Re: multi-use leaf crops (fwd)

To: london@calypso-2.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Re: multi-use leaf crops (fwd)
From: Victor Guest <vic@daena.eepo.dialix.oz.au>
Date: Wed, 06 Sep 1995 15:44:41 WST
>-------------------------------------------------------
>Lawrence F. London, Jr. - london@sunSITE.unc.edu 
>http://sunSITE.unc.edu/london/Information_By_Topic.html
>-------------------------------------------------------
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: 14 Aug 95 21:56:22 EDT
>From: therese . M. Hildebrand <76473.64@compuserve.com>
>To: sanmessage <sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu>
>Subject: multi-use leaf crops
>
>Hello,
>
>I work with trying to help people, especially in the tropics, improve their
>health by making better use of leaf crops in their diets.  An area that I need
>some help researching is the  partial harvest of leaves from multi-purpose
>crops.  For  example,  winter wheat being grazed until snowfall then recovering
>in the spring to produce a seed crop.  I am having a very hard time finding
>information about this agricultural technique, which seems to have a lot of
>potential for increasing total nutrient production for peasant farmers and
>gardeners.  These folks often suffer from malnutrition and often have to produce
>food for their families on very small parcels of land. This seems like a
>technique that doesn't require any capital investment to increase food
>production,  just some practical information.  

Hi, sorry I have been so long in getting into this letter but here goes.
Lucerne (alfa alfa ) makes a nice tea, and can be cut continuously.
Oats can be grazed quite heavily and will recover.
Control of stock is very important.
Silver beet and celery can be used by taking mature leaves from the outside
I am quite concious that that peasant farmers, without mechanical harvesters
should not be mono  farming. The best advise I can give you is to 
use Permaculture thinking to design the gardens for these people. The 
land/garden/plot, should be set up to provide 4 layers of food, and a 
variety on each layer.

This would look like 
Ground Layer: Potatoes, Taroes, Carrots, etc, 
Cover Layer: Herbs, Lettuce, Cabbage, Beet, Garlic, Alfa alfa for stock etc.
climbing Layer: Beans, Peas, Lentils, Tomatoes etc.
Fruit Tree Layer: Grow all types of local fruit trees and allow vines to
climb on them.
Protection Layer: plant deciduous trees, Banna Grass and use this layer to
           provide a wind beak/sun shade/mulch material/fertilizer for the 
           garden.  

 Companion planting will stop most bugs and enhance the growth.

You put local plants in to replace the names I have given you.

Prepare the plot/garden where you can channel water run off and dig out the 
plot to a metre depth if possible. line the plot with paper if sandy or
porous and fill this with any absorbant organic (suitable)material you can 
get. You can overfill the plot with material, and it wont hurt. Plant into 
soil.( which you can put back.) Also add worms and all of your food scraps.
I have been told that in Zimbabwe an area equivalent to a door, is
enough to feed a family.

Best of luck.

>Thanks for any information or leads on where to find it.  Peace and Light,
>David Kennedy
>
>

Regards,
          Vic
--
Victor Guest   V.G.Guest                      Perth, Western Australia
vic.guest@eepo.com.au                         3 McKee Plce Kingsley. 6026
                ----: Sustainable Agriculture :----   Tel. (09) 3092108
--: The Land Management Society & The Permaculture Association:----