlled without the use of chemicals.

Where does the inspiration for this system of farming come from and why have so many farmers been inspired enough to change how they farm?

Firstly, let us put aside reasons related to the negative impact chemicals and practices such as 'monoculture' and consumer demand have contributed to the ever increasing pressure placed on farmers to change to organic agricultural practices. We will concentrate on the things that inspired those who pioneered the return of Organic Farming.

If we look at nature in its unspoiled, untouched state. By that, I mean, for example, a forest that is pristine, untouched by people. The forest is a picture of health; healthy plants and animals. These are the things we see, it is the picture we see. What we see, we accept and we admire its beauty, but few question why it is so beautiful, so healthy. We do not wonder why it is so healthy when no human hands have fertilised the plants or sprayed them with chemicals to combat pests and disease. Some people, however, have noticed and have asked these questions and have tried to figure out how natural fertilisation, pest and disease control occurs. I do not believe all of the answers have been found yet, but I do know that there are major obstacles to circumnavigate if we are to ever achieve a situation in which all agriculture is done using organic methods. Of course, there are many who say it HAS to be done NOW, but pay little heed and have no understanding of the reality of trying to farm organically when all your neighbours are using chemicals. Farmers cannot simply stop the production of food, and many, perhaps the majority of farmers do not believe that Organic Farming is a viable alternative to the methods that have kept them going for generations. Many are the stumbling blocks, but it is a change that needs to happen, and that change will only happen if the task of spreading the use of organic farming is placed in the hands of people who have a clear understanding of all the issues involved. This article is only part 1 of what will eventually be quite a considerable document, that will hopefully explain the principles and complexities of what is needed to farm successfully with organic farming practices and how to apply in a practical way what nature gives us. Keep watching this spot........

Global Warming; A Good Reason To Go Organic!

2009-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

I must apologise, I put this together with very little notice so it is basically the ramblings of an eccentric, but honest ramblings they are.......... I could go on and on and on about the balance of nature, because to me it is a very real and interesting thing, but I don't want to bore people, I want to ignite an interest that will lead them to explore this massive subject for themselves and become passionate about it. So here are a few thoughts.......

Mother Nature is like a finely tuned instrument; everything in it is balanced and because of that, coexistence of all living things is possible.

This statement might seem somewhat ambiguous, but it is not that hard to understand;

What tool does Mother Nature use to maintain this balance? Evolution. Everything on the planet has evolved to one degree or another to become what it is today. All living things are not the same now as they were millions of years ago, and the reason for that, is that everything has had to adapt physically and mentally in order to survive ever changing environments. Even human-kind are still evolving and the single biggest evolutionary step humans will make, will be to finally accept they are destroying the planet and do something to stop that destruction. This evolutionary step has already begun, as the stark fact that our planet Earth is in real danger, begins to register in minds of more and more people. Are people grasping this? Are the people who have, doing enough to get the word out? Is it too late? I do not know the answers to these questions and doubt anyone does, I cannot look at another person and read their thoughts but I do know that a lot of people think this sort of thing is just hype, but I know it is not, it is real, it is tangible. This leads me into things we can do in our feeble attempts to save our planet. I do not believe many people really understand the full implications of the impact of human-kind, on our planet, so what could I do, as an individual, to help reduce that impact? I could teach farmers to farm productively without the use of toxic chemicals and that is through the introduction of organic agriculture, using Mother Natures own systems to create balance. This is how..........

Mother Nature creates her own fertilizers, providing all the nutrients required by plants. One example is that farmers apply fertilizers that contain Nitrogen at certain stages of a crops growth, Mother Nature, on the other hand, does that by introducing plants (amongst other plants that need Nitrogen) that are host to Nitrifying bacteria in their roots. I will not get too technical, but in short, these bacteria take atmospheric Nitrogen and 'fix' it into the soil in a form that can be used by the plants that need it. This is not the only way that soils are enriched with Nitrogen, but this natural process can be duplicated by farmers by the introduction of such 'Nitrogen fixing plants' (as they are known) amongst their crops.

Another practice human-kind has introduced is 'monoculture'. This is the practice of growing a single crop in one field and actively eradicating all other plant competition with the use of chemical herbicides and killing pests using toxic pesticides. This is a very unnatural state and soils all over the world have been negatively impacted as a result. What Mother Nature does, is have a mixture of plants and other forms of life, together, in the same habitat, everything playing an important role in the balance of that environment. Mother Nature does not need herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers, she provides a natural balance which produces a healthy environment that will sustain itself for indefinite periods. By imitating Mother Nature, we can also create a balance, one that will produce everything we need to survive.

In this article, I have only touched the edges of a massive subject. To mimic nature properly an intimate knowledge is needed of the part everything in a healthy environment plays and to apply in a practical way, the tools Mother Nature uses to achieve balance. One of the main obstacles in the introduction of this sort of agriculture is that the final goal can take a good deal of time to achieve. There are so many variables, such as loss of earnings in the transitional phases from 'modern' to organic agriculture, a lack of belief in the system being introduced and neighbors who refuse to use the same system resulting in those who are trying to go organic, being unable to create a suitable balance because the neighbors are using chemicals and poisoning the same environment which will have a negative impact in the immediate area of application and for miles around. The barriers are huge, but it can be done and I for one want to help that change take place......................

You may be asking, well, what has this got to do with global warming? So, so, so much. Imagine how much less pollution there would be if synthetic fertilisers, chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc did not have to be produced so that everyone on the planet could eat. Imagine all those mines and factories didn't pump poisonous gases into the atmosphere or pollute the oceans, lakes and rivers. I could go on and on but I think my point is made; We have to believe, we have to act, we have to get the word out, but perhaps even more importantly we have to prove that it works because generally people have to see to believe.

I thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and hope you will continue to do so. Please comment

Mad Ideas

2009-08-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

Check out my new blog, maddest ideas, a forum for the insane

http://www.maddestideas.blogspot.com

fond memories

2009-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Different times, all good. Sure beats mud island!

Planned trip

2009-04-14T13:34:00.001-07:00

I am planning an epic trip from the UK, through numerous European countries visiting various wildlife sanctuaries where efforts are being made to ensure the survival of endangered species around the globe, and where people are being taught the importance of maintaining the flora and fauna we have left. The European part of the trip will end, finally, in Sicily where we will board a ship or plane over to Somalia. From there we will travel down Africa, finally ending in South Africa then heading up the coast to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. I hope to be ready to travel, by motorcycle, this time next year. The entire trip will be documented, and we hope to get a number of people to come along. Funds raised from the proceeds of the sale of the footage, will be used to help fund various humanitarian/wildlife efforts and possibly to help us embark upon similar efforts of our own.

Moving here to a first world country has made me realize that I cannot live a 9 to 5 existence. I need to be doing something that I perceive as useful. My quest now, is to generate enough interest in this epic journey, one of discovery and adventure, with a purpose. If anyone is interested in joining this adventure, please post a comment. If interested, look at earlier entries on this blog to see the sort of humanitarian/wildlife stuff I am referring to. Hope to hear from people who are passionate about this sort of thing, and determined to make a difference.

Missing Home

2009-03-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Mud Island is OK, but so built up and basically I yearn for the African bush....it's in my blood. I miss not being able to walk bare foot or in flip-flops, I miss the heat, I miss the animals, I miss the dangers of handling venomous snakes or walking in areas where other dangerous animals live......everything about the bush, I miss.

Maybe, after the long, cold winter here, I will get to see and learn more about the countryside and its wildlife, but I fear that after what I have been accustomed to, it will be mild and relatively unexciting.

Pelicans!!

2008-07-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

Iniaki and I went into the park yesterday and saw a massive flock of White Pelicans in breeding plumage feeding in the river. They were very organised and split into fishing groups of 20 to 30 birds and moving back and forth along a short stretch of the Urema River, beating the water with their wings and stirring the fish into a frenzy. A sight to behold!

Pics to follow....

How to kill pests without killing yourself or the earth; Comment from Stephen Tvedten

2008-07-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

How to kill pests without killing yourself or the earth......

There are about 50 to 60 million insect species on earth - we have named only about 1 million and there are only about 1 thousand pest species - already over 50% of these thousand pests are already resistant to our volatile, dangerous, synthetic pesticide POISONS. We accidentally lose about 25,000 to 100,000 species of insects, plants and animals every year due to "man's footprint". But, after poisoning the entire world and contaminating every living thing for over 60 years with these dangerous and ineffective pesticide POISONS we have not even controlled much less eliminated even one pest species and every year we use/misuse more and more pesticide POISONS to try to "keep up"! Even with all of this expensive and unnecessary pollution - we lose more and more crops and lives to these thousand pests every year.

We are losing the war against these thousand pests mainly because we insist on using only synthetic pesticide POISONS and fertilizers There has been a severe "knowledge drought" - a worldwide decline in agricultural R&D, especially in production research and safe, more effective pest control since the advent of synthetic pesticide POISONS and fertilizers. Today we are like lemmings running to the sea insisting that is the "right way". The greatest challenge facing humanity this century is the necessity for us to double our global food production with less land, less water, less nutrients, less science, frequent droughts, more and more contamination and ever-increasing pest damage.

National Poison Prevention Week, March 18-24,2007 was created to highlight the dangers of poisoning and how to prevent it. One study shows that about 70,000 children in the USA were involved in common household pesticide-related (acute) poisonings or exposures in 2004. At least two peer-reviewed studies have described associations between autism rates and pesticides (D'Amelio et al 2005; Roberts EM et al 2007 in EHP). It is estimated that 300,000 farm workers suffer acute pesticide poisoning each year just in the United States - No one is checking chronic contamination.
In order to try to help "stem the tide", I have just finished re-writing my IPM encyclopedia entitled: THE BEST CONTROL II, that contains over 2,800 safe and far more effective alternatives to pesticide POISONS. This latest copyrighted work is about 1,800 pages in length and is now being updated at my new website at http://www.thebestcontrol2.com .

This new website at http://www.thebestcontrol2.com has been basically updated; all we have left to update is Chapter 39 and to renumber the pages. All of these copyrighted items are free for you to read and/or download. There is simply no need to POISON yourself or your family or to have any pest problems.

Stephen L. Tvedten

Response to Stephen Tvedten on IPM Issues

2008-07-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the comment from Stephen Tvedten on IPM related issues, in response to my post entitled 'Gorongosa National Park, Organic Farming Transitional Phase', and sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I will publish your comment in my blog, and would like to keep in touch. I do not need converting, however, the people with whom we work, do. So we are taking a step by step approach, which is working. We have made contact with experts with local knowledge who will be visiting to advise us how to move forward on the IPM front. In the mean-time, we are encouraging planting of indigenous flora around cropped areas to provide a breeding ground for natural pest predators. Study here has shown that habitat structure is the most effective means of maintaining pest predator numbers.

Lastly, this is exactly the sort of disussion this blog hopes to attract, thank you.

A Great Farewell

2008-07-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the most touching surprise, the people I have been working with in Vinho, threw a farewell party for me. They wished me and my family well and expressed the hope that we would return to see them in the future.

I am truly touched by this gesture, and will miss these good people. After the get together, they escorted me back to the river, singing and dancing all the way.

Farewell my friends, we wish you alll every success.....

Gorongosa National Park, Buffer Zone Farmers, Transition to Organic Agriculture

2008-07-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

The aim in the buffer zone is to eventually convert farming practices from traditional to organic farming. If this is to be done successfully we have to be mindful of the following;

The livelihood of the farmers is the production of crops, both for commercial and home use. To this end the transition has to be made ensuring that crop yields are maintained or improved. If our stance is dictatorial and we insist farmers do not use chemical pesticides and this stance has a direct and negative impact on yield, we will immediately lose the trust and support of the farmers.
In the transitional phase, we should ensure that chemical pesticides are purchased from registed retailers who sell pesticides that are Mozambican registered.
We know experts on the local flora, and in our efforts to promote the use of Integrated Pest Management, they have been invited to show farmers what indigenous plants can be used to make pesticides. Once we have this information, we need to have these concoctions anylised to ensure there are no banned substances in them. Only then should we encourage their use.

It has come to my attention that our efforts are being critisized, and that perhaps a 'harder line' should be taken. May I remind the meddlers; the success of this project relies upon a 'two-way' effort; this organisation and the communities with whom we are working. A dictatorial approach will certainly result in failure. Think about it! Baby steps.........

Vinho Ladie Market Garden-Irrigation System Installation

2008-06-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

We begin by laying the pipes and erecting the tank stand

The 'irrigation 'main-line' runs down the center of the irrigated field. Note the drip lines running from the main line. Each drip line is 10 meters in length, spaced a meter apart.

The tanks stand poles are secured

Some ladies closing off the ends of the drip lines.

Bamboo is used for the tank platform

The tank is placed on the tank stand

Ready to start plumbing the system in.

The plumbing is done and the pipe clamps are being tightened.

There is mor to come....watch this space

My Friends At Gorongosa National Park

2008-06-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

I have lived in Chitengo camp, Gorongosa National Park in the Sofala Province of Mqzambique. It is a wonderful and beautiful place and there is a special crowd of people living and working there to restore the park to its former glory.

Good luck my friends, the work you are doing is so worth while and you should all be proud.

I am now embarking upon a new adventure and will settle down in the UK, but my great memories of Gorongosa will never fade.

ciao

Fruits of Labor

2008-06-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Monica Lopez Conlon
A field of beautiful cabbages at Senhor Herculano's farm

Photo credit: Iniaki Abella Gutierrez
Senhor Baltazaar with two of the Vinho Market Garden ladies. Their efforts are paying off now as they reap their produce to sell to the Chitengo Restaurant.

Photo credit: Iniaki Abella Gutierrez
Some of the staff at the Chitengo Restaurant recieve good quality organic produce, the lettuce from the Vinho ladies market garden and the kale from the president of the Vinho Organic Farming Association, Senhor Herculano.

Photo credit: Monica Lopez Conlon
Lettuces growing in the field. Successfully grown despite the hot days.

Organic Farming Practices; Simple Guide

2008-06-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

Organic Farming Practices

Introduction;

Organic Farming is to copy natural cycles that support the healthy growth of plants. Natural systems rely upon diverse populations of living plants and organisms to complete the cycle from living plants to dead organic matter which is recycled to provide food for more living plants. This cycle also maintains soil structure, improving the soils capacity to capture and retain rainwater for the use of living plants.

This course is to teach the basic practices that will provide ideal conditions for these natural processes to take place. The desired result is that food will be provided for crops by natural means. Also covered are ways in which pests can be controlled, or managed to acceptable levels by introducing natural controls and the use of indigenous plants from which pesticides can be made……..

Mulching;

In nature, mulching occurs when leaves, twigs, branches, grasses etc fall to the ground. The roles played by this mulch are;

The soil is shielded from the direct sunlight resulting in regulated soil temperatures and reduced evaporation of moisture

The mulch provides food for soil dwelling organisms which help break down organic matter and ultimately provide food for plants. (This is natures way of making compost)

On the farm, mulching can be done by using crop residues, which can be cut down after a crop has been reaped, and left on the surface of the soil.

Using Compost;

We will cover how to make compost on another course, but here, we will look at how we can put to use the compost we have made, in the field;

Compost made at home using vegetable matter such as leaves, grass cuttings, twigs, wood ash and food scraps, and is made in a controlled environment that speeds up the composting process. So we can, in a controlled environment, manufacture plant food more quickly than the natural process. Compost can be used in the field in the following ways;

Compost can be turned into or mixed into the soil

It can also be applied by laying it under the existing mulch

Compost should not be applied directly onto the surface of the soil because it will be dried out by the sun and the decomposing process will be retarded.

Multi Cropping;

The practice of mono-culture, (Single crop farming systems) in which only one crop is planted in one field, is not natural and effectively interrupts the balance of natural systems. In order to imitate nature, diverse inter-cropping is required. This means that different crops are planted in the same field. Each crop must have a specific role in which they support the main crop, or in which the various crops planted support each other.

For example;

Main crops-Maize & Sorghum

Living ground cover crops-Pumpkin and Watermelon

Nitrogen fixers-Cow peas or Pigeon peas

The above example shows that we are planting pumpkin and watermelon to help the mulch shade the soil from direct sunlight, but these crops also help provide shade to the mulch, thus preventing the mulch from drying out. In addition we have planted a legume crop so that Nitrogen will be made available to the other crops during their growing period.

Rotational Cropping;

Rotational cropping can be used in conjunction with Multi cropping by growing a legume crop (Nitrogen fixing crop) as the main crop in one field this year followed by a Maize/Sorghum main crop the next year. This helps to condition the soils and the legume residue can be cut and used as mulch that still has a relatively high Nitrogen content after reaping and decomposes more rapidly than maize or sorghum residues.

Example of legume crop inter-planted with other crops;

Main crop-ground nuts

Living ground cover crops-Pumpkin and Watermelon

Inter-planted with a 10% population of maize

This example shows that our main crop of legumes is inter-planted with pumpkin and watermelon to provide living ground cover and with maize which helps to partially shade the groundnut crop.

Crop populations;

A farmer’s resource is the soil. If the soils are not cared for, they become barren of plant nutrients, they lack the ability to catch and retain rainwater and as a result they lack the capacity to support plants. However, even well cared for soil has limitations as to how much plant life it can support. So it is important that crop populations are controlled so that maximum crop yields can be achieved. If crop populations are too high, the plants are weak and produce small, inferior fruit resulting in reduced yields, if crop populations are too low too little fruit is produced per meter squared, also resulting in low yields. It is therefore important to plant at the correct density so that optimum use is made of the planted area.

For example;

We will work with an area of 10m x 10m because it is easy to mark out the area and count the plants within that area.

We are planting the following crops;

For example;

Main crops-Maize & Sorghum

Living ground cover crops-Pumpkin and Watermelon

Nitrogen fixers-Cow peas or Pigeon peas

Crop	Recommended Population/100m sq	% of integrated planting	Recommended population
Maize	500	55%	275 plants
Sorghum	750	30%	225 plants
Pumpkin	400	2.5%	10 plants
Watermelon	400	2.5%	10 plants
Pigeon Peas	750	10%	75 plants
		Total plants per 100 m square	595 plants

This table shows a total plant population of 595 plants in a 10m x 10m (100m sq.) area, this equates to a per hectare population of 59’950 plants which would be considered a suitable population for maize in an area with good rainfall, fertile soils and temperatures not exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. (Point out the obvious differences in climatic conditions to the students)

Integrated Pest Management;

Integrated Pest Management is to make use of natural resources to control pests in a responsible way.

The use of natural pest predators

Pest are drawn to fresh green crops or to the ripened fruit of crops. The pests use the crops as their habitat but the crops do not provide the habitat structure needed by pest predators.

The provision of a habitat for insects that prey upon pests will provide the following benefits;

A place in which pest predators can breed

This habitat consisting of indigenous shrubs and grasses can be avoided when spraying crops with pesticides so that breeding pest predators, their eggs and grubs are not killed by the application of pesticides, thus maintaining pest predator numbers.

The use of indigenous plants; (organise visit from mission @ Manica)

Pest Predator habitat

Plants with qualities that are repellent to pests;

Herbs-herbs such as garlic which give off strong odors help keep pests away from crops.

Plants such as the Marigold also keep pests away from crops.

Plants with properties that are toxic to pests;

There are many plants that have chemical properties that are toxic to pests. Infusions can be made, by soaking leaves, bark or roots in water and then spraying the infusion onto your crops to kill pests.

Scouting for pests (An expert should be brought in to teach what are pests and what are predators and produce a booklet specific to local pests and their predators)

Purpose;

To assess pest numbers

To assess crop damage

To assess Pest predator numbers and the impact they are having on the pest populations

How often to scout?

Once a week under normal circumstances

Two days after spraying

Scouting pattern;

Count pest and predator numbers on two plants every 10 meters, working diagonally through the field.

When to spray

Different pest problems will have different pest/predator thresholds (advice required from Zim Cotton Board)

When plant damage is obvious

When pest numbers are noticeably high

Controlled Spraying;

Spraying should be done when there is a significant pest challenge.

The application of pesticides should be controlled because the application of toxic chemicals not only kill pests, they also kill pest predators and surface and subsurface dwelling living organisms that play a part in the food cycle that provides the crops with nutrients.

Pest predator habitat should be avoided during spraying so that the pest predator populations can be maintained.

If the same chemical is used too often, pests can build up a resistance, so it is important to alternate between at least two different options.

Summary;

The basic practices used in Organic Farming are simple. They are also necessary in order to provide ideal conditions for the natural cycles to occur.

To re-cap, the basic practices are;

Mulching

Composting

Inter-cropping

Crop population planning

Integrated Pest Management

What we wish to achieve by using these practices;

Soil conditions ideal for;

The supply of plat nutrients for improved crop yields without the need of fertilizers

The ability of the soil to capture and retain rainwater

Additional plant nutrients by making and using compost as an organic fertilizer

A balanced plant community in which plants have specific roles

Improving and maximizing crop yield potential by ensuring we do not overpopulate or under populate fields

Responsible management of pests to ensure maximum yields are achieved

Making sure that our soil resource is cared for, to maintain fertility

Grant Norvall

9^th June 2008

Mozambican Spitting Cobra

2008-05-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Photo credit; R. Beillfuss
We had to flush this large cobra out from under a rondavel.

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
Finally, I was able to catch this cobra. This is a large example of the species.

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
Getting to grips

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
In hand and safe...or was it; unfortunately we have to kill all venomous snakes found in camp....I hated doing it, but had no choice.

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
A small cobra (same species) caught the previous day, pictured curled up in a hole eating a frog.

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
This little fellow was really feisty

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
I am hundreds of times bigger than this snake, but it holds its ground!

Photo Credit; R. Beillfuss
Finally in hand and safe.

The Mozambican Spitting Cobra has a venom cocktail with neuro and cytotoxic properties. Next to the Gaboon Adder and Puff Adder it has the most painful bite, and the venom is deadly. That aside, people are rarely bitten by these snakes because as soon as they become aware of approaching danger, they hide. Here, in Chitengo Camp, we only see a very small % of the snakes we walk past each day. Last year 2 bites were recorded, me and a woman who works in the gardens. I was bitten because I identified a Bibrons Stiletto incorrectly (A common error, even by experts-which I do consider myself) and the woman was unfortunate to stand on a small snake that did not have time to move out of her path. I believe she was bitten by a snouted adder, which although a painful bite, is only mildly venomous.

The bottom line is that there could be serious repercussions if a really serious bite were to occur, so although I hate the rule, I do agree with why it is being enforced.

More Bits of Wigan

2008-05-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

A long boat on the Wigan canal

Wigan Church vestry entrance

One of the side doors into Wigan Church

2 long boats in dry dock near Wigan Pier being refurbished

I think this is called a lock, it is used to lift or lower boats to different levels on the canal

This pic taken near Wigan Pier

Bits of Wigan

2008-05-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Wigan Town, Lancashire, UK

2008-05-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Doorways

2008-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Old and even older

My first trip to Europe

2008-05-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in England, the weather has been kind and I love some of the old buildings. Still lots to see and I will be getting a tree book and a bird book later on today.

Vinho Organic Farming Association Meeting, 22nd April 2008

2008-04-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Nhamatanda Director, Sr. Benendito Caetano of Agriculture opens the meeting

The 12 ladies who after being allocated land by the Organic Farmers Association initiated a market garden to grow vegetables organically.

Some association members and pictured on the near right, Sr. Camilo the Agricultural Engineer of the Nhamatanda Agricultural Authority, listens to the proceedings.

After the meeting, we make our way to Sr. Herculano and the ladies market gardens for an impromptu field day.

Part of Sr. Herculano’s machamba that has been prepared for flood irrigation. Sr. Herculano purchased a motorised pump after 2 years of using a manual pump and saving up enough money to purchase the motorised unit. He pumps from the Pungwe River into a main canal from which the water is directed into the furrows pictured above.

Lively and informative discussions take place. This is the function of field days, to promote interest.

We make off from Sr. Herculano’s machamba to visit the ladies market garden.

The cabbage planted 0ut. (Actually what they call ‘Portuguese Cabbage’, but I think it is actually a type of Swiss chard)

They have re-prepared the bed in the nursery where the first tomato seedlings came from, and planted some carrot seed.

The tomatoes are looking great! Some are beginning to yellow so we showed the ladies how to apply fire ash as a top dressing.

Sr. Camilo shows how to plant tomato seedlings that have been left for too long in the nursery.

Lettuce that has been planted out is looking strong and healthy.

The group listens while Sr. Herculano discusses how to make best use of the remaining tomato plants in the ladies nursery. Other farmers from the association will take plants to plant into their own machambas.

The above pictures reveal the groups interest as various discussions take place. The idea of field days is to promote interest and discussion.

Compiled by:

Grant Norvall with assistance from Rosa Zeca

Butterflies

2008-04-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

(Click photo's to enlarge)

More color, adding to the many vibrant sights Africa has to offer.

2008-04-20T01:20:00.001-07:00

Top the Baobab Tree and bottom the fruit of the baobab; the creme of tarter. Elephant gouge chunks out of the fibrous tree trunk with their tusks during the dry season and chew it because it contains a lot of water, especially in desert regions where the Elephants have to cover large distances to find water.

Batleur Eagle

2008-04-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Batleur Eagle, very easy to recognise even in flight. In flight it appears to be almost tail-less because it has such a short tail.

Vinho Visit 17th April 2009

2008-04-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

Vinho School & Ladies Market Garden Visit

Rosa explains to a teacher from Vinho School how to plant vegetables in stages into the recently prepared nursery to increase the harvesting period, after handing over some of the vegetable seeds that we received yesterday from the Director of Agriculture in Nhamatanda.

A medicinal plant one of two Artemisia plants given to us by the sisters at the mission near Manica.

At the Vinho Ladies Market Garden, the tomatoes that have been planted out are looking healthy. The pesticide we purchased has had the desired effect and the vegetables are free of pests.

Two lettuce plants are pictured above, nicely mulched and they have transplanted well. We told the ladies they will have to transplant the rest of the seedlings quickly because they are getting too big to transplant.

The onion seedlings are looking much better now and should be planted out before bulbs begin to form.

Grant Norvall

Agriculture Report 16th April 2008

2008-04-18T00:17:00.002-07:00

(Click to enlarge photo's)
Vinho School and Nhamatanda Director of Agriculture Visit

Immediately after being welcomed at Vinho School, the children feel the moisture that has been retained under mulch because of mulching done a few weeks ago.

The school director explains what has to be done to prepare the nursery to the children.

Mulch is removed from the area marked out for the nursery to prepare the seedbeds. Cabbage, Swiss chard, Tomatoes and Onions will be planted here.

After the mulch is removed the ground is tilled in preparation to add compost.

Grass piled on the edge of the machamba has composted nicely. The children collect the moist, decomposing organic matter from the bottom of the grass pile, to add to the soil in the nursery seed beds.

The compost is spread onto the prepared ground and mixed into the soil of the seed beds.

When the compost is mixed in well, the children pull soil up to cover any exposed compost then level the prepared seed bed.

The seed bed is divided into 4 separate beds.

Beans are planted between the beds to provide the seed beds with Nitrogen. Each planting station is marked with a stake.

Before and after: the seed bed is prepared, and then covered again with mulch to conserve moisture until we bring the seed (on 17^{th-next day})

The children are each given 2 bean seeds which they plant 3 paces apart, (2 seeds per station) Even the little chap in the pic above! These bean plants will provide N to the vegetables when transplanted from the nursery to the main garden.

Rosa re-caps with the children what has been done and what has to be done still.

Monica leads the children in a game that quickens wit, a fun end to a great and productive visit.

Some of the children look on as we discuss the next visit with the school director.

From the school, we drove to Nhamatanda to meet with the Director of Agriculture. The Director is 100% behind our efforts and advised us how to proceed to implement the Vinho Ladies Market Garden Project. A meeting has been set for next week with all parties concerned. We were also given vegetable seed for the Vinho School garden. One thing that was discussed is our involvement with the existing Government extension worker in the Bebedo Area. The Director is enthusiastic that our involvement will complement their efforts to spread the use of Organic Farming for which they have only been given a very small budget. We have a great need for a motorcycle in Vinho, and I propose to construct a simple lockable storeroom at the school with money we are not spending from the Agric budget. The motorcycle and some bicycles can be locked there for safe keeping. The bike would not only be useful for me, Rosa and Monica, but also Suleiman and other members in the department.

Grant Norvall

Road Kill

2008-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

This just shows that not everyone give a damn. They like to visit wilderness areas but in reality they think only of themselves and their precious urban lives. This Red Necked Francolin was killed by a speeding motorist on his/her way out of Gorongosa National Park on a park road that has a clearly signposted 40km/h speed limit. The trail of feathers from the point of impact was about 15 meters indicating high speed. These birds are also very alert and get out of the way of vehicle in good time. This poor bird never had the chance. Unfortunately the identity of the culprit is not known.

Stunningly Beautiful

2008-04-13T01:13:00.000-07:00

A young and very beautiful Oribi watches me pass, ever alert and ready to run if she feels threatened.

Catching rays!

2008-04-12T23:37:00.001-07:00

A Terrapin basks in the sun on the Shire (pronounced 'Shiri) River, Liwonde National Park, Malawi. 2007

African Elegance

2008-04-12T23:28:00.001-07:00

In my view, the most elegant of the African antelope, the Kudu seen in the background, and another elegant antelope an Impala in the foreground. Liwonde National Park, Malawi, 2007.

White Hooded Watchers of the river

2008-04-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

The African Fish Eagle swoops to pluck a fish from the waters of Lake Malawi. 2007

Another African Jewel

2008-04-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

An Argus Reed Frog, Vilancoulos, Mozambique. Xmas 2007

Regal Birds

2008-04-12T02:26:00.000-07:00

A pair of Crowned Cranes wade the waters of Lake Urema flood plain.

Right of Way

2008-04-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

Here in Gorongosa National Park the wildlife has right of way. A Black Headed Heron moves at a leisurely pace toward the waters of Lake Urema.

Jewels of Africa

2008-04-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

One of the many jewels of the African bush, the Little Bee Eater

Stilt and Heron

2008-04-12T02:05:00.001-07:00

A Blabkwinged Stilt and Black Headed Heron feed in the tranquil waters of the flood plain, Lake Urema, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. (click pic to enlarge)

Count your blessings

2008-04-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

This is the hand of a lady who works in the field, long hours, day in, day out to feed herself and her family. The hand tells its own story. Click to enlarge and see the full story, the hand tells it all.

Vinho Ladies Farm Vistit 10th April Update

2008-04-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Vinho Ladies Farm Visit-10^th April 2008

Getting there is great fun!

The canoe trip is always wobbly and a great part of the adventure. Katie accompanied us to get a story for the newsletter.

Since our visit on the 8^th, the ladies have erected small thatched structures over the lettuce seedlings. These seedlings are now ready for transplanting.

A discussion about the difficulty the ladies have carrying water in a watering can up the steep bank from the river. Before we can say anything to the group about how we want to support them-a pump is on the budget, we have to speak to the local agriculture government authority to check what steps have to be taken to implement the planned action.

The Vinho Fumo listens to a discussion about integrated planting of vegetables. I explained what should be planted and where to plant different vegetables in community with each other, in one machamba.

This incredible lady (with hoe) is missing a foot, but if you didn’t see it, you wouldn’t guess it!

I wanted another group photo because some of these ladies were not present on the 8^th. I hope to get a great photo of the entire group soon.

Summary

Unfortunately, the nicotine infusion is not having the desired effect and we still have a pest problem. I will make a quick trip tomorrow to check if the pesticide that I took to them today has worked. We mixed some there to show them how and they were going to apply it later in the day when it was cooler. (It was too hot to apply at the time)

We also supplied pumpkin, cucumber, butternut, water Melon seed to use as living ground cover. Chili and Coriander seed, Swiss chard and carrot seed. I had also brought some Green Bean seed but the packet split and it was lost along the way, I will get more. I am still looking for broccoli seed and various herb seed and garlic. Hopefully I will get these in the next week.

Grant Norvall

10^th April 2008

African Giants-A Poem

2008-04-10T22:13:00.001-07:00

Click image to
enlarge

Selous 'The great white hunter'
Slaughtered for ivory
His view of these African giants
Simply.....a lucrative sport

In a more enlightened age we live
And the elephant we have learnt
Is almost human in some ways
Wise and regal beasts

Tormented and hunted for hundreds of years
There's an inbred fear of man
Many of whom still believe
They're a resource to reap at will

How long will it take for humankind
To understand that we
Must learn again to live
With nature.......in harmony?

2008-04-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is a report on a visit to the beginnings of a market garden, initiated by a group of 12 ladies. We are supporting their efforts.

Vinho Ladies Farm Visit (8^th April 2008)

These Ladies have begun an initiative growing vegetables using Organic Farming Practices. Not all of the participants were present.

Our mission today was to assist this Cooperative transplant tomato seedlings, from the nursery into the machamba. Pictured with the ladies are from left; the Vinho Agricultural Extension Worker, Rosa and a gentleman (who’s name I neglected to note) who is also advising them how to farm organically.

The seed beds (nursery) planted by the ladies. Crops included are tomatos, Lettuce, Cabbage and Onions. The tomato seedlings are ready for transplanting.

One of the beds of tomato seedlings; note the corner (bottom left) from where we had already taken seedlings and planted them out into the prepared field.

Tomato plants that have been transplanted into a well mulched field.

Applying mulch in the field being prepared for tomatos. The grass being used as mulch was cut down to clear a new field for the tomatos.

On the left is a bed of lettuce seedlings, right is a bed of cabbage seedlings and bottom a bed of onion seedlings.

The cabbage seedlings are being destroyed by pests. We have organised spraying using a nicotine infusion, made from old cigarette butts (of which I have many). As a back-up, I am purchasing a ‘green’ pesticide to use in the interim, until we have the IPM program up and running.

Summary

The visit went well, but we only transplanted a small number of plants because it was so hot and the seedlings were being stressed. Ideally, transplanting must be done early morning and late afternoon when temperatures are lower. The ladies still have a large area to prepare as they have enough tomato seedlings for nearly a hectare, never mind the area needed for the other vegetables.

We also advised them to bring ash from their fires at home and apply the ash in small quantities to each tomato plant. We have told them we will get some pigeon or cow pea seed to interplant with the vegetables and some pumpkin and watermelon seed to provide some living ground cover.

We will visit again on Thursday afternoon.

Grant Norvall

8^th April 2008

Finding relief from the sun!

2008-04-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

Click photo’s to enlarge.

Shade is welcome on such a hot day. Top is an Oribi, the next photo a herd of Impala Rams, The third photo a Waterbuck and the last photo a female Bushbuck.

Spur Wing Geese, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

2008-04-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

A family of Spur wing Geese find a spot in the shade on a very hot day at a natural pan just off route 6 in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Click on photo to enlarge.

Palm Trees, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

2008-04-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

Top pic is a Borassus Palm and above the Lala Palm. The fruit of the Lala Palm is favored by Baboons. They tear open the very tough, fibrous outer skin and eat the contents. I think they eat the pith around the innermost kernel, which is a small round, white ball and this is known as vegetable ivory. It is extremely hard, about the size of a ping pong ball and hollow. Baboons must have incredibly strong teeth and jaws that they can tear the outer skin off.

Ground Hornbill, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

2008-04-08T04:38:00.000-07:00

An unusual experience; this Ground Hornbill stuck around for me to get in a good pic. These are big birds and they have an incredibly strong beak, which they use well to break open tortoise shells, their favorite food.

Baby Herald Snake

2008-04-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

This little Herald, no more than 10cm in length showed typical aggression firmly believing he is invincible. One of my favourite snakes, completely harmless to man with a very mild haemo-toxic venom. They are back fanged, the fangs re-curved and blade like and rather than the usual puncture appearance the bite looks like two little incisions. Bites bleed freely for 10 to 15 minutes then the bleeding stops and that is the full extent of the symptoms.

view this blog too

2008-04-01T00:36:00.000-07:00

Check this blog out too, click on the title to go there.

Gorongosa

2008-03-29T23:08:00.001-07:00

After a long history of poaching and uncontrolled hunting in Gorongosa National Park, the now recovering populations of animals are beginning to settle down. Yesterday some elephant were seen near Chitengo, a clear sign that they are becoming more comfortable with the presence of humans. Historical figures show that, for instance, the elephant population plunged to a mere 5 to 10% during those troubled years and other animal populations such as the buffalo, zebra, eland, sable, wildebeest, lion etc suffered a similar or worse fate. Now, a team lead by American Philanthropist, Greg Carr, have embarked upon an ambitious project to restore the Greater Gorongosa Ecosystem to its former glory. I have heard it boasted that this park once had one of the highest wildlife population densities in the world.

The groundwork has been laid by experts and now the challenge is being transfered, in the main, to Mozambiqueans to whom the remainder of this daunting task now falls. It will be a test of the capacity of a people who only recently came through many years of strife, emerging finally as a nation with enormous potential but lacking in experienced and trained people. As a people, they are fiercly proud of their heritage and hold a strong conviction that they now possess the expertise to succeed. It is only fitting that those Mozambiquans who have the qualifications get the jobs on offer, in whichever industry, before the expatriates. My only concerne is that some jobs require a passion that goes beyond being patriotic. Such passions are often passed on from mentor to apprentice and mentoring is an integral part of the process in which young people develop into mature, responsible adults who are expert in any given field.

This project not only includes the flora and fauna, but also the people, mostly consisting of small-scale farming communities, who live around the park. The sheer scale and complexity of the project can leave one gasping and confused, but fortunately the project is blessed with a handful of people who understand that a 'bit by bit' approach is the way forward.

Good luck, good people and may the 'Nature Bug' bite you all!!

Cheryl

2008-03-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this story to my lovely wife of 23 years today. Unfortunately you are in England my darling, but I will be there soon. The past year has been a truly fantastic one, Cheryl and I are in the picture above on the far right. That day was quite an adventure, with great friends and throughout this year we have had such adventures that most people only dream about. The biggest adventure, though, was that we shared a year in the bush surrounded by some of the most beautiful bush and awesome wildlife that Africa has to offer; a fitting farewell to this beautiful continent. We will be back, but as visitors and in the meantime we will explore the wilder reaches of England, Spain and Portugal...................On to the next adventure!!

Grant Norvall (29th March 2008)
Happy anniversary!

Friendly the Frog

2008-03-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

This little fellow dropped out of a tree onto the bonnet of the vehicle I was driving on our return journey from Murombozi Waterfall on Mt. Gorongosa a few weeks ago. We stopped and Bart put his hand out to the little chap and with little hesitation, Friendly crawled onto Barts hand. We were admiring Friendly when he very calculatingly sized up the distance from his perch on Bart, to his own reflection in my glasses.....this was the delightful result!

Mt Heart Bleeds.....It Really Does!

2008-03-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

It is with sadness that I write these lines, for in the face of pressure applied by those who do not know any better, conservation within a wilderness area is apparently a forgotten concept.
Recently a decision was taken that all venomous snakes inside Chitengo camp must be killed. The decision was taken because some people were not happy that I would leave certain snakes where they were, or catch then release them to a safer place. This decision, taken in a National Park, is unforgivable, and was taken by people who do not even know much about snakes; they were unable to identify a snake found in the camp site so this unfortunate creature was killed.
All over Africa, tourists pay good money to visit places where there are no fences cutting them off from the wildlife. They are all looking for that ultimate African experience, and some have saved for years to afford such a trip. At many African destinations, the people running the wilderness areas are lovers of nature, and recognise that they live in the homes of wild animals, and they respect that. One can visit professionally run lodges where no fences divide people from the surrounding wildlife, and these lodges ensure the safety of their guests by providing trained staff to escort people to and from their rooms and wildlife is observed from a safe distance in the presence of trained, professional guides.
Another incident earlier this week created panic among some of the staff here at Chitengo, when some Lion showed up at camp. Instead of reassuring these staff and providing trained people who know how lions behave, to escort people around camp, a vehicle full of armed scouts patrolled instead, and shots were fired into the air to frighten off the lion. A foot patrol was sent to check the fence was intact and, I have heard, additional budget has been approved to upgrade the fence. Honestly, why don’t they just move back to town and be done with it? The mind boggles!! Train the staff properly and only employ people who have a genuine love of nature and want to learn more about it.
Recently, in the name of education, for I hope that people who work at or visit the park will be taught about the importance of nature and everything in it, I killed two snakes and preserved them in a 10% formaldehyde solution. One was a Bibrons Burrowing Asp (Stiletto) and the other a beautiful baby Puffadder. I really hated doing it, but I was trying to follow this new rule, and by preserving the specimens, I hope that some people at least, will realise what wonderfully adapted creatures these are. But my conscience is not happy, my ‘karma’ is not at peace and I need to put that right. Since then I have released the lovely Vine Snake (See picture) and shall continue to release even the venomous snakes.
Such is life; on one hand there are the true nature lovers with a hunger to know more and more about nature, and then you have those who are clueless, they are afraid and superstitious. Professional Guiding is such an important job because a good guide will open the eyes and ears of others and hopefully ignite a spark of interest which will blossom into a yearning to know and understand more.
This story is just one example of why it is necessary that the protection of wilderness areas is placed in the hands of people who genuinely care for, love and understand nature. Just as the future of farming should be placed in the hands of people who understand the natural cycles so that the incredible burden that ‘modern agriculture’ has placed upon this planets natural resources and the massive destruction wrought through deforestation, mining and the pollution of our atmosphere, soils and waters in the name of agriculture, can be reversed whilst at the same time, food can still be produced in sufficient quantities.
At the moment, I live in a tent, and have done for more than a year. Yes, at night I zip up the door so snakes cannot get in whilst I sleep, and yes, I catch spiders inside the tent and release them outside, but I do share my tent with a number of geckos’, lizards, red toads and a recent addition, a blister beetle. They provide endless amusement and I have learned much about their habits. We have a great symbiotic relationship going; they entertain me and eat the odd mosquito, whilst my light brings insects in for them to eat. I also remove the odd snake that comes along hoping to feed on one of my little family members! I share the home of wild animals, and feel privileged to be in that position…..but not everyone shares my love of nature. My heart bleeds, really it does!
Grant Norvall

Murombozi Waterfall

2008-03-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

This lovely waterfall is on the Murombozi River, Mt. Gorongosa, Sofala, Mozambique. It dwarfs Fransisco Maximo, a big man, who is in awe of this amazing natural marvel!

Olive Grass Snake

2008-03-27T00:52:00.001-07:00

Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. We removed this snake to safer hunting grounds.

Gorongosa National Park, Organic Farming and Integrated Pest Management Programs

2008-03-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

The below projects are to be implemented in the rural communities around Gorongosa National Park, in Sofala, Mozambique;

Main Lines of the Organic Farming & NIPM* Programs

Introduction

It may appear, as you read this document, that some subjects are repeated. This is true, but necessary if a clear picture is to be drawn; the systems we propose are very diverse simply because nature is diverse, and it is natural systems that we are proposing to introduce into the ‘GNP’* buffer zone. In nature, everything interacts either directly or indirectly with everything else and as such, everything has a place. The term ‘mono-culture’ has no place here because it is not natural and creates an imbalance and as a result has become an expensive way to farm and has placed massive demands on the natural resources of our planet, and the industry that has grown around this ‘modern agriculture’ continues to pollute our river systems, land and atmosphere. Thankfully, we are becoming more aware of what we have done and how we can reverse the damage. Here, our responsibilities are to help the farmers in the ‘GNP’* buffer zone to farm in a more sustainable manner, given the conditions they live in, thereby securing the future of generations to come. We understand that this will take time to achieve, and so, drawing upon our experience of the region, we have developed a model in which we aim to support interactive and demonstrative initiatives, within the communities of the ‘GNP’ buffer zone.

Glossary of Terms (*)
GNP- Gorongosa National Park
NIPM- Natural Integrated Pest Management (Uses only indigenous resources)
OF- Organic Farming
CA- Conservation Agriculture
Soil Communities- Living soil organisms such as earthworms, grubs, bacteria, nematodes, moss algae etc

The ‘Why’ & the ‘Wherefore’

We wish to introduce the use of Organic Farming and Natural Integrated Pest Management into the buffer zone of Gorongosa National Park, in Sofala Province, Mozambique, because;

Traditional ‘Slash and Burn, Moving’ agricultural practices have become obsolete;
Increased human populations living within de-limited boundaries.
This has placed land under ever increasing pressure, and periods of fallow have become shorter as the demand for land has increased, resulting in soils that have become increasingly less fertile.
Moving agriculture is no longer sustainable because of this demand for land, and our goal is to introduce more sustainable farming practices that progressively improve soil fertility.
Sustainable Alternatives;
Making use of existing, albeit, dormant ‘soil communities’* by introducing practices that provide ideal conditions for those ‘soil communities’* to thrive and become active once again. These ‘soil communities’* will provide growing crops with all of their nutritive requirements, thereby negating the need for expensive fertilizers.
Markets; Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of how what they eat is grown, so the market for organic produce is the market of the future.
‘NIPM’* offers an alternative in the management of crop pest infestations using indigenous plants and predatory insect life. Effective pest management will increase crop yields and improved produce quality.
Healthy soils; we wish to re-establish active ‘soil communities,* to reduce crop yield loss and improve produce quality. Healthy soils will result in healthy crops which, as a result will also be less prone to disease, another contributing factor to improved crop yields and produce quality.
Nutrition; Improved produce quality will raise the nutritional value of the produce, and additional crops will be planted in community with the traditional crops, thereby improving the diet of subsistence farmers and their families through diversification. Diversification is an integral part of our plan to create micro ecosystems, the array of plants chosen to play specific roles within that system.
Commerce; Improved crop yields will increase the excess that the subsistence farmers sell and the improved produce quality will raise the value of their product.
Increased production capacity; The introduction of ‘OF’* conserves water and as such there will be more moisture retained in the soil and vegetables can be grown even after the rains have finished, without the use of irrigation, thereby making it possible for farmers to grow fresh vegetables for the household at times usually considered too dry.
Chemicals; The introduction of ‘OF’* and ‘NIPM’* negates the need of any chemical input, thus eliminating the possibility of accidental poisoning etc and resulting in ‘clean’ produce.
‘NIPM’ research will lead to the use of indigenous plants and predatory insects, to manage pest levels to an acceptable level, and will reduce the need to import exotics for this purpose.
Potential ‘spin-offs’ resulting from the introduction of ‘OF’* and ‘NIPM’* that will benefit the communities in the ‘GNP’* buffer zone;
The marketability of organic produce.
Tourism;
Restaurants at tourist lodges in ‘GNP’* can advertise organic food.
Tourists can visit the organic farms and ‘NIPM’* research plots.
Cleaner rivers, increased fish populations, bird life etc.
How do we propose to spread the use of ‘OF’* and ‘NIPM’* in the ‘GNP’* buffer zone?
Demonstration; traditional practices are deeply ingrained and previous attempts for the introduction of ‘CA’* (not the same as ‘OF’*) have been only partially successful. This we believe is because orthodox educational methods are not sufficient to convince people that there are better ways to farm. Demonstration has proved to be a more effective method.
We will assist selected farmers and schools of various communities to convert to ‘OF’* and to use ‘NIPM’* practices, and encourage the farmers in those areas to attend interactive ‘field days’ where they can see for themselves how to practice ‘OF’* and how beneficial the system is. We believe that an interactive approach should also be used at schools to teach the next generation of farmers, useful skills and practices.
Why ‘OF’* and not ‘CA’*?
‘OF’* is a more holistic approach. ‘CA’* encompasses some ‘modern farming’ practices, such as the use of chemical pesticides when pest levels reach specified thresholds, or the use of synthetic fertilisers, whereas ‘OF’* promotes the introduction of natural controls and an integrated relationship between man and nature through a diverse micro ecosystem of which man is a part.

Grant Norvall
11th March 2008

Vine Snake Eats Yellow Bellied Sand Snake

2008-03-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Chitengo, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique

Herald Snake?

2008-03-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Is this a Herald, or a subspecies? The behaviour is definately Herald, and the head is distinctly Herald too. Can anyone assist. This little chap was found in Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique.