Dear Friends:

I’d like to share the story of one farmer who has discovered the benefits of organic farming and crop diversification.  Mr. Ignacio Valle works with SHI’s field technician Ramon Osejo in the community of La Fonseca, in Kukra Hill, Nicaragua. He and his family have been working with Sustainable Harvest International for almost a year. He spoke with us last month. 

In his own words:

"I have not worked with Sustainable Harvest for very long, but I’d like to tell you I’ve achieved success because I feel very motivated with the new farming techniques. If you could see in my house this backpack sprayer, I’ve used it with pesticides and herbicides for many years because I never believed I would be able to farm another way. But since Ramón visited us, the first thing he did was tell us that he came to the community to work with families in organic agriculture and he was going to follow up with families interested in making a change for the good of our health, the economy and the environment. Since my wife and I were interested in knowing how to farm another way, we offered our house as a training place for other families.

I remember that day we learned to prepare compost, bokashi, complete fertilizer and bio-fertilizers with madero negro leaves and another compound with papaya leaves. We were taught to wait some time for the organic material to decompose and then we’d be able to directly apply it to the plants.  We were also given seeds for pepper, carrot, pumpkin, squash, tomato, beetroot, bell pepper and cabbage. They taught us how to make the seedbeds and for me it was a great delight when we put the organic fertilizer on the ground and transplanted the young plants. I saw results almost immediately; the leaves of my plants were a very intense green and full of vigor. My entire family couldn’t believe it was possible to farm without spending money [on chemical fertilizers].

Now I am harvesting different vegetables and I’m selling bell peppers because I planted the most of those. I’ve had good results with my crop of beans and I also have planted 50 coconuts and pineapples. I am going to plant timber-yielding trees on the banks of my water source. I am so happy with my first experience that I’m going to continue doing more. I want to plant other vegetables because now in my house we are eating as if at a banquet with fruits, vegetables and rice and beans as always. We feel our food is more flavorful and nutritious now and it’s the first time we’ve grown these vegetables. I also want to say that I’m not wasting my chicken manure now because I learned how to make bokashi, which is a fermented fertilizer with rice hulls. I use this in my orchard.

My family and I thank Sustainable Harvest for giving us this valuable knowledge and we hope never to return to farming with chemicals. We truly need Sustainable Harvest to be a presence in the area, for our good and the good of the environment."

Through his work with SHI, Mr. Valle has increased the health and diversity of  his farm. He has learned ways to decrease the cost of  production and increase the value of his commercial crops. He has also succeeded in creating a more nutritious and vibrant selection of fruits and vegetables for his own family’s consumption. Lastly, he has stopped using harmful pesticides and herbicides and he has learned to build the soil naturally. These steps will have long-lasting impacts on his family’s health and economic stability and improve the ecological diversity of his community.

Ignacio Valle is just one of hundreds of farmers that SHI has been privileged to work with in Nicaragua.  Thank you to our many donors, Smaller World volunteers, and business sponsors who make these success stories possible.

Warm Regards,

Florence Reed, Founder and President

Sustainable Harvest Honduras Director, Yovany Muguia, and Field Trainer, Roy Lara, recently traveled to the U.S.  During their visit, they attended an SHI Board meeting and met with foundations and supporters along the east coast.  Yovany and Roy also got some hands-on training in seed saving, dairy goat production and vermiculture from local farmers and experts in North Carolina. 

The Hondurans toured Celebrity Dairy’s cheese workshop and farm.  Plans are now underway to host a sustainable dairy goat workshop in Honduras this January.  North Carolina Department of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance’s Organic Recycling Specialist, Brian Rosa, showed them-large scale vermiculture projects, and they toured a hydroponic greenhouse at the Abundance Foundation .  Matt Rudolf gave them a tour Piedmont Biofuels Cooperative .   Stay tuned to future email updates to learn more about plans to start small scale biofuel production from non-food crops and waste oil at the Sustainable Harvest Honduras Demonstration Farm in Yoro, Honduras. 

Yovany and Roy also toured Central Carolina Community College’s Sustainable Agriculture Department’s demonstration gardens and learned about various seed saving techniques from farmer Doug Jones.  Yovany said, “It was wonderful to meet with farmers from the US and learn from their techniques.  We look forward to collaborating with these new friends and learning from each other as we work towards developing techniques that will improve the lives of the families we serve.” 

Click here to view more photos from their trip.

Then join one of our Smaller World Service Trips!  We have seven upcoming trips to Belize, Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras in 2008 and early 2009.  Trips are 1 - 2 weeks long and include opportunties to stay with host families, pitch in on community projects, and tour beautiful national parks and Mayan ruins.  This year groups have already planted tree seedlings for reforestation efforts, built wood-conserving stoves, constructed  biogas digesters, planted organic vegetable gardens, installed irrigation systems and much more.  All you need is enthusiasm to meet new people, experience new places and make a difference.  No Spanish language skills are necessary. Click here for more information on our upcoming service trips.

Hope to see you soon! 

Ohio Wesleyan University students recently completed a Smaller World Service Trip to Nicaragua. Their trip is featured on the OWU website. Click here to read more about one student’s experiences.

Ohio Wesleyan University student Forrest Raub  is pictured with a Nicaraguan teacher during his recent  Smaller World Service Trip.

With help from the Free Family Foundation, SHI-Belize was recently able to hire three new field trainers from the Toledo District: Bibiana Paquiul, Estevan Assi, and Herminio Sho. They have started work with eight new communities and five new schools. Bibiana, Estevan and Herminio have helped their communities:

Sustainable Harvest International  •  779 North Bend Rd. Surry, ME 04684  •  207.669.8254 (phone)  •  866.683.6594 (toll free) •  207.669.8255 (fax)  • shi@sustainableharvest.org  •  www.sustainableharvest.org

Smaller World: Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off